MERGE CHAIN Version 2.0 !!/7+E9O+N4T1
Merges are worlds composed of elements, tropes, themes, tones, etc. of the constituent jumps’ canonical settings, blended together in a way that hopefully creates an interesting, original world to explore. Stable Worlds are a sequence of merges that take place in the same world. This means that, while a jumper has been there before, and has a history in a world, subsequent visits may explore different themes. Refraction Clusters are groups of merges with similar themes or ideas. Unlike stable worlds, each return to the cluster will reveal a new world. Rare clusters have a stable world in addition to non-returnable settings. TableTable ofof ContentsContents
1. Anachronisms...... pg 4 9. Immanentized Eschaton.pg 12 A Bold Peace Stray Future Vigor Mortis Space Fantasy Red in Tooth and Claw Zoned 17. Refuge in the Mundanepg 20 Winds of Change Wastrels Comfy Modern Fantasy Life Eon’s End Meals on Wheels The Ostian Empire Knocks Maintenance Engineer 2. Behind the Veil...... pg 5 Fairy Punk Long After The End Hidden Things 18. Silver Bullets...... pg 21 Bump in the Night 10. Kabbalah...... pg 13 Mordant Carpe Noctem As Above, So Below Dust and Nightmares Unearthly Threats Restless Spirits Extranormal Forces Remnants Ecumenical 3. Chemicals & Circuitry...... pg 6 To War With Hell Heaven or Hell, Let’s Rock Ethics Waivers 19. The Long War...... pg 22 Dreams in Digital 11. Limit Breakers...... pg 14 Amid the Tumult Hands of Steel Liminal An Evolution of Conflict Bootstrapped Trump Arcana War in Heaven C⊕ Si: Genetic Algorithm Mahou no Mazoku Titanomachy 4. Dark Fantasy...... pg 7 12. Magical Realms...... pg 15 Bitter Means to Bitter Ends Warden’s Road No Man’s Land 20. Vae Victis...... pg 23 Ashes, Blood, & Iron Animal Kingdoms Knights’ Code Duello The Swiftly Rising Night Fabled Coronation Ready? Fight! Telos Stranger Wakes Lesbian Gems from Beyond Kingdom of Lost Souls Grand Chorus Terra Grim Remnants Idyll Skies 21. Witchcraft & Wizardry..pg 24 5. Eldritch Enemies...... pg 8 13. No Place Like Home.....pg 16 Towers of Magic A Madder World Ordinary Life Occult Arcanum Flat Circles Rule of Cool The Third Magic Cast in Shadow High-Stakes Archaeology Spy Games 22. Xenocide...... pg 25 6. Fantasy Campaign...... pg 9 Another Day at the Office They Walk Among Us Inheritors of Steel & Fire Invaders Must Die Trench and Blade 14. Ochasen...... pg 17 Extinction Wars Dragon’s Gate Honor’s Edge Pro Forma Ars Magica Bellum Theatre of War 23. Yo Ho Adventure...... pg 26 Religious Racket 7. Generica...... pg 10 Weigh Anchor Dao of Cultivation Here Be Dragons Fantasy Quest Open Season Borderline Adventurous 15. Political Extremes...... pg 18 Quest for Deliverance A Softer World 24. Zenith...... pg 27 Beneath Monument to Ruin Challenge of Faith Dungeons & Delvers Leviathan Manifest Climb The Tower 8. Heroes and Villains...... pg 11 16. Quasar Stellaria...... pg 19 Questant Regalia Jagannath’s Door Battle of Wits Free Space Appropriate Measures Across the Sands, Thunder Notes...... pg 28 Tarnished Age Star Kingdoms Capes & Spandex Ad Vance 1. Anachronisms Strange combinations of magical, technologies, and societal qualities. Refractions. Stray Future The precursors left clues to their existence in the lost and hidden caves of shining mysteries. They left us the wandering islands, the fish, the birds, the factories on the bottom, and their last wish for us: “be happy”. Aquaria Splatoon CATastrophe Cave Story Red in Tooth and Claw Outside the small villages and walled cities, monsters rule. Some slay the creatures: hunters. Others train them: tamers. Scouts, Merchants, and Gatherers mostly try to avoid the various deadly flora and fauna. Monster Hunter Monster Trainer Nausicaa Pokemon Winds of Change Raw magic can have some strange effects on living things. Unpredictable effects. So when the aetherwinds blow, you’d best get yourself inside a shelter. Or you could end up like those things that stalk the wilds. Elona Endless Legend Stormlight Archives Eon’s End The age of adventure is dead. Maybe it’s the new gods, or the advances in magitech, or the more peaceful philosophies being adopted, but things are certainly changing. For the better, perhaps. Perhaps not. Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magic Obscura Bloodstained Ritual of the Night The Gods Are Bastards Gunnerkrigg Court 2. Behind the Veil At first glance, these worlds look like the average 20th Century Earth, but hidden behind the curtain of normalcy, horror can be found. Slipping the veil can change or destroy a person. Refractions. Hidden Things It’s not that the government is out to get you, specifically, man, it’s just part of a machine, you know? There’s all this stuff happening that’s bigger than you or me, and if we get in the way, we go splat. Gravity Falls Stranger Things Conspiracy Theorist SCP/Cabin in the Woods Bump in the Night There is Good, and there is Evil, and long have they been at war. Every man chooses, every day, with every action, which side he’s fighting for. It’s unfortunate that Evil has so many more champions than Good. Evil Dead Dead By Daylight Horror Movies Carpe Noctem Beneath the world we know, if you scratch the surface, you’ll find blood. Blood on teeth, flashing in the strobe of the club, shining in a neon pool. They fight over us, over the right to rule from the shadows. Blade Twilight Underworld Vampire: The Masquerade/Bloodlines Unearthly Threats Behind the veil, monsters wait in lonely corners of the world. They crawl from civilization’s cracks, and strike from the shadows. Most survivors misremember events. But not all. Some recall. A rare few hunt. Buffy Supernatural World of Darkness (Mortal) 3. Chemicals & Circuitry Moving forward will always mean some people get left behind, stepped on, or lost. Nobody thinks they’ll be the unfortunate sacrifice ground beneath the ever-turning wheel of progress. Stable. Ethics Waivers You’re jobless, your augs are malfunctioning, and your premium apartment subscription is due. If you’d read the terms and conditions, you’d know what not making a payment on your designer lungs means. Katawa Shoujo Repo: The Genetic Opera Watch Dogs Deus Ex+Human Revolution Frame Arms Girls Dreams in Digital The overcast sky is lit from below by flickering hologram ads. You stink of pollution, greasy thai noodles, and vape juice. You try to ignore droid in the alley next to your apartment that’s panhandling for credits. Va11 HALL-A Ghost in the Shell Blade Runner+2049 Girls Frontline Cyber Punk (WIP, Worm) Hands of Steel We don’t know why the robots turned on us. There are theories, but anyone who knows for sure was probably killed in the alpha strike. We’re lucky not all of them went nuts. But it’s hard to tell, you know? Robocop Terminator Megaman Classic (Protomen Drawback) Bootstrapped Looking too deeply into the mind has lead to the birth of new threats to humanity: digital intelligences. Already, one colony is gone, and more are soon to follow, regardless of ideology or politics. Battlestar Galactica Eclipse Phase Eve Online C⊕ Si: Genetic Algorithm Two forms of life are mathematically incapable of sustained coexistence. No steady-state solution exists for the differential equation describing the relationship between Silicon and Carbon life. I’m sorry. Goodbye. The robots have won. Most human beings are now born and die in vast neural networks, living in fugue states, submerged in syrupy dream pods. Most humans. Rogue AI shepherd and protect a few free humans. BLAME Biomega Neir: Automata The Matrix 4. Dark Fantasy No, the local star works fine, it’s just that things generally suck in these worlds. Refractions. Warden’s Road Monsters, both human and other, often seek to prey on the weak and vulnerable. To keep safe the roads, to mete out justice, to slay monsters, to protect the innocent – such is a Warden of the Old Kingdom’s duty. Lone Wolf Old Kingdom Witcher Ashes, Blood, & Iron Immortal wizard-kings rule over walled cities, ancient civilizations’ ruins dot the land, danger lurks behind every sun-blasted rock, and remnants of the displaced cannibal elf empire still practice their dark sorceries. Dark Sun Sword & Sorcery Elric (WIP, Stormbringer) Bronze-Age Collapse? (WIP) The Swiftly Rising Night The monsters have come out from their lairs, madness in the back of mankind’s mind comes to the fore, and dark forces make monsters of men, to combat against the things emerging more eldritch than monsters. Bloodbourne Innistrad Ravenloft Darkest Dungeon Telos Anyone, at any time, can be thrust into violence, faced with corruption, or tempted by a promise of power. For many faced with evil, the only way to survive the darkness is to accept it. But all are lost regardless. Berserk Drakengard Path of Exile Diablo Kingdom of Lost Souls The Necropolis is the last legacy of a once great kingdom that outshone the sun. Now, it sinks below dusk into death, and damnation. Dead souls linger upon this land, and they are no longer friendly or peaceful. Dark Souls+2+3 Demon Souls Grim Remnants What remains of humanity huddles within their last bastions, sending out teams to struggle against the dark, and the strange, enticing, utterly wrong powers – great and small – that live within it. RWBY Neir God Eater (WIP) 5. Eldritch Enemies Mankind faces foes from the mists of prehistory. Servants of forgotten gods, malformed things, powers beyond mortal ken that seek to guide us from the darkness to unpleasant ends. Stable. A Madder World In the first quarter of the 17th century, ‘The King in Yellow’ was published – the first of many events that would come to define the 1800s, along with the rise of Old Ones, and a steep increase in lunacy. Generic Yandere Lovecraft A Study in Emerald Flat Circles There’s a history to this sort of thing. It draws people in. It’s in the government, the wealthy, institutions. And it’s been happening for a long, long time. There’s a history you can see traces of, if you look deeper. Deadly Premonition Great Detective (True Detective Drawback) Night in the Woods Saya No Uta Cast in Shadow Sometimes the most important things in life are small. But rampaging eldritch kaiju need to be stopped. And conventional artillery doesn’t cut it. So in this world, the most important things are creepy giant robots. Godzilla Pacific Rim Evangelion 6. Fantasy Campaign Conflict on a massive scale is the main attraction in these worlds. Not your average medieval bloodbath, the supernatural elements liven up otherwise drab and boring warscapes. Refractions. Inheritors of Steel & Fire Mankind has always waged war, and some say that war has never changed. One could certainly make the argument that war can be very different. For example, should magic be introduced to the battlefield... A Song of Ice and Fire Mount and Blade Fire Emblem Trench and Blade The cold war has been going on so long, no one is sure how it started. But these new designs for airships, mechanized infantry and cavalry, artillery, and submersibles promise an end to intermittent skirmishes. Last Exile Valkyria Chronicles Ring of Red Dragon’s Gate The world in the aftermath of the legendary Dragon War is not as nice as it once was. Bandits wander the countryside, clerics fly on pegasi, dark mages study ancient evils, corrupt kings plot, and twisted fiends rise. Elibe Tellius Archanea Valentia Pro Forma Ars Magica Bellum The general who can most effectively make use of alchemy, scrying, illusion, and curses can make irrelevant all mortal forces an enemy fields against him. This is why mages are a nation’s most precious war resource. Full Metal Alchemist Youjo Senki Strike Witches (War Scenario) 7. Generica Your typical adventurer fare, complete with guild halls and dungeons. Stable. Fantasy Quest Dragons, elves, dwarves, wizards, and a host of other generic fantasy tropes and cliches wandering around. There aren’t “adventurers”, but many are convinced they’re on a mission from god to stop some terrible evil. Dragonlance Forgotten Realms Neverwinter Nights Baldur’s Gate Borderline Adventurous On the outskirts of civilization, when ancient ruins are discovered, the undead rise, or forgotten beasts roused, only adventurers experienced with dealing with the unexpected dangers of the frontier will suffice. Goblin Slayer Pathfinder (WIP) D&D Dwarf Fortress Quest for Deliverance One ancient evil, one destined hero, McGuffins to taste. Mix well, stirring in obstacles and puzzles until properly challenged. Garnish with comedic relief and love interest, serve over threat of eternal darkness. Bravely Default Dark Cloud Deltora Quest Legend of Zelda Beneath Deep, deep within the bedrock bones of the world, there is more to be found than darkness and claustrophobic terror. There is wonder, and conflict, and monsters, and even civilization of a sort. Avernum Distant Sky Underdark (WIP, ?) Generic Dungeon Crawl Dungeons & Delvers Within the mountain caves, floating high in the sky, and beneath the waves, hide mysterious places where monsters, traps, and magic accumulate in shifting walls. There are riches to be found, but danger also. Etrian Odyssey GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Zendikar Racettear? 8. Heroes and Villains Exceptional men and women tend to fall or rise to their capabilities. Inevitably, those who pursue selfish ends at the expense of others are opposed by the defenders of the innocent. Refractions. Battle of Wits The game is afoot, the prize is pride, the rules are subject to interpretation, and the players are two of the most brilliant minds the world has ever seen. In the end, there can only be one victor, lamenting his success. Arsene Lupin Sherlock Holmes Investigation Appropriate Measures In early 19XX, a man walked into a diner and exploded. He continued to explode, and was unable to stop. Perhaps with a gentler introduction to those with special abilities, things would be different. Perhaps not. Aberrant Infamous Push Shadow Ops Tarnished Age When the novelty of caped crusaders wears off, what remains is a jaded and cynical reminder of how dreams cannot survive the light of day. Even when they have powers, people are people – fallible, flawed, and fickle. Worm Soon I Will Be Invincible Venture Brothers Capes & Spandex Anyone can be a hero, but it turns out more people want to be villains. Either way, most just play cops and robbers, with pranks and minor heists. But there are rules, and crises can prompt even nemeses to team up. DC Marvel The Free Universe Incredibles 9. Immanentized Eschaton There are lots of ways it could go. Explore worlds where civilization has collapsed. Refractions. Vigor Mortis A bacterium that behaves like a rapidly mutating virus, seemingly capable of communicating with itself. What could possibly go wrong? Turns out, you get a zombie apocalypse in a world unprepared for one. Dead Rising/Left4Dead Resident Evil Generic Zombie Apocalypse Highschool of the Dead Zoned Around the globe, there are areas where the laws of physics and biology have started to go a bit wonky. A quarantine was established, the people there are cut off from the world, and left to fend for themselves. Metro 2033 STALKER The Division Wastrels Where the hell did the leather-club-cannibals get cars? I mean, who keeps them running? Where are they getting fuel, ammo, and materials? I wasn’t aware a bloodsport-based society could support engineers. Crossout Fallout Mad Max Meals on Wheels A long time ago, a sickness spread across the land, which became full of terrible creatures. Now, humanity carefully expands, carving out safe areas. Between enclaves, a system of tracks ensures safe travel… Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Mortal Engines Maintenance Engineer You have a goddamn engineering degree, but you’re a glorified space janitor. You should be r- what’s that? Is that the quarantine alarm? Shit! “Exciting opportunities aboard an experimental science station” my ass! Alien Dead Space Prey Space Station 13 Viscera Cleanup (Space) Long After The End Civilization has come, and gone, and come again. The world hosts barbarians, wizards, mutants, robots, and stranger things. Remnants of the old world can still be found, proof of a forgotten age. Adventure Time Samurai Jack Generic Post-Apocalypse 10. Kabbalah Good and evil struggle over the souls on Earth. Refractions As Above, So Below God is missing from His throne, and His agents seem to be working at cross-purposes. Angels and Daemons, and the Devil Himself stalk these worlds, and it’s impossible to know who to trust with your soul. Unsong We Know The Devil His Dark Materials Chick Tracts Restless Spirits When people die, their souls usually depart to the afterlife. But some need help moving on: those trapped by something left unfinished, powerful spirits who choose to stay, and evil spirits that torment the living. Bleach Danny Phantom Shaman King Soul Eater Remnants Ecumenical The old gods have largely left the mortal realm to their ignorant by-blows and the descendants of their chosen. Scions of power, inheritors of their forebears’ portfolios, and demigods adrift in a world of mortals. Percy Jackson American Gods Saint Young Men Constantine Heaven or Hell, Let’s Rock The gates are creaking open to the sound of breaking seals. The realms above and below the mortal plane are beginning to converge – to the detriment of the world caught in between. God Hand Devil May Cry Shin Megami Tensei Bayonetta Disgaea? 11. Limit Breakers Refraction where collective subconscious leaks through into the real world in various ways. Liminal There are cracks between life and death, dream and reality, that people – or even places – can fall through. On the other side is danger, but also the promise of closure, or maybe something like enlightenment. American McGee’s Alice Limbo Silent Hill Trump Arcana The world is getting more bizarre every passing day, ideas and dreams dripping through cracks in reality. Concepts become tangible things, can be interacted with, and influence the world directly… for some. Persona Cardcaptor Sakura Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures Mahou no Mazoku To oppose these vile embodiments of evil, one force will never waver in protecting the innocent! Transform~! Of course, nothing goes easy in the free for all between magical girls, governments, and the forces of evil. Madoka Magical Girl Noir Sailor Moon Generic Magical Girl 12. Magical Realms A variety of fantastic worlds. No Man’s Land A world where nine women are born for every man. Families flourish or die based on the choice of husband shared among a generation of sisters. Men without family are often stolen, or sold to disease-rife brothels. A Brother’s Price Otoyomegatari Animal Kingdoms In the great woods, there are many animals – some are peaceable creatures, who tend their farms, and fill their days with merriment and frivolty. Others are opportunistic omnivores, or obligate carnivores. Redwall Root Zootopia Fabled Coronation Not all princes are charming, dragons evil, witches cackly, and princesses beautiful. Some, sure. But most? This world will surprise, fulfill and subvert expectations. Just remember, the older fairytales aren’t so nice. Disney Princess Princess Bride Shrek Arthurian Legend Stranger Wakes The Beyond impinges on the realm of mortal beings, fate is fraying as nightmares slip across. Some exploit the Caul’s weakening, while others seek to mitigate the effects, prevent further damage, or repair the world. Divinity Original Sin Dragon Age Kingdoms of Amalur The Elder Scrolls Grand Chorus In the Weaving, renegades sang a dissonance into being – the misfortune of the world. Repeating motifs and refrains can sometimes be expressed or taken advantage of, by those who are a part of reality’s melody. In Nomine Lord Of The Rings/Silmarillion Narnia A Practical Guide to Evil Idyll Skies Above a ruined wasteland, the living world drifts among endless clouds. Nations vie for crystallized power, monsters and spirits swoop between flying ships, and growing storms threaten the peaceful calm. Skies of Arcadia Storm Hawks FFXIV 13. No Place Like Home This world looks very normal, all things considered. Stable. Ordinary Life This world is almost identical to the Earth you know. Just a bit more interesting. Sitcom It’s Always Sunny 9 to 5 Misc Generic Rule of Cool Everything is at least 20% more awesome, badass, and/or likely to explode. You might expect to come across gun-runners, drug-dealing gangs, terrorists, and police firing two guns whilst jumping through windows. 80s Action Movies Modern Action Movies Black Lagoon Jormungand High-Stakes Archaeology There’s always an adventure, if you’re willing to look for one. Treasure, monsters, even magic – out there, waiting for the right kind of person, one who scoffs at ordinary life, and seeks grandeur over the horizon. Indiana Jones Mummy Trilogy Tomb Raider Spy Games Intelligence agencies play a game of cat and also cat. Generally, this war in the shadows is fought against other nations. But assets can also be activated to deal with unconventional threats. True Lies / Burn Notice 007 / Kingsmen Matthew Reilly Universe Archer Another Day at the Office For an unknown reason, monsters have appeared across the earth. They surge forth from regions of twisted space, where the laws of nature hold less sway, and abominations are born. Tokyo Souls PMC (WIP) >>Other Dungeons on Earth 14. Ochasen Generations ago, the Emperor’s Jade Tea fields were turned to ash, and the fire consumed his court as well. Strange myths and legends were drawn to the land, drawn by the bloodletting. Stable. Honor’s Edge A people soaked in blood tries to remember peace, to recover, and forget the ravages of war. However, swords that shed blood are not so easily sheathed, and the end of an era is rarely without difficulties. Katanagatari Rurouni Kenshin Samurai Deeper Kyo Theatre of War Legends appear as war resumes: hidden villages, superhuman ronin, nature kami, youkai trickery, and the ever-shifting political landscape of scented silks and carefully-applied cosmetics mirrors battlefield’s state. Basilisk Kamigawa Mononokehime Religious Racket In something resembling the modern world, the supernatural has lost importance in daily life. Starved for belief, many less savory yokai must rely on underhanded methods to make ends meet, or meet their end. Mob Touhou Dao of Cultivation In this world, there are two kinds of people. The first are mortals. The second are those on the Sublime Path. More than mortal, the Sublime defend life and take it, living above the common man, seeking more than life. Xianxia Jumps Wuxia Jumps Anima: Beyond Fantasy Jade Empire 15. Political Extremes Man is a political animal, but that doesn’t mean politics always benefits mankind. Refractions. A Softer World Mankind remains in enclaves of hyper-advanced technology, small oasis of paradise in an otherwise intensely inhospitable ecological disaster zone. Peace is enforced through the ever-present algorithm. Demolition Man Wall-E Monument to Ruin When sophomoric socio-political armchair philosophy, made possible by a collapse of the status quo, and established through advanced technology, meets base urges of mankind, the result is a fragile dystopia. Generic Dystopia Hunger Games Leviathan Manifest As strong as the desire for freedom, there’s something in the human psyche that cries out for an unassailable authority, cold, cruel, demanding obedience. Bureaucracy at it’s best – and worst. The State. 1984 V for Vendetta Equilibrium 16. Quasar Stellaria Countless worlds, intricately connected, filled with mysticism and technology. Refractions. Free Space Life isn’t so tidy, out here on the rim. The central government only steps in to tell you what to do, or when they want something. Food and meds are scarce. Getting shot makes for a good day, long as you don’t die. Firefly RimWorld Cowboy Bebop Across the Sands, Thunder An emergency stop for religious colonists on a colony ship results in the terraforming of an unlikely desert planet, interrupted by the interacting magnetic fields of the binary star system and the planet. Dune Trigun Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak Lost Planet Star Kingdoms Hard sci-fi, harder realpolitik. Two great powers, and a multitude of smaller independent systems form an ever-growing web of influence, power, and wealth that stretches between humanity’s distant systems. Elite Dangerous Generic Space Opera Honorverse Legend of the Galactic Heroes Ad Vance The Vance Ring can be seen from anywhere. It stretches across the sky, and elevators spring upwards towards the sky, and to abandoned miracles. To ascend the ring is to seek: for power, answers, or hope. Destiny Metroid/Warframe Phantasy Star Online A Bold Peace Diverse species banded together to form the Alliance Council to expel an external threat, and promote peace between themselves. But all great works are opposed, and do not come to pass without difficulty. FTL Star Trek Mass Effect Stellaris Space Fantasy If there is no greater force at work, why do the galaxies turn? How can anyone believe in nothing, when the universe bursts with life? It is both tragic and glorious that violence and peace are necessary and inevitable. Farscape Star Wars Riddick Mass Effect 17. Refuge in the Mundane Sometimes, two worlds are close enough that a bridge, or tunnel, can form between them – naturally, or with a little help. Stranded, stray, or desperate refugees are the result. Stable. Comfy Modern Fantasy Life There is another, more fantastical world, that sits adjacent to our own. Sometimes, beings can slip from one to another, where they face challenges they are not prepared for. Like trans-fats, sales days, and a 9-to-5. Koboyashi’s Dragon Maid Senko-San Elf-San Wa Yaserarenai Sitcom The Ostian Empire Knocks In Yurivka, Ukraine, a magical legion established a foothold. Hours later, Ffawyddog, Wales was occupied. Dozens of portals formed. Few held against Earth’s military, most collapsed, and a handful were captured. Gate: Thus the JSDF was Wanked Rome Stargate Star Vs the Forces of Evil Fairy Punk A fantastic techno-dystopia awaits within a rainy, neon-lit jungle of concrete and corporate backstabbing. There’s just more to watch out for. Like troll hacker-wizards, mohawked goblins, and pixie street samurai. Artemis Fowl Shadowrun GURPS Technomancer 18. Silver Bullets Mankind has long faced monsters from the darkness. They hunt, and kill, and slip away again. Remind us of our mortality. But sometimes we remind them that they too, can bleed. Stable. Mordant In tiny hamlets off the major roads, in the twisting alleys of crowded cities, in the ruins of ancient castles – they lie in wait, twisted and deadly reminders of how close humanity dwells to the shadow of damnation. Van Hellsing Penny Dreadful Dust and Nightmares West of the Mississippi is a land of tall-tales and possibility. Maybe it’s the curse laid down during the Indian Wars, but things are a bit queer. You might see goat-suckers, jackalopes, or undead cowboys. Generic Western Red Dead Redemption/Undead Nightmare WeirdWildWest Extranormal Forces When there’s a ghost in your graveyard, a witch in your woods, vampires in your abandoned mine, you call the government. They have people – not all of the exactly human, mind – who deal with this sort of thing. F.E.A.R. GURPS Monster Hunter Hellboy To War With Hell The afterlife, or something very like it, is real. And it’s not the good place. Perhaps the collective unconscious of the human race, the source or result of all human suffering, now infringes upon the material world. Doom Hellgate: London 19. The Long War Man is the facilitator of the ultimate expression of violence: war. Only one species wages war. Certainly, we seem to have made the killing of our own species something of a goal. Stable. Amid the Tumult Artillery pounds the trenches, infantry slogs through corpse-strewn mud, planes roar overhead, and rear command wants another useless charge at enemy lines, through the blood-soaked hell of the battlefield. Generation Kill Inglourius Basterds Platoon WW2 (WIP) An Evolution of Conflict Not content with the methods of dealing death at their disposal, the powers of the world have reached beyond their grasp to create new ways of waging war against one another. New machines. New humans. G.I. Joe Ace Combat Red Alert Wolfenstein War in Heaven It can be said mankind is uniquely suited to war. Abandoned, exploited, and oppressed, colonies have struggled to achieve independence, and now have the strength to bring war against their former overlords – and each other. Killzone Red Faction Call of Duty – Infinite Warfare Titanomachy Mankind has finally colonized the solar system, and expanded beyond it, to the nearest star systems. Long ago, colony ships traveled there, and now tensions rise about just who controls these distant planets. Infinity Armored Core Titanfall Bitter Means to Bitter Ends The squabbles that tore systems apart have come to a close, and not through peace. Humanity’s disparate factions are cut off, but the violence they inspired continues in the ruins of a prize nobody could claim. Gone With The Blastwave Generic Post Apocalypse Battletech 20. Vae Victis Worlds where one-on-one combat is important. Knights’ Code Duello “Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor [...]” In this world, duels (rarely lethal) are the de-facto way of ending disputes, deciding business deals and questions of honor. Dodgeball Kengan Asura Girls Und Panzer (Girls und Blade) Sports Jump (Fencing, Kendo, and HEMA) Ready? Fight! Ritualized combat goes beyond entertainment, sport, or ways of settling disputes. Spilling blood, some say, is intrinsic to human nature. And it makes sense that humans have turned it into an art, worthy in itself. Dead or Alive Generic Fighting Game Mortal Kombat Street Fighter Lesbian Gems from Beyond Terra Dinosaurs, martial artists, animal-people, flying cars, androids, and omnicidal fascist alien rocks with a new, if initially distasteful, source of power in the form of one pathetic little planet’s inhabitants. DBZ Stephen Universe Killing Bites 21. Witchcraft & Wizardry It’s all about the magic, baby! Gotta dig those pointed hats! Have you seen this season’s robes, and the new broomstick designs? Anyway, if you can’t do magic, you probably don’t matter. Refractions. Towers of Magic From all over the realm, children with the gift come to a Tower to learn the magic of the four elements. Spoiled noble brats and awe-stuck country bumpkins alike come to master the fundamental natural forces. Circle of Magic Avatar The Last Airbender / LoK Familiar of Zero Codex Alera Occult Arcanum There are lots of rules in magic. Some of them cannot be broken. Some of them can, but really shouldn’t be. Mostly, they’re suggestions: with enough cleverness and desire, they can be bent to one’s own advantage. Dresden Files Harry Potter Pact The Third Magic There are two kinds of magic commonly practiced: Mystic Arts and Summoning. The first grants abilities to the magus. The second magic summons servants compelled by a seal. The third magic is not discussed. Bartimaeus Dishonored Type Moon 22. Xenocide The Uncanny Valley is an instinctual response humans have to things that are not quite right. What evolutionary pressures could possibly promote such a trait? Stable. They Walk Among Us Sneaky gray fucks think they’re going to subvert thousands of years of humans being absolute fucking units? They’re in for a rude awaking… or they would be, if they weren’t so fucking great at what they do. Shit. They Live Animorphs Generic Alien Invasion Invaders Must Die We are not alone, but the stars are not as peaceful as we’d hoped. Humanity is going to be dragged into a war they are horrifically unprepared for, one way or another. One with the species’ survival at stake. X-Com Legacy of the Aldenata Generic Alien Invasion Extinction Wars Apparently, the most successful strategy for a species is one of preemptive annihilation. We must be as ugly to them as they are to us, because nearly every single goddamn alien out there wants to kill us dead. Halo Starship Troopers Starcraft: Terran Warhammer 40K Guardsmen? 23. Yo Ho Adventure Going to new lands, never before seen by human eyes. Weigh Anchor Before the universe was mapped, in the age of sail and compass, the world was bigger than it is today. In the corners where civilization hadn’t yet reached, anything could be found. If one looked hard enough. Road to El Dorado Pirates of the Caribbean Uncharted Waters The Mysterious Cities of Gold Here Be Dragons The continents of Atlantis are five large landmasses where the Americas used to be. Three are home to indigenous tribes, but all are home to feral, flying, sometimes intelligent dragons. Turtledove Atlantis Europa Universalis Temeraire Dinotopia Open Season Experimental ship crashes on alien biosphere. What’s the worst that could happen? Most alien abductees don’t go home, they go to the park – a world stocked with life from across the galaxy. Xenocide Stable? Aliens vs Predator/Predator Carnivores/Jurassic Park James Cameron’s Avatar Symbiote? Ultimate Spider Man? 24. Zenith Jumps where seizing godhood or ascending to a higher state plays a key role. Challenge of Faith A Shaman connects a People to the Gods. Through the Gods, a People flourish. When a People go to war, so do their Gods. When their Gods are pleased, life is good. When Gods are angered, the People suffer. So it is. Greek Myth Smite Primal Rage Spice and Wolf Climb The Tower The tower is the world. Within each floor, a guardian resides – watching, ruling, and testing those who would ascend. Those who rise are blessed with power in accordance to the heights they have scaled. Aion Exalted Tower of God Is It Wrong To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon Questant Regalia The Throne of Heaven is empty. God is dead, the Angelic Host is splintered, the Demonic Forces scattered. But the Gates remain, connecting over a thousand worlds under the dominion of the Demiurges. K6BD SBURB Traveler’s Gate Jagannath’s Door Countless worlds, tethered to one another by marvelous gates, each teeming with human chattel, and ruled by gods reborn in an apotheosis of miraculous technology indistinguishable from dream or magic. New Gods/Fourth World Stargate Notes FAQ How much CP per merge? As much as you want. I go with 1000CP, myself.
Can I do X? I can’t stop you, dude.
How does X work? I dunno, fanwank something.
Coming Soon Writing up complete setting summaries beyond just an elevator pitch. Lists of elements (challenges, tropes, motifs, themes) for each merge. Maps, timelines, political analyses for various settings.
Changelog 2.0 9/11/19 Fine-tuned some combinations, changed some groupings, renamed more than a few things, removed non-jumps from components. Now at 100 merges in 24 sections. Section # World Votes Score Rating Anachronism ® 1 Stray Future 2 10 20 Anachronism ® 2 Red in Tooth and Claw 3 24 72 Anachronism ® 3 Winds of Change 4 40 160 Anachronism ® 4 Eon’s End 3 42 126 Behind the Veil ® 1 Hidden Things 2 36 72 Behind the Veil ® 2 Bump in the Night 2 42 84 Behind the Veil ® 3 Carpe Noctem 3 30 90 Behind the Veil ® 4 Unearthly Threats 4 42 168 Chemicals & Circuitry ⁂ 1 Ethics Waivers 2 20 40 Chemicals & Circuitry ⁂ 2 Dreams in Digital 2 20 40 Chemicals & Circuitry ⁂ 3 Hands of Steel 4 25 100 Chemicals & Circuitry ⁂ 4 Bootstrapped 2 30 60 Chemicals & Circuitry ⁂ 5 C+Si 4 42 168 Dark Fantasy ® 1 Warden’s Road 3 25 75 Dark Fantasy ® 2 Ashes, Blood, & Iron 3 20 60 Dark Fantasy ® 3 Swiftly Rising Night 3 25 75 Dark Fantasy ® 4 Telos 4 25 100 Dark Fantasy ® 5 Kingdom of Lost Souls 3 20 60 Dark Fantasy ® 6 Grim Remnants 2 49 98 Eldritch Enemies ⁂ 1 A Madder World 2 25 50 Eldritch Enemies ⁂ 2 Flat Circles 1 25 25 Eldritch Enemies ⁂ 3 Cast In Shadow 4 42 168 Fantasy Campaign ® 1 Inheritors of Steel and Fire 2 16 32 Fantasy Campaign ® 2 Trench and Blade 2 20 40 Fantasy Campaign ® 3 Dragon’s Gate 2 20 40 Fantasy Campaign ® 4 Pro Forma Ars Magica Bellum 3 35 105 Generica ⁂ 1 Fantasy Quest 2 16 32 Generica ⁂ 2 Borderline Adventurous 2 16 32 Generica ⁂ 3 Quest for Deliverance 2 16 32 Generica ⁂ 4 Beneath 1 16 16 Generica ⁂ 5 Dungeons and Delvers 2 16 32 Heroes & Villains ® 1 Battle of Wits 2 25 50 Heroes & Villains ® 2 Appropriate Measures 3 30 90 Heroes & Villains ® 3 Tarnished Age 3 35 105 Heroes & Villains ® 4 Capes and Spandex 3 49 147 Immanentized Eschaton ® 1 Vigor Mortis 3 30 90 Immanentized Eschaton ® 2 Zoned 3 30 90 Immanentized Eschaton ® 3 Wastrels 3 30 90 Immanentized Eschaton ® 4 Meals on Wheels 3 30 90 Immanentized Eschaton ® 5 Maintenance Engineer 2 30 60 Immanentized Eschaton ® 6 Long After the End 4 56 224 Kabbalah ⁂ 1 As Above, So Below 3 30 90 Kabbalah ⁂ 2 Restless Spirits 3 30 90 Kabbalah ⁂ 3 Remnants Ecumenical 2 30 60 Kabbalah ⁂ 4 Heaven or Hell, Let’s Rock 2 30 60 Limit Breakers ⁂ 1 Liminal 1 30 30 Limit Breakers ⁂ 2 Trump Arcana 3 30 90 Limit Breakers ⁂ 3 Mahou no Mazoku 3 35 105 Magical Realms ® 1 No Man’s Land 2 12 24 Magical Realms ® 2 Animal Kingdoms 2 12 24 Magical Realms ® 3 Fabled Coronation 2 24 48 Magical Realms ® 4 Stranger Wakes 2 30 60 Magical Realms ® 5 Grand Chorus 3 30 90 Magical Realms ® 6 Idyll Skies 3 36 108 No Place Like Home ® 1 Ordinary Life 2 24 48 No Place Like Home ® 2 High-Stakes Archaeology 1 25 25 No Place Like Home ® 3 Rule of Cool 2 20 40 No Place Like Home ® 4 Spy Games 3 35 105 No Place Like Home ® 5 Another Day at the Office 4 48 192 Ochasen ⁂ 1 Honor’s Edge 3 12 36 Ochasen ⁂ 2 Theatre of War 3 20 60 Ochasen ⁂ 3 Religious Racket 2 36 72 Ochasen ® 4 Dao of Cultivation 4 36 144 Political Extremes ® 1 A Softer World 2 25 50 Political Extremes ® 2 Monument to Ruin 4 30 120 Political Extremes ® 3 Leviathan Manifest 2 35 70 Quasar Stellaria ® 1 Free Space 3 25 75 Quasar Stellaria ® 2 Across the Sands, Thunder 2 30 60 Quasar Stellaria ® 3 Star Kingdoms 2 35 70 Quasar Stellaria ® 4 AdVance 3 42 126 Quasar Stellaria ® 5 A Bold Peace 2 49 98 Quasar Stellaria ® 6 Space Fantasy 3 56 168 Refuge in the Mundane ⁂ 1 Comfy Modern Fantasy Life 2 30 60 Refuge in the Mundane ⁂ 2 The Ostian Empire Knocks 3 36 108 Refuge in the Mundane ⁂ 3 Fairy Punk 3 48 144 Silver Bullets ⁂ 1 Mordant 2 25 50 Silver Bullets ⁂ 2 Dust and Nightmares 1 30 30 Silver Bullets ⁂ 3 Extranormal Forces 3 35 105 Silver Bullets ⁂ 4 To War With Hell 3 40 120 The Long War ⁂ 1 Amid the Tumult 3 28 84 The Long War ⁂ 2 Evolution of Conflict 3 30 90 The Long War ⁂ 3 War In Heaven 3 30 90 The Long War ⁂ 4 Titanomachy 4 30 120 The Long War ⁂ 5 Bitter Means to Bitter Ends 3 30 90 Vae Victis ® 1 Knight’s Code Duello 3 36 108 Vae Victis ® 2 Ready? Fight! 2 36 72 Vae Victis ® 3 Lesbian Gems from Beyond Terra 4 40 160 Witchcraft & Wizardry ® 1 Towers of Magic 3 24 72 Witchcraft & Wizardry ® 2 Occult Arcanum 2 42 84 Witchcraft & Wizardry ® 3 The Third Magic 2 42 84 Xenocide ⁂ 1 They Walk Among Us 2 24 48 Xenocide ⁂ 2 Invaders Must Die 3 42 126 Xenocide ⁂ 3 Extinction Wars 3 48 144 Yo Ho Adventure ® 1 Weigh Anchor 1 16 16 Yo Ho Adventure ® 2 Here Be Dragons 2 18 36 Yo Ho Adventure ® 3 Open Season 3 36 108 Zenith ® 1 Challenge of Faith 3 16 48 Zenith ® 2 Climb the Tower 3 30 90 Zenith ® 3 Questant Regalia 4 36 144 Zenith ® 4 Jagannath’s Door 4 42 168