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Long post below, hopefully the longest I ever have to put here.
Well, I was originally going to try and get a few quotes in this post to set the tone, but I couldn't find anything too quickly and I figure that you all can do more than enough to set up the tone of this game on your own, if you're interested! And that's part of the point of the game, too, as I'm about to explain.
The basic premise here is to set up a science fiction game with a lot of space western elements to it. Players can run characters of all different sorts, from frontier preachers to hired guns to merchants to anything else you can think of. Ideally we'll get together the crew of a ship, with characters filling all sorts of different roles, but for now think mainly about what kind of character YOU want to play--anything important can be filled in with NPCs and the like.
The other important concept here is that you, the players, will flesh out the setting. Together in recruitment and discussion we'll work out some of the big, important details to begin with, but when it comes to most of the specific things, you guys will get the chance to create information regarding the setting. Of course, I'll get to do the same thing through exposition and NPCs, but through characters in gameplay we'll get to see the world come alive in a dynamic, natural way. You won't have to sift through pages upon pages of information before game start to figure out where your character is from and what they did before now: you get to make it up yourself! I'm taking this page out of a few other RPGs with similar mechanics, and I've seen it work pretty well there in the past. If you have questions on how this is going to work, then let me know and I can explain further.
Anyway, I'm sure you all want to know about character creation and rules for the game. We'll be running with the 3rd edition of the Boot Hill Western Roleplaying Game, which is fairly rules-light on most things, but has complex (and deadly!) gunfighting rules. This means the game will be mostly character- and story-driven without too much concern about skill checks or anything of that nature. For the most part, the basic mechanic for skills and the like comes down to rolling a d20, perhaps with a small modifier, and trying to get a result equal to or below your rating in the skill in question. It's as simple as that!
The character creation process is outlined in spoilers below; you will, of course, want something of a character concept in mind before starting.
To generate your attributes, roll 2d10 5 times, then add the following modifiers to each of the 5 remaining rolls:
- 2-5: +5
- 6-10: +3
- 11-14: +2
- 15-17: +1
- 18-20: +0
Then arrange the attributes however you want from there, but keep in mind that your Stature and Luck attributes will be halved (round up) to achieve the total. Most Attributes rate from 1 to 20, with 10 being average; the exception is Luck, which only goes up to 10. This means that while you might start out as a lucky individual, your Stature will most likely be below average--after all, you're fairly new on the scene and haven't made a legend for yourselves yet!
If you roll a particularly low set up attributes, don't worry because it means you get more skills (see below). But if you really would like to petition for a reroll, you only need ask.
You get a number of skills at character creation based on the total of your rolled attributes:
- 27-40: 10
- 41-62: 8
- 63-80: 6
You can only put up to half of these initial skills into Weapon Skills; that is to say, at least half of your skills must be General Skills. When you put a point into a Weapon Skill, you gain a rating of 1 in that skill, and you can buy up to 3 at character creation; for example, spending 1 point on Pistols gives you a rating of 1 in that skill, and spending 2 points gives you a rating of 2. When buying General Skills, however, you roll 2d10 and add a modifier just like you did for your Attributes. You select all your General Skills before rolling, then allocate the results as you choose.
The list of skills is in a spoiler below.
-Automatics: This skill covers the use of most automatic weaponry, including assault rifles and submachine guns. Automatics are expensive, uncommon, and prone to more wear and tear than other weapons, but they're truly fearsome when they work.
-Blades: This skill covers the use of most melee weapons that can kill a man--knives, swords, axes, and all manner of sharp-and-pointies. The dangerous end goes in the other guy.
-Brawling: This skill covers the less elegant sort of close combat--punching, wrestling, and smashing whatever's at hand over the other guy's head.
-Energy Weapons: This skill covers using the most technologically advanced weaponry out there--lasers and the like. These are a little different than other firearms for several reasons, and while they're potentially the most deadly and accurate weapons, they're also the most likely to break down--and the hardest to fix.
-Pistols: This skill is used for just what it sounds like: handheld small arms. They aren't always the most powerful or longest-ranged, but a reliable old six-shooter that fires is better than a tuned-up hogleg that doesn't. "Automatic" pistols are also covered in this skill.
-Rifles: This skill covers all manner of longarms that don't fire more than once per trigger pull. From shotguns to snipers, if it's long enough to get a second hand on there, this is the skill you want.
-Assaying: This skill enables a character to assess the value of various items and materials, from minerals to tech.
-Bureaucracy: This skill gives a character knowledge of the law and legal channels; perhaps they once practiced law, or have simply had a number of dealings with legal officers and know the ins and outs of things.
-Chemistry: This skill gives the character knowledge and training in the use of various chemicals; they know the makeup of most common materials and chemicals, and can use this to their advantage.
-Communications: This skill represents knowledge of various communcations technology and methods, and can be used to establish contact in adverse conditions and keep a comm array working.
-Cooking: This skill is just what it sounds like: the ability to whip up a good dish. A lot of ships don't keep much fresh produce on board, and it takes a good cook to make another night of soy protein interesting.
-Driving: This skill is used for controlling ground vehicles, whether they're wheeled or tracked. A number of frontier worlds have few if any cars or such, but they do offer a faster method of transport than other ground options.
-Engineering: This skill gives a character knowledge and training in engineering of some kind. The most common sort of engineering used in the frontier is ship engineering, which lets a mechanic keep the crew flying, but other types of engineering have their place. The basic version of the Engineering skill represents the sort of training expected of a ship mechanic; other kinds should be specified when taken.
-Explosives: This skill is used for handling explosives of almost all kinds, from dynamite to the most advanced chemical and plastic explosives available.
-Farming: This skill means a character knows how to grow crops and raise livestock, probably from having grown up on a farm or plantation of some kind. The skill can be used to identify plants and animals, as well as care for them.
-Fast Draw: This skill is used to get a gun--or other weapon--up and ready for fighting as quickly as possible. It is mainly used in close-range gunfights; after all, when everyone's close enough that they'll probably hit with any given shot, it's the first one that counts. Note that while this skill seems like one every gunhand would want--and in some ways it is--it's really only necessary for someone who wants to haul iron REAL quick. And if you try and fail to use it in a fight, it sets you back further than drawing normal-like.
-Gambling: This skill offers experience and instinct when playing games of "chance," mainly various card games.
-Gunnery: This skill is used for large-scale weapons, from field artillery to ship-mounted cannon. Due to how much large guns differ from small arms, this isn't a Weapon Skill and doesn't follow the usual rules for combat.
-Gunsmithing: This skill gives a character the know-how to build and repair most manner of firearms, although particularly complex equipment (such as most energy weapons) may require additional skills to fully comprehend. It also allows a character to cast their own ammunition if necessary.
-Leadership: This skill represents to some extent a character's natural charisma, but more than this it gives a character training in how to speak to people, commanding and persuading them. This skill can be used for social interactions involving diplomacy or intimidation, depending on the situation.
-Linguistics: This skill gives a character knowledge of language in all its forms, including skill at writing. One-quarter this skill's rating (rounded down) is the number of additional languages the character can speak (every character can speak a language).
-Medicine: This skill represents training in medical practice that goes beyond basic first aid knowledge. The character may have been a full surgeon, or just had extensive hands-on experience with tutoring. Note that while this gives a character the aptitude, it does not guarantee the tools; most ships have basic medical gear for dealing with common illnesses or basic injuries, but surgery of most kinds require special equipment.
-Navigation: This skill is used to chart--and blaze--paths across the cosmos. In the modern day this skill typically represents astronavigation, giving the knowledge to find a safe and efficient route between planets and systems, but terrestrial navigation is still practiced by guides on frontier planets. The base form of this skill represents navigation as it is used in space, but its second form--often called Orienteering--is also available as a separate skill.
-Performance: This skill gives a character the aptitude to put on an entertaining performance of some kind, from music to dance to acting to more mature endeavors. This skill represents a certain type of performance each time it is taken, although they are typically broad categories. In certain cases it can also assist in some social interactions, especially deceptions.
-Physics: This skill offers a character training and knowledge of physical science, including many of the advances made during the space age. While more theoretical than practical, knowledge of how space travel and other technologies work can often assist in other activities.
-Piloting: This skill represents a character's ability to fly a ship. While more advanced ships can have autopilot programs for long-distance travel, a skilled pilot at the controls can perform maneuvers to outrun pursuit (or pursue) and go off the beaten... path?
-Prospecting: This skill enables a character to quickly look for and recover all manner of salvageable goods. While originally used just for mining-type activities, in the modern day this can also be used for other activities, such as scavenging.
-Riding: This skill gives a character the ability to control a live mount. Horses and other beasts of burden are still in common use on many frontier worlds where vehicles are too expensive or unreliable, and while most folks are able to stay on a well-trained animal, it takes a skilled rider to perform tricks or fight from horseback.
-Smithing: This skill shows a character knows how to work with different kinds of metal materials; it includes not only basic smithing, but welding and other advanced metalwork. It is commonly used for practical maintenance of a ship's hull, as well as other metal goods.
-Stealth: This skill represents a character's aptitude at skulking about, moving unseen and unheard.
-Survival: This skill gives a character the knowledge and experience to make their way through wilderness on the frontier. It covers everything from identifying edible plants and potable water, to tracking game, to scouting terrain for a safe place to camp.
-Tactics: This skill allows a character to gain knowledge about strategy for combat, from small teams to large armies, and also enables them to potentially predict what an opponent might attempt. This skill can be used at the beginning of combat to give a side a bonus to their initiative throughout the fight, as well as to potentially gain some advice on what could be done in the combat (although a failed roll will result in faulty planning).
-Theology: This skill represents knowledge of religion of all kinds. Perhaps the character is ordained themselves, or they may be simply interested in religious studies. Using this skill can potentially assist in social interactions with characters who are believers in a given faith.
-Thievery: This skill gives a character the know-how to commit all manner of roguish acts, from smuggling to picking pockets.
-Throwing: This skill allows a character to accurately throw items or weapons by hand, often used for knives and grenades. The character's chance to hit uses their Throwing skill rather than their Coordination attribute.
-Trading: This skill means a character has experience buying, selling, and bartering all types of goods. It enables a character to help get a good deal in their business interactions. This skill can occasionally help with social interactions of other kinds as well.
Recruitment Post Continued
-Chartered Hand: Most folk make their own way on the frontier, but every now and then someone shows up with a genuine writ of warrant or some such. In the past it wasn't uncommon for privateer types to come out with Letters of Marque, but today there are all sorts of official charters--and you've got one. This may denote you as an official Bounty Hunter, an Agent of the Central Systems (complete with the ever-popularized License to Kill), the official owner of frontier property, or something else. The exact nature of this charter should be decided by you and myself prior to the beginning of the game. Note that you can easily play characters without official charters--plenty of bounty hunters aren't officially recognized or sanctioned. The Charter just grants you additional support and can open some doors.
-Dextrous Fighter: While most folks use raw strength to get by in close combat, you prefer Choose either the Blades or Brawling Weapon Skill. When engaged in that kind of combat, you can compare your Coordination attribute to your opponent's rather than Strength to determine your bonus on attacks. Your opponent may still use their Strenght attribute for attacks, possibly resulting in both parties getting a bonus on attacks.
-Machine Whisperer: Normally it takes a whole heap of schooling and practice to learn the ins and outs of modern technology, and keeping a ship running is no mean feat most of the time. But for you, fixing up machinery is second nature, and while you don't always understand it yourself, you can almost always get the job done. When dealing with advanced technology, you don't necessarily have to make any sort of Chemistry, Physics, or even Engineering roll to understand the machine and the problem before rolling to repair it. However, this only works as long as you actually have the tools and materials needed already; if you don't have what you need on hand, and you don't know what the problem is, there isn't much chance of repairing it yourself.
-Medical Professional: You studied medicine in a formal setting, whether on a ship, back in more civilized regions, or at a particularly well-funded frontier hospital. Not only do you know about medicine, you've also go some tools to help you in the field. While this trait alone doesn't give you training in the Medicine General Skill, it does ensure that, at least when you start out, you have all the tools you'll need to fix up even dangerous injuries, including relatively complex surgery.
-Old Hand: You've seen more years out on the frontier than most can speak to, and you've gained wisdom and skills to go along with it. You reduce your Strength, Coordination, and Observation attributes by 1 each, increase your Stature attribute by 1, and gain an additional Skill (which can be spent on increasing your rating with a Weapon Skill or gaining a new General Skill). Anybody who's survived as long as you has picked up a few tricks and a little fame.
-Packing Iron: Whether you're a bounty hunter, gun for hire, or simply a bit paranoid, you've decided more than most that having a good hogleg or two on you is never a bad plan. Instead of beginning play with a single firearm with an Availability of Common or Uncommon, you may begin play with either two Common or Uncommon firearms or a single Firearm of Rare Availability.
-Posse Killer: You're not necessarily a crook who puts down the good folk come to take you in, but you are skilled at dealing with groups in a gunfight. When in shootout turn combat, it doesn't cost you a count to switch targets. Normally you lose a count in shootout turns to switch targets in the middle of a turn.
Beyond that, you've got the clothes on your back, maybe a change or two in a bag, and a few scant credits to your name. After all, you're on the frontier--you're here 'cause you're down on your luck or seeking your fortune, just trying to get by.
Careful Shots have an accuracy equal to your Coordination. Steady Shots have an accuracy of half your Coordination, rounded up. Hip Shots have an accuracy of one-quarter your Coordination, rounded down. But when using a weapon for which you have the right Weapon Skill, you add your rating in the Skill to each accuracy after dividing. The exception is Fanfiring, which always has an accuracy of 1, or your rating in the Pistols Skill, whichever is higher.
The second part of this step is the "fluff." Now here's where you get to start making the world around you--and your character--come to life. I'm not asking for an epic backstory detailing the rise and fall of your hero and how they came to where they are, although if you have one that's great. All I'm looking for are three specifics, including names, to start building your character. These can be almost anything, from the planet and city where they grew up, to the captain who brought them out this far, to the specific model of gun they wear on their hip. This is just to get you started and add to the mythos of the universe we're building together. And don't hesitate to go beyond three--the more info you give me the better!
Whoo! That should about settle character creation information. If you have questions, and I'm sure you do because I probably stopped making sense somewhere along the lines, ask away! But first, I have a few questions for you folks to talk about, vote on, and so forth, for us to get started.
2) Do you want there to be interplay with a centralized, political government (or several)? I've mentioned the Central Systems a few times in the last couple posts as a generic placeholder for anything of that kind, but I'd love for players to give me their preferences on the matter. Playing in a relatively lawless setting without any far-reaching political states could be fun, as could an intrigue-filled frontier with multiple governments vying for control.
3) Do you want this to be "our" universe? For example, would you want folks to be able to refer to Earth, whether it's still around or not, and make other references to our history and cultures? For the sake of ease some things will remain no matter what, simply because a lot of our language and references today are so ingrained in our past, but there's a big difference between using Latin names for ships and having Space Buddhists or some such.
4) How would you feel about additional "Weird West" elements being included in the game? It's obviously going to have strong ties to science fiction, but what about fantasy or horror or the like? How "pure" would you like your Space Western to be (as much of an oxymoron as that may sound)?
Again, hit me up with any questions you have. I'm going to try and get up a post with an example of character creation in case anybody wants to see how it works.
I'll work on a character after I get off of work. I'm still feeling some sort of bounty hunter. I'll flesh it out after I finish up character for Iron Gods. He may also be good at piloting, etc. but I'm not really sure.
Alright folks, today I'll be building for your entertainment pleasure a no-good fella called Sabin Ruck, a ne'er-do-well knife fighter come out to the frontier to earn (or steal) his fortune. Each step of the character creation process will be completed in a spoiler, and at the end I'll give a sample layout for a profile in a spoiler as well.
+2=16
+2=14
+1=17
+2=16
+1=17
Well, shucks. Looks like Sabin Ruck is quite the unusual gifted fellow. Being a knife fighter, he'd normally want decent Strength, but he's planning to take a Trait to make his knife skills run on Coordination instead, so that'll be up high. Knife fights also rely on Observation, so he'll stick a 16 in that. The other 17 will go into Luck to get him a nice high 9 to start there; the 14 will go to Strength, and the other 16 will go into Stature to become an 8, meaning he's decently known in some circles.
+2=15
+5=10
+0=19
+3=12
Whoo! Sab will stick the 19 in Stealth to be an extra sneaky type, the 15 in Thievery so he's a skilled rogue, 12 in Prospecting, and 10 in Farming (maybe that's part of why he left...).
- - - - -
Strength: 14
Coordination: 17
Observation: 16
Stature: 8
Luck: 9
- - - - -
Blades: 2
Farming: 10
Prospecting: 12
Stealth: 19
Thievery: 15
- - - - -
ACCURACY
Careful Shot: 17
Steady Shot: 9
Hip Shot: 4
Fanfire: 1
- - - - -
TRAITS
Dextrous Fighter: Sabin uses his Coordination Attribute instead of Strength to determine if he gets a bonus on Blades attacks.
- - - - -
EQUIPMENT
Knife
Lockpicking Tools
+ 3 = 12
+ 2 = 14
+ 0 = 18
+ 5 = 9
+ 5 = 10
Those are pretty decent. I think i'm going to make a mechanic with chip on his shoulder. Good as fixing ships and breaking people.
EDIT: my internet is going to shut off soon so ill post tomorrow.
+3 = 9
+2 = 16
+1 = 16
+2 = 15
+0 = 20
Before I decide where to put them, or what skills to use, trait question for GM.
Weapon Savant - You've never had any formal training in weapons play, never spent hours on the shooting range, never read a laser rifle owner's manual in your life. But, you have an instinctive feel for weapons, be they hand held, ship based, or primitive weapons. Whenever you encounter a new weapon, you can spend an hour with it, and from that point forward, you can use that weapon without requiring a skill specifically for it, you can use your highest weapon skill. However, that ability only applies to that specific weapon. Even an exact duplicate of that weapon requires another hour of familiarizing, as you learn the specifics of that specific weapon.
+ 3 = 12
+ 2 = 14
+ 2 = 16
+ 3 = 9
Skills
engineering 16
explosives 12
prospecting 9
smithing 14
Oliver "Ox" Crowley
———————
Attributes
strength 18
coordination 12
observation 14
stature 5
luck 5
———————
Skills
brawling: 3
rifles: 1
engineering: 16
explosives: 12
prospecting: 9
smithing: 14
———————
Trait
Machine whisperer
———————
Accuracy
careful shot: 12
steady shot: 6
hip shot: 3
fanfiring: 1
———————
Equipment
short barreled shot gun
Knife
Mechanic’s tools
overalls
goggles
street clothes
Oliver’s father, Aaron was the captain of “Horizon” a glorified pirate ship but crewed by good men, albeit a bit hard. When he was just a boy his father was killed on world and the ships mechanic, Norman took him in. Norman taught him how to take care of an engine, patch a ship, and keep his own in fist a fight. As he grew older the Horizon’s crew began to affectionately call him “Ox” Referring to his large stature, bad temper, and trusting attitude.
1) personally I am in love with firefly (It’s a big reason I want to play this campaign), I think the ‘Verse works really well as a name, but if people feel weird about using it i’m open to the ideas.
2) I think that a completely law-less game would get a bit chaotic but, maybe a government that is still recovering from something (rebellion, war, plague, etc.) and so doesn’t have as strong a grip could be fun.
3) I think the whole earth that was thing they have going on in Firefly works really well. Earth is a real place but we are now disconnected from it, it’s just history.
4) I could go either way on this one, I don’t have a strong preference.
Billybrainpan--Ox looks pretty god, although I've got a couple questions. Firstly, you picked up a rank in the Rifles Skill, but the short-barrel shotgun uses the Pistols Skill to determine accuracy; was that on purpose? Second, could I get a little more backstory, perhaps the name of the world where Aaron was killed, or who killed him? Everything looks great so far, but details like these will really help build the setting.
Dot. Not going to submit for this game, but super want to follow along.
+3 = 9
+0 = 20
+0 = 19
+2 = 14
+3 = 12
Well, that's a range...not particularly good at a few things, but amazing at a couple.
Dotting. This sounds wonderful! I will try to get a submission together. A few questions:
* What are you expected post ratio (1 post/day, 3-5 post/week, etc.)?
* Does timezone matter? I'm at GMT+1, would that be a problem?
* How long will you keep recruitment open?
+ 3 = 10
+ 3 = 12
+ 2 = 14
+ 1 = 16
+ 3 = 12
|
All righty. I can't tell if the boards are having another Moment like they were last night (when I started working on my character and the boards crashed while I was working on skills argh argh argh argh argh) so let's try this son of a building block again!!!
+ 3 = 11
+ 1 = 17
+ 5 = 9
+ 2 = 16
+ 2 = 16
+ 2 = 15
+ 3 = 9
+ 2 = 13
+ 5 = 9
Well, aren't I reasonably average in almost every way. XD
Keisuke "Kei" Nagato
-=-=-
Stats
Strength: 16
Coordination: 17
Observation: 16
Stature: 5 (rounded from 9)
Luck: 6 (rounded from 11)
-=-=-
Skills
Combat Skills
Automatics: 0
Blades: 0
Brawling: 1
Energy Weapons: 0
Pistols: 3
Rifles: 0
General Skills
Gambling: 9
Gunsmithing: 15
Prospecting: 9
Survival: 13
-=-=-
Trait
Posse Killer: Kei can switch targets during a shootout without losing a count.
-=-=-
Accuracy
Careful Shot: 17 (Coordination)
Steady Shot: 9 (1/2 Coordination, round up)
Hip Shot: 4 (1/4 Coordination, round down)
Fanning: 3 (better of 1 or Pistols)
-=-=-
Equipment
Clothing (two sets, plus a military greatcoat with some military patches removed)
Gunsmithing Kit
Revolver (Comet Chaser Model VI) + .38 ammo
Enough credits to get by
-=-=-
Aboot
Growing up on the impoverished planet Seiryuu, Kei often had to make do with what little she could find. She joined the planet's military when she turned nineteen, hoping that the stability would be a means for a better life. The People's Army of Seiryuu taught her some fine things about pistols, along with some basic wilderness survival skills.
These skills came in handy when Seiryuu and its sister worlds (Suuzaku, Genbu, Byakko, and Kohryu) declared independence from the Core Worlds. Kei and her fellow soldiers were on the wrong side of history as the People's Army was thoroughly routed. Two months passed between "Where the hell's my evac!?" and a way offworld arrived.
Five years have passed; Kei's been getting by since then as a hired gun.
-=-=-
Answers to Some Burning Questions:
1. I'm kinda partial to the Frontier; after all, this is a sci-fi western!
2. Hmm. I think it'd be best if there's several governments (a confederacy government and a republic, if you will, wink wink) vying for control of certain major systems, while the rest are pretty much "Yeah, we'll police ourselves, TYVM."
3. I do love Earth-That-Was as a basis for sci-fi. (However, I do think that whatever systems and worlds we end up on, should be distant enough from Earth that "even the visible stars here are beyond the detection range of Earth, circa 2015.")
4. I'm fine with genetically engineered humanoids, maybe even some planets where society decided the SCA people were right and we're gonna build castles from the local stone and we're using swords and shields. Nooooo aliens. (And no Weird West stuff. That's what Savage Worlds: Deadlands is for! XD)
Strength: 11
Coordination: 16
Observation: 14
Stature: 4
Luck: 5
3 in Brawling, the others in Chemistry, Linguistics, Navigation, Physics and Piloting.
Chemistry: 7
Linguistics: 13 (3 extra languages)
Navigation: 14
Physics: 17
Piloting: 15
Gregor Cargill
- - - - -
Strength: 11
Coordination: 16
Observation: 14
Stature: 4
Luck: 5
- - - - -
Brawling: 3
Chemistry: 7
Linguistics: 13 (3 extra languages)
Navigation: 14
Physics: 17
Piloting: 15
- - - - -
ACCURACY
Careful Shot: 16
Steady Shot: 8
Hip Shot: 4
Fan Shot: 1
- - - - -
TRAITS
Dexterous Fighter Gregor uses his coordination to determine if he gets a bonus when Brawling.
- - - - -
EQUIPMENT
Navigation charts
1) I like the Frontier or something along those lines, though anything works.
2)I like many governments, though only a few of them with any widespread power.
3) Another vote for Earth-that-was.
4) I'm fine with some weird stuff, just as long as it is weird and rare.
I'll get my background written up and posted sometime later. Maybe tomorrow.
I will switch rifles for pistols then, I really just wanted something for him to do in a firefight.
As for backstory, Aaron was killed on Iowei by a man calling himself Osiris.
+2=13
+2=14
+3=9
+3=11
+5=8
Ugh... that's unfortunate. Any chance of a re-roll?
Everything's looking great so far! Love the submissions.
A few questions:
* What are you expected post ratio (1 post/day, 3-5 post/week, etc.)?
* Does timezone matter? I'm at GMT+1, would that be a problem?
* How long will you keep recruitment open?
Well, I guess these answers could be helpful to everyone.
1. I'd prefer to keep posts up fairly regularly, but my schedule is erratic at best and I know that while everyone likes to agree to 1/day posting it rarely happens that way. So in all honesty a post every couple days would be good enough for me. Any longer absences than that I'd like to have a heads-up ahead of time, but especially if a player is off on their own for a spell , then just posting when you can is alright.
2. Timezone doesn't matter to me. Like I said, I have a weird schedule, so I might post an almost any time of day for where I am (GMT-5).
3. I'm hoping to start the game fairly soon once I've got a few folks ready to go, probably around five or six, but it is my sincere hope for this game to theoretically grow bigger and bigger over time. To that end, I suppose you could consider this an open recruitment, with new characters jumping into the setting where and when it's convenient, whether hooking up with established characters, or joining up with other new arrivals, or even heading out on solo adventures in the Great Yonder.
@Snorb: Awesome! Kei looks ready to go, complete with our first official entry onto the Weapons Table of an in-game model!
@YanJieming: Looks good so far, I'll keep an eye out for the backstory.
@Billybrainpan: Awesome, thanks!
@JDPhipps: Ouch, yeah. With stats that low, and nothing really good to help balance it out, I'll let you reroll that.
@Everyone: If you could get me a picture to represent your character that'd be fantastic! Anything online will do, even a brief description to give me something to look for. I'm getting together a campaign site on Obsidian Portal, mainly to use the wiki function to keep track of "canon" for this game (names of planets, characters, equipment, etc.), and having images for your characters would be a neat addition. Plus I find it can help you and your fellow players visualize your characters more easily if you have a reference!
I can't find a picture that even looks kind of like Ox. I will whip one up in hero machine.
What would the mechanics around having a mechanical arm be/would you allow it?
Thanks, Brian. I'm gonna go ahead and re-roll, then.
+3=10
+1=16
+2=13
+2=13
+2=14
There we go. That is much better. I'm thinking I'll go with...
Strength: 13
Coordination: 16
Observation: 14
Stature: 7
Luck: 5
+1=16
+2=16
+3=13
+3=13
+5=10
Communications: 10
Stealth: 16
Survival: 13
Tactics: 16
Thievery: 13
I think I'll grab the Shooting Iron trait to have an Automatic Pistol at the start of the game.
1. The Frontier is fun, but I think I actually prefer the Galaxy. That said, depending on whether or not we exist within a singular galaxy would make that rather moot. If so, I heartily vote for Frontier.
2. Personally, I enjoy the idea of having multiple government bodies. For instance, the Central Systems Confederacy controls several arms of the galaxy, and then the Republic of the Core Worlds controls the center of the galaxy, places where crime lords control several planets, perhaps rebels or an empire controlling individual planets, and even small independent monarchies that control only a planet or two.
3. Earth-That-Was is very interesting, although part of me would love it if Earth was still a place we could potentially visit. I'd rather it not be, for example, the capital of one government or another, but perhaps just a planet within one of the original and largest governing bodies.
4. I'm cool with horror, especially. Fantasy aspects could be fun, such as something like biotics from Mass Effect. I'd prefer few aliens, if any. It may be interesting if they weren't playable, but existed as a species who controls an area of the galaxy utterly separate from the rest of the galaxy. That said, I really enjoy when such aspects of the setting are EXPLAINED through "science", so if we throw in any kind of magic I'd like it to be the results of genetic engineering or the like.
I'll make an alias and post it in ASAP.
2d10 +3 = 9
2d10 +2 = 16
2d10 +1 = 16
2d10 +2 = 15
2d10 +0 = 20Before I decide where to put them, or what skills to use, trait question for GM.
Coordination 16
Observation 20
Stature 9/2 = 5
Luck 16/2 = 8
Pistols 2
Engineering 1
Engineering (Jury Rigged Repairs) 1
Stealth 1
Piloting 1
Weapon Savant - You've never had any formal training in weapons play, never spent hours on the shooting range, never read a laser rifle owner's manual in your life. But, you have an instinctive feel for weapons, be they hand held, ship based, or primitive weapons. Whenever you encounter a new weapon, you can spend an hour practicing with it, including firing a full cylinder or magazine of ammunition, and treat yourself as having a Weapon Skill of 1 with that specific weapon. However, it only applies to that specific weapon; even if you pick up its twin, your skill goes back to 0.
Scrounged Engineering tools, Scrounged Electronics tools, Scrounged Vac Suit, four sets of mismatched clothes, Scrounged entertainment tablet, Old "Janes ships of the Galaxy" chip (played in computer), Roll of scrounged wire, small bag of scrounged circuit boards, short barreled revolver, 2 quick-loaders, 50 rounds of ammo
Careful Shot : 20
Steady Shots : 10
Hip Shots : 5
Fanfiring : 2
Fluff - Gray, nobody has ever figured out what his real name was, was a passenger on The Galactic Princess, a large star liner out of Old SOL itself. She ran the main run between SOL and Epsilon Iridani, a large and rich colony planet.
However, the ship vanished 12 years ago with no trace. Two years ago a prospector picked up a very faint distress beacon from a moon orbiting a large gas giant in the Indrani Theta system while looking for habitable planets to claim.
The moon was marginally habitable, and on the northern continent sat The Galactic Princess. How she got nearly 300 light years off course nobody, to this day, has figured out. Her computers were burned out, her crew was dead, and the only survivor was a 16yo kid who'd been living in the remains. He wasn't the only survivor of the crash, but he was the only survivor who survived until the prospector arrived.
The 16yo boy had survived through a combination of stealth and being a very good shot, for the planet had local lifeforms that seemed to find humans a rare treat. He'd actually managed to get some parts of the old hulk running again with jury rigged repairs and portable power plants.
Gray doesn't talk much, and he tends to be very jittery.
@mdt: Most of it looks good, although you need to roll for your General Skills like you did for Attributes. Also, jury-rigging repairs would fall more under the Smithing skill than a specific kind of Engineering, so you may want to swap that out. I do like your equipment list, though, and your backstory is good (although I may change the reference to Sol depending on what ends up happening with Earth; based on people's votes and some of my own thoughts, I have a few ideas). On that subject, if you could also answer the questions I posted at the beginning, that'd be great! Thanks for the portrait.
@Snorb I saw that.
I will keep looking for an image that looks right, or close to right but in the meantime I made this.
No worries if you can't find an image right away, just figured I'd let you guys know to start looking. Also, Billybrainpan, I realized I missed answering your question in my last post: in part I'll let the other players discuss whether or not that goes beyond what they'd like to see, but for myself, I'd allow it as a simple prosthetic and make it have no hard-and-fast mechanical effects (haha). However, if it would logically cause something to happen in gameplay, we'll see.
EDIT: In case anyone wants to check it out (and yell at me for not getting everything done fast), the Obsidian Portal campaign has been created! So far I've got at least links for most of the planets mentioned so far, and I'm working on getting the pages up for each (although most will have very little information as of yet); I also have all the characters created so far on the site, so feel free to give me your brief bio/description if you want and I'll put it up there.
No worries at all on all that yet, though. I fully expect most pages to be pretty empty for a while, and they'll get updated on the site when they're "updated" in-game.
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Excellent, because I just found a picture! This one, right here!
(It's literally the only one I could find that wasn't fanservicey.)
How I join the campaign?
How I join the campaign?
Don't worry about joining the campaign on that site, I'm only using it for the advantage of having a wiki to keep track of setting developments.
I'm turning in for the night, and am busy tomorrow morning, so don't expect any responses for the next ten-twelve hours or so. I'll definitely be checking in and keeping track of things once I have the chance, though.
Not sure how I missed that. Brian fried I guess. :)
1) What do you want this setting to be typically referred to as? I mean this in the way that Firefly's characters call their setting the 'Verse, Star Wars has the Galaxy, and so on. In the setup material here I've referred to it as the frontier, to be as generic as possible, but if you folks have any ideas for what to call it, that'd be grand.
Transhuman Space
2) Do you want there to be interplay with a centralized, political government (or several)? I've mentioned the Central Systems a few times in the last couple posts as a generic placeholder for anything of that kind, but I'd love for players to give me their preferences on the matter. Playing in a relatively lawless setting without any far-reaching political states could be fun, as could an intrigue-filled frontier with multiple governments vying for control.
Personally, like the idea of various 'waves' of humanity. Core Worlds (Sol, early colonies), Colonies (Middle wave, not billion population worlds, but hundreds of millions), and Frontier (with a pretty wild west feel to it, new colonies, old colonies who went as far from Sol as possible).
3) Do you want this to be "our" universe? For example, would you want folks to be able to refer to Earth, whether it's still around or not, and make other references to our history and cultures? For the sake of ease some things will remain no matter what, simply because a lot of our language and references today are so ingrained in our past, but there's a big difference between using Latin names for ships and having Space Buddhists or some such.
Yes, makes things MUCH easier.
4) How would you feel about additional "Weird West" elements being included in the game? It's obviously going to have strong ties to science fiction, but what about fantasy or horror or the like? How "pure" would you like your Space Western to be (as much of an oxymoron as that may sound)?
Aliens I'm ok with. Aliens with psionic powers I'm ok with (some humans as well). Elves and Orcs in space I'd rather avoid. Minor horror (big nasty aliens) is fine. I'd rather avoid Babylon Five's Demon Horde
Engineering 10 + 3 = 13
Jury Rig 16+1 = 17
Piloting 9 + 3 = 12
Stealth 12 + 2 = 14
Here's my submission, fully fleshed out and everything. His last name may change, but for the time being he should be all set and ready to go!
EDIT: Almost forgot, I found the perfect character image for Nathan. Other than the pistol, which will likely look different, that is in fact exactly what Nathan looks like.
This is Volkners submission, Dizzy!
I'm posting from a phone so I'll get to the questions a little bit later.
@mdt: The skill rolls look good, although when I went back to your original sheet post I noticed that it looks like you based your Accuracies of of Observation rather than Coordination. Fix that up and I think you're about ready to go.
@Nathan Thrawn: Looks pretty good, I like the extra backstory/setting info. I would request that you change references to the Confederacy of Interdependent Systems to either the Confederacy of Core Worlds or the Central Systems Alliance, as those are the two major factions in the area that are established so far. Alternatively it could be a third faction, but everything starting with C's and two Confederacies could get confusing.
@Dinh 'Dizzy' Solomon: Also looks pretty good! The only real change I see in need right now is rolling for the values of your General Skills.
I'll try and get at least some of the new setting info up on the wiki later today.
I was intending to make it a third faction, but I realized that there are already two Confederacies. I've instead changed the name to the United Republic of Interdependent Systems. I figure that should be different enough from the other two that we shouldn't get confused. I was hoping to give them a sort of... benevolent dictator type feel?
Questions I'd Like Answered
1) What do you want this setting to be typically referred to as? I mean this in the way that Firefly's characters call their setting the 'Verse, Star Wars has the Galaxy, and so on. In the setup material here I've referred to it as the frontier, to be as generic as possible, but if you folks have any ideas for what to call it, that'd be grand.
2) Do you want there to be interplay with a centralized, political government (or several)? I've mentioned the Central Systems a few times in the last couple posts as a generic placeholder for anything of that kind, but I'd love for players to give me their preferences on the matter. Playing in a relatively lawless setting without any far-reaching political states could be fun, as could an intrigue-filled frontier with multiple governments vying for control.3) Do you want this to be "our" universe? For example, would you want folks to be able to refer to Earth, whether it's still around or not, and make other references to our history and cultures? For the sake of ease some things will remain no matter what, simply because a lot of our language and references today are so ingrained in our past, but there's a big difference between using Latin names for ships and having Space Buddhists or some such.
4) How would you feel about additional "Weird West" elements being included in the game? It's obviously going to have strong ties to science fiction, but what about fantasy or horror or the like? How "pure" would you like your Space Western to be (as much of an oxymoron as that may sound)?
1. Although I like the Frontier I'd like to expand on that concept. So there's "The Great Expanse", shortened to The Expanse, which is all of space as far as man has traveled and colonized. I'd assume it was coined by the first Space Age Colonization team. In the center of this (Centered on the Sol System for obvious reasons) are the Core Worlds which are the Sol System and a number of neighboring Systems. They are the most advanced and each colonized planet that hasn't been stripped for resources are basically giant city planets whose main export is human lives. Then there's the Known/Explored Sector, this is the largest space where planets become less densely populated the farther from the Core Worlds you get. Factories, Resource Planets, Agricultural Planets, all of these type of things exist in this area, as well as burgeoning City Planets similar to the Core Worlds but more akin to "small" towns / suburbs if you were to think in scale. Next is the Outer Rim / Frontier Worlds, this is newly colonized planets and is about as "rural" as you get in the space age. Finally is the Great Unknown or the Black. This is space that has yet to be explored or colonized. You can think of it like a giant target with a small solid center, the next circle is very wide, the 3rd circle is thick but much smaller than the 2nd, and then there is the rest of the paper.
Again, I like Frontier, I just feel like there is so much more to the Dominion of Man that just calling all of space "the Frontier" is rather narrow sighted.
2. So, in my backstory I wrote about the Coalition of Progenial Planets. This is the combined governments of the Core Worlds - similar to a "United Nations of Mankind" sorta thing. They choose to represent all of Mankind however the further from the Core Worlds you get the more likely you are to find planets that have their own governmental bodies or are completely ungoverned. In my own opinion I'd rather them not be "Evil Dictator" or "Benevolent Protector" they just are. Some policies may be skeptical but in the end they do what they feel is best for all of Mankind and the continued expansion into the Black.
3. I've been running with Earth exists and this is "our universe" but the timeline is basically XX15, so it's in the indeterminate future. Earth and by extension the Sol System is "The Center" of all of Mankind, and everything can originate back to that.
4. I don't mind some Weird West sorta things. I'd be hesitant on Fantasy elements but Horror I'd have no issue with honestly. Some weird stuff can happen in the dark reaches of the Great Expanse, and the Black is completely uncharted territory.
@Dinh 'Dizzy' Solomon: Also looks pretty good! The only real change I see in need right now is rolling for the values of your General Skills.
Sorry, I had posted that from my phone and I hate formating dice rolls or any post in general on my phone.
+1 = 16
+3 = 9
+3 = 11
+3 = 13
eehh...not the best but they're alright.
so:
12
18
19
18
18
Rax Galia
- - - - -
Strength: 12
Coordination: 19
Observation: 18
Stature: 18
Luck: 18
- - - - -
Energy Weapons: 1
Pistols 1
- - - - -
Trading +1 = 16
Thievery +2 = 13
Piloting +0 = 19
Navigation +2 = 13
Engineering +3 = 9
-----------------
Accuracy
Careful Shot: 19
Steady Shot : 10
Hip Shot : 5
Fanfire : 1
------------------
Traits
Machine Whisperer (Unless I can work out a piloting trait with you Loup)
--------------------
Equipment
Revolver
Mechanics Gear
Rax Galia,
Rax was born on the fringe planet Talrazia, that saw quite a bit of traffic from different factions in the conflict. While Talrazia remained neutral, it still saw its fair share of battle. Mostly in the form of housing the military of one side or the other, but in most times, Talrazia had some sort of military presence.
Rax started out young, tinkering with land speeders when he was just 12 cycles old. He found that the engines, and power sources and mechanics just made sense to him, but nothing, absolutely nothing suited him better than being in the pilot's seat. He graduated from land speeders to air speeders as he got older, and as he got older, both sides military sought him out to fix their equipment. It wasn't long before Rax got his hands on an old military starfighter trainer that was left behind when one side bugged out. It was deemed 'unnecessary equipment'. Whatever it was, Rax hauled it back to his house and started to fix it up using other discarded equipment, and soon found himself the owner of a functioning starfighter, even if it didn't have guns, and so what if it couldn't break atmosphere.
For five years Rax spent nearly every waking moment that he could flying his fighter, learning how to manuever. And just about any time that he didn't spend on that fighter he spent in simulators, trying to get a feel for how it would work in space. Pretty soon, though it became apparent that the only way he was going to get better was if he experienced it for real. So he did the only thing he could think of. He went to the spaceport and hired on as a mechanic/pilot. He was lucky enough to hire on with Delizant Naborn, retired military, who Rax knew from the camps on Talrazia. Delizant hired Rax, and put him to work. It wasn't until well into Rax's tenure that he realized Delizant was now working as a smuggler. After a few 'modifications' which Rax made, Delizant taught Rax about the 'trade'. Rax proved to be an apt pupil, and stayed with Delizant until the Borials job.
The Borials job turned out to be both the boon and bane of Delizant and Rax's smuggling career. Smuggling arms and contraband for the Zetzani Alliance, they fell afoul of the military blockades. Fortunately, it was the same military that Delizant was an ex-officer of. While they didn't make their delivery for the Zetzani, Delizant was able to sell the whole of the arms and contraband to the military. Unfortunaely the officer in charge was not so honorable as Delizant, and ordered his men to fire on the ship once it was clear of the frigate they'd landed on. Del told Rax to be wary, that something didn't smell right, and he was right. Rax caught the guns on the frigate powering up and pushed the modified ship for all it was worth. The move caught the military by surprise, and Rax was able to push the ship into the tail of the Borials Comet, and then into the Borials Nebula to evade the frigate's sensors. The smuggling ship jetisoned every bit of scrap they could and sheared off some of their own hull trying to make enough of a decoy. Eventually they were able to escape, but Delizant was now a wanted man. Too wanted and too famous to keep smuggling. The ship was sold, and the money split, and after a good deal of drinking and carousing, the crew went their separate ways, to find their fortunes. Delizant a wanted fugitive, and the other crewmembers, while not well known, keeping a somewhat low profile for a while.
Of course, after a short while, Rax felt the need to pilot again...
Questions Answered:
1) I prefer Galaxy. With the outer bunch of planets known as the Frontier or Fringe.
2) I like a diverse set of Governments, with various different interactions between them. Antagonistic, Allied, Neutral and "Leave us the hell alone"
3) I don't mind having earth as a reference, but I'd prefer if it were, to be ANCIENT history. So not something that anyone would point back to and want to go back to Earth, or even trying to relive Earth culture.
4) I don't mind some weird west elements, and "elf like" or "dwarf like" aliens wouldn't be bad, but I'd really like to NOT see an elf right out of Tolkien, thanks very much. ;) I think feudal systems of government might survive, but I think it a bit much to think there would be cultures that are still jousting, or using sword and board, when there's slug throwers and energy weapons about.
Kelarith? I believe, unless the GM corrects, that 'roll like stats' means roll the dice and assign the rolls to the skills you want. So you can pick which skill you're best at.
GM? Correct?
Agreed, Kelarith, you're allowed to swap the skill rolls around if you'd like, so that you're best at whatever you want to be. You also need to drop your Stature and Luck in half (both to 9), and your Hip Shot accuracy should be 4 (19/4=4.75, round down to 4). Other than that, though, you look about ready to go! Any thoughts on what the model of Rax or Delizant's old ship was? I've got a setup for at least one series of ships in mind, but anyone else who wants to throw names out there should do so if they like.
Also, since it's been brought up a few times, I should mention that I don't have any plans for aliens in this game. If I wanted to include them I would only do it if they were going to prove to be very alien, with culture markedly different from that of humanity, and I just don't think there's quite a place for them in this game.
This is not the MDT you're looking for.
Rax Galia
- - - - -
Strength: 12
Coordination: 19
Observation: 18
Stature: 9
Luck: 9
- - - - -
Energy Weapons: 1
Pistols 1
- - - - -
Trading 2d10 ⇒ (9, 6) = 15+1 = 9
Thievery 2d10 ⇒ (2, 9) = 11+2 = 13
Piloting 2d10 ⇒ (9, 10) = 19+0 = 19
Navigation 2d10 ⇒ (9, 2) = 11+2 = 13
Engineering 2d10 ⇒ (2, 4) = 6+3 = 16
-----------------
Accuracy
Careful Shot: 19
Steady Shot : 10
Hip Shot : 4
Fanfire : 1
------------------
Traits
Machine Whisperer (Unless I can work out a piloting trait with you Loup)
--------------------
Equipment
Revolver
Mechanics Gear
I figure Delizant's old ship, to put it in nautical reference terms, was like a cutter. Large enough to hold a decent crew, lightly armed, but fast. And if Rax could start with that ship, he'd have bought it, which would give him good reason to be broke ;)
I'm sorry. I'd really like to try this out, but I'm just not been able to come up with the time to write a background for it. I'm going to withdraw for now.
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Mirna "Mia" Santiago, ex-special units lawman
+1=17
+1=17
+3=12
+3=13
+1=18
Strength 13
Coordination 18
Observation 17
Stature 6
Luck 9
Skills
Pistols 1
Rifles 2
+1=18
+3=11
+3=12
Bureaucracy 11
Gunnery 18
Tactics 12
Trait: Packing Iron
Mirna "Mia" Santiago
- - - - -
Strength: 13
Coordination: 18
Observation: 17
Stature: 6
Luck: 9
- - - - -
Bureaucracy:: 11
Gunnery: 18
Pistols: 1
Rifles: 2
Tactics: 12
- - - - -
ACCURACY
Careful Shot: 18
Steady Shot: 9
Hip Shot: 4
Fanfire: 1
- - - - -
TRAITS
Packing Iron: Mirna still has her sidearm and sniper rifle from her days as a W.A.S.P. cop.
- - - - -
EQUIPMENT
Service Revolver
Sniper Rifle
Badge
Image of Mirna "Mia" Santiago
*Mirna is a family name, living people call me Mia.
* I used to work for the Weapons And Special Protection division of A.C.Sec. They were good times until my team bit it. Local boy was on the take. Five good men and women put in the ground before their time. Might's well be six, I figure. Hopped the next stowage outa that sector, pronto-like.
*The badge? Mostly for memory's sake. Gotta know where you come from to know where you're going. But it also comes in handy on occasion.
Will get to your info questions once I've had time to read through other responses for collaborative/inspirational points.
Note that this is pretty much an open recruitment, as I'd love to see any number of folks join the game, whether working together or heading separate ways via spoilers, separate threads, or anything of the like! So Daniel Stewart, you're not really late to the party at all, and YanJieming, don't worry about it--if you find you have time to get even a few details picked and you'd like to play, just let me know! For example, Gregor's a fistfighting pilot with scientific training--what was the name of the planet he grew up on? Where did he go to school, maybe an elite academy run by one of the governments? What was the name of the first ship he served on? Even just that much information is all I need to start things out--along with building the world, you can create your character's story as we go on.
@Reckless: Looks interesting, although I think you may have misunderstood the Packing Iron trait: it lets you either start with two Common/Uncommon weapons, or one Rare weapon. Sniper rifles (as listed in the table) are Very Rare, so there's no way to start with one at all; it would also be nice to have clarity on what exact stats you want for your "service revolver." Off the top of my head I'd guess you mean starting play with a revolver and breech-loading rifle, since those are Common/Uncommon weapons, and the breech-loader has good range. Also, if I could get a few more specific details about Mia, that'd be great. As an idea, come up with the model names of her revolver and rifle, and let me know a little more about "A.C.Sec."--what does it stand for (I'm guessing Sec. is Security) and where are they based?
In case folks are wondering about an example of what I'm looking for with the world-building details, both at character creation and in game, check out this post from the Interest Check thread. It's a great example of what I'd like to see! It's chock full of specific names: the Ban'esh Conflict, Marshals, the Nova-Sixer, Ghor Minora, the Corbin IV "Scuttler"--and note that none of these are given too much detail right there. If you give me a ship name, I don't need to know how many engines it has or when it was first developed, I don't need the caliber and muzzle velocity of your rifle, and if you don't feel like coming up with the ins and outs of your home planet, you don't have to. All I need is a name, so I don't make it all up for you. Now, if you want to give me more, feel free, because that's less work for me and more power in your hands.
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Ah, missed the table. I'll take a look.
EDIT: took a look. I think I'll take a bolt-action rifle for her "sniper rifle", with no handgun. She knows how to use a pistol but is better with her M1903 Springfield.
M1903 Sprinfield Bolt Action Rifle
ACSec= Alpha Century Security. They operate as a police force for the first man-made Dyson Sphere in orbit around Alpha Proxima, as well as the planets and asteroid mining fields around the Alpha stars.
Will post more after work tomorrow.
Normally I like to write longer more detailed backgrounds, but I guess I could get started with what I have and go from there.
I hope that's enough to start. I've got more in my head, but would need more time to write it all out.