
Dawn Svenssen |

Thank you for the explanation.
Makes me feel warm and cozy while we wait for the other shoe.
:)
You could just trust your players to not exploit things.
(Sorry, I thought I could keep a straight face while writing that.)

mdt |

Scott Baker Second Draft. Ask questions if you have them about what things do if you can't find it in the light book.
Gennie Debbs Second Draft. Needs a name. Ask questions if you have them about what things do if you can't find it in the main book.
Scott David First Draft. Background didn't give me much to work with on disadvantages. Let me know if you want to change any. If you have questions, let me know.

Laine Horatio |

Hello welcome to the group. I'm your residnetial sniper.

Dawn Svenssen |

There is an NPC that has more rank with us, but mdt didn't want to be doing the commanding.
Since Dawn is the next one up with any rank, I've been playing the part.
I prefer to have discussions in OOC about what direction the players want to go before Dawn gives the IC commands.
For instance, we had a lively discussion about what to do when we got to the burned out town. Dawn only issued "orders" after a consensus of the players was reached.

mdt |

Yes, originally the other PC (Now NPC) had 10 pts in Rank, and was the squad leader. I think that's part of what is causing issues in game, we probably need, OOC, to agree on a squad leader going forward, and then do some character tweaking to give that person sufficient rank to be Squad Leader. That shouldn't be hard, the current PCs will be getting some points shortly, when the other PCs join. A few points into Rank would be the equivalent of a promotion. Currently Dawn is not Daniel's superior, just a squad mate (I make no judgements on bossy or killjoy, that's a IC personality thing).
Currently, unless I'm mistaken, Daniel and Dawn both have the same rank (which makes sense, they were next in line), so it really is more about time in grade. Again, Rank should ONLY be for IC RP, not for OOC decision making. The last little bit with Dawn doing orders was more for the GM than actual rank/orders, so that the GM knew when everyone had made a decision OOC. This is a reason I don't like to GMPC the squad leader if I don't have to. It makes it feel like a railroad attempt.
I think before we get everyone back, we should have all the players (new recruits included) discuss the whole rank thing. I think it makes more sense for either one of the existing 3 characters to be promoted to the squad leader position (even if we have to retcon a bit of rank). I'm fine with any of the three as the GM. Although I will say that if it's Dawn, she'll get pulled aside IC and counciled on leadership for rubbing a few rough edges off. Not that I think there's anything wrong with a character having a rough edge, I just think perhaps there's some bleed through into OOC Perceptions. This is a text game, and it makes it hard to get tone right sometimes in text, since you can't see the other person's face, or hear the tone of their voice. That makes it easy for something to come off as 'bossy or killjoy' when it was meant in jest, or simply meant to be neutral in tone. Believe me, I do it myself all the time and have to go back and OOC comment 'Oh, sorry, that wasn't supposed to be rude, it was supposed to be a neutral statement'.

Dawn Svenssen |

Back on July 10th mdt asked for someone to take up the "leader" slot as our PC squad leader had disappeared.
I said:
"I will reluctantly take the lead slot if no one else wants it.
But, I'd prefer that we still discuss what I'll "order" in this thread before issuing those orders in the IC thread.
For instance, each player can chime in if they want to pursue and engage, or break and withdraw from this current action.
I'll follow majority choice, or break ties."
I'm calling dibs on time in grade to be Daniel's boss because I have two week's longer in grade than he does. :)
Ideally we'd end up like some sort of special ops unit that was given a mission and we each knew our part.
But even then you've got someone that has to make command decisions.
The part that sucks about command/rank is that someone gets to eat the CP cost of it.
mdt might consider just giving everyone a rank for free, then giving the soldier with the short straw another rank for free. Even with the reduced cost for ranks, that's still a couple of levels in a skill that are locked down by the rank.
(I also learned that the military is not generally a patron to soldiers. Having the military as a patron would mean that someone higher up the chain had a vested interest in Dawn. Routinely assigned better gear, better support, easier missions, etc) If this type of relationship isn't desired, I'll happily lose that patron when magic shows up.
This could be that whomever was watching out for my career retired or got transferred (I lose the patron), and I just happen to discover my innate magical ability (or however you plan to introduce it).

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HERE'S my version of "Genie" Debbs. It's pretty close to the GMs, but with some slight differences. Please let me know if it makes sense, or not.

Dawn Svenssen |

Hi Branding,
I do have a couple of suggestions.
You have 5 points spread across 3 gun skills that default to each other, pistol, rifle and MG. If you pick rifle or MG as your main weapon, and boost it to 4 CP at 14, then your defaults with the other two will be 12. you also save 1 CP. You could spend that 1 CP in either rifle or pistol to have that skill at 13.
Instead of:
pistol 12
rifle 13
MG 13
you could have:
Rifle 14
MG 13
pistol 12
Both of these cost 5 CP.
You have 3 CP in piloting helicopter. The 3rd point provides no benefit.

"Genie" Debbs |

Hi Branding,
I do have a couple of suggestions.
You have 5 points spread across 3 gun skills that default to each other, pistol, rifle and MG. If you pick rifle or MG as your main weapon, and boost it to 4 CP at 14, then your defaults with the other two will be 12. you also save 1 CP. You could spend that 1 CP in either rifle or pistol to have that skill at 13.
Instead of:
pistol 12
rifle 13
MG 13you could have:
Rifle 14
MG 13
pistol 12Both of these cost 5 CP.
You have 3 CP in piloting helicopter. The 3rd point provides no benefit.
Thanks for the info. As I stated, I am brand new at GURPS, although it's a system I've been interested in since I first saw it back in the mid-eighties.

mdt |

OK, the PC's that were out on the LAV gain an additional 4 EXP. One for the conclusion of the scouting run, one for rescuing the girls, one for capturing the magic weapons, and one for gaining intel on the Empire.
Command is about to split the squad into two squads. They've gotten an ok from the political command to induct a couple of the older girls as 'Local Militia' as they have volunteered to fight, and are of age in the local structure. The older girls are 16 or 17, as near as the doctors can tell. Exact ages are difficult, as the locals generally don't keep specific dates of birth, they keep seasons. Also, the local year seems to be longer than an Earth year, and they're still trying to nail down what a local year is.
The local day is 27 hours, 53 minutes long. There are 14 months locally, each 30 days long, with an extra month thrown in every 11 years to get it back on track. That makes a local year either 481.775 days, or 516.1875 days long. Add in that the 30 day adjustment overcompensates for the calendar being off from the planets orbit, and that about once a generation a 'Heaven Day' is declared by the church to further correct, the day being not part of any year or month, and calculating exact ages are hard. All they can really get is a rough estimate using each local year is approximately 1 1/3rd Earth years on average.
The girls are being given local armor combined with modern armor (that is, local leather that they are familiar with combined with kevlar undervests). They are being trained with small arms for a month (basically an abbreviated basic training).
The girls considered too young to fight are being housed on the base, and teachers are being brought in to give them schooling. Even though the girls are old enough to fight by local laws, being 13 to 15 is too young for the higher ups, so they are being given 'guard duty' at the base to keep them from revolting and being given some self defense training.
I need an OOC consensus on who is going to be the IC squad leader. I asked this once before, but I think some people missed it the first time around. Whoever is going to end up being the IC commander of the squad is *not* in charge of the Players. They have the following responsibilities :
1) OOCly breaking any ties (that is, they get 1.5 votes, everyone else get's 1 vote on what to do) since we have an even number of players.
2) Posting the group's decisions OOC on what to do IC as orders to the squad.
It is important that everyone keep OOC and IC in mind, so that we avoid OOC hard feelings. It's ok for a PC to sound bossy if they are in command IC, but they should NOT be bossy OOC. I would prefer one of the original 3 be in charge, but it's not a hard rule. I realize that there's been a bit of OOC confusion on this up till now, so if I have to, I'll make an NPC the squad leader, but if I do that, I have to GM-NPC a commander and that adds to my work above and beyond the locals you're adding in.

Laine Horatio |

So in my attempts to communicate with Calia can I start beginning to learn the language of hers?

mdt |

Yes, Laine and Daniel both spent time trying to learn the local language. They can put a single point into it. Which will give them basically pigin with it. I don't think either has eidetic memory, or Linguistics advantages, or linguistics skill, so only 1 point.

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I did not want to volunteer but if no other wants it I will do the squad leader position and change ranks to a 2nd lt with prior enlisted service. Ooc wise I retired from the army and know the service well, having been a scout, military intel, and a drill sgt finishing as an instructor.

Laine Horatio |

I could try to step up as leader, but I honestly think Dawn did a good job before so if she wants it I wont challenge that. Laine hasn't really had any experience being a leader in any sort of enviroment.
1 point in the local language would give me skill level 10 [IQ-2] right?

mdt |

No, languages are not skills. They are advantages.
The point cost to learn an additional language depends on your "comprehension level”: a measure of how well you function in that language overall.There are four comprehension levels:
None: You are completely incapable of functioning in the language. If you do not spend points on a non-native language, this comprehension level is assumed – there is no need to note it for every language you don’t know! 0 points/language.
Broken: You can recognize important words and understand simple sentences if they are spoken slowly. You have -3 when using skills that depend on language, such as Fast- Talk, Public Speaking, Research, Speed-Reading, Teaching, and Writing. This doubles to -6 for artistic skills that rely on the beauty of the language (Poetry, Singing, etc.). In stressful situations – e.g., encounters involving combat or reaction rolls – you must roll against IQ to understand or make yourself understood in the language. On a failure, you convey no information, but you may try again. Critical failure means you convey the wrong information! For hurried speech, bad phone connections, etc., this roll is at -2 to -8! Native speakers who already dislike foreigners (see Intolerance, p. 140) react to you at an extra -1. 2 points/language.
Accented: You can communicate clearly, even under stress. However, your speech and writing are idiosyncratic, and it is obvious that this is not your native language. You have -1 when using skills that depend on language, doubled to -2 for artistic skills. You receive no reaction penalty from native speakers, but you will be unable to pass for a native (this can be a major problem for would-be spies!). 4
points/language.Native: You have full mastery of the language, including idioms. You can think in the language. You have no penalty to use skills that depend on language. You start with one language at this level for free. If you buy Native comprehension in a foreign tongue, you can pass for a native speaker. 6 points/language.
And sorry, I should have said 2 points earlier, not 1 point (IE: 1 level). I meant 1 level (which is 2 points).

Dawn Svenssen |

I'm okay with continuing as the squad leader. Allowing for some confusion, I thought I did a pretty decent job of issuing rather vague "orders" that allowed for the PC's to pretty much follow their character roles and requesting suggestions OOC before issuing group orders IC.
Scott's prior real world experience will be a boon, especially with keeping it semi-realistic as far as a military unit would operate.
If he wants the spot, I'd defer to him.
I'd also like to put a couple points into the local language. Those of us on the first scout trip did spend several weeks with the locals.
However, how many local languages are there?
I can see it making sense that there would be:
a common trade tongue.
the girls local dialect.
An Imperial language.
Bisharan
Alshee
And a magical language.

mdt |

Local Dialects are :
Imperial (the one that Calia has mostly been using, and was used by the prisoners taken earlier).
Kel'Ree (The big heavy bruisers)
Alshee
Low Bisharan (the one that Calia uses occasionally)
High Bisharan (Human's can't even properly hear or speak it, although Calia can understand it, her voice simply can't speak it)
Low Barish
High Barish (Humans can't properly hear or speak it, it requires high frequency hearing)
Drakon
There are, of course, dozens and dozens of 'secret languages' used by various cabals, groups, etc.
Imperial, on this continent at least, is used as a 'trade tongue'.
EDIT : Alshee, Low Bisharan, and Low Barish are related tongues, and were used as trade tongues before the Empire came. If you have one of these languages, at whatever level, then you gain the other two at one level lower. (For example, if you have it Low Bisharan as Native, you gain Alshee and Low Barish at Accented).

mdt |

The PCs will learn that Calia isn't 'hearing' the radios, she's seeing them. Her vision range goes into the radio spectrum. That's why she keeps complaining that you're not 'saying' anything with the radios. Bisharan use radio waves to 'speak' long distance, they use radio waves the way humans use sound waves. So, when they 'speak' they emit a variable radio wave over multiple frequencies, the combination of frequencies and durations making up words, and they can see that communication. Human radios broadcast on one frequency over and over, so all human radio transmissions seem like gibberish.

Dawn Svenssen |

I see lots of opportunities with that radio stuff.
Dawn would also like to put 2 points into Imperial.
One point into Leadership.
Save the other point.

mdt |

Dawn is updated, but some of her math at some point was off, and she's got 1 point banked, not 2. Look it over and let me know if I missed anything. Note that 2 points get you literacy with Imperial, but it's broken. Calia can teach you to read, you probably need a little more practice to get full benefit of it.
If anyone picks up the Low languages, you can learn them at 1 pt or 2 pts (Low and High both use the same written language, and all 3 use the same alphabet).

Dawn Svenssen |

I double checked the math on my linked sheet and it adds up. Here are the differences:
Attributes are both at 50
Advantages are 79/62 (discrepancy of 17)
Disadvantages/Quirks are -80/-55 (discrepancy of 25)
Skills are 31/27 (discrepancy of 4)
I also had one unspent point from before.
The advantages that differ are Patron [15] and Language [2]. I haven't added the last 4 CP to my sheet yet so the patron is the primary discrepancy.
I have patron and duty, I see you have taken these off. I'm okay with that, they were packaged, and if the National Guard isn't going to be supplying Dawn with extra attention, then I don't need the duty.
My National Guard template is:
Military Rank [5]
Security Clearance [5]
Code of Honor (soldier's) [-10]
Guns (Rifle) [2]
The disads from this don't count against my disad limit.
I think you may have removed my struggling wealth to bring the total disads to 50, when the total should be 60 since the template disads don't count against the total limit. You specifically stated that wealth could be used for customizing gear. I chose to have three custom items with a value under $500. I would have to buy off this disad or wonder why I kept getting last pick of loot.
For skills:
You have naturalist (earth) at 4. It should be 2.
Missing naturalist (new world) at 2.
Savoire-faire military should be at 2
Missing stealth at 1.
Guns (rifle) should be at 4.
I am defaulting survival from naturalist, you have woodlands at 1.
The sheet that I have linked is accurate as far as all points and totals with the exception of the 4 points just awarded.

mdt |

Yeah, Patron really doesn't fit, so taking it and the duty off work well.
Your disads are only 45 pts, not 50. Quirks count toward them, I count 5 from quirks, and 40 others. So we need 5 points somewhere else. And yes, the wealth doesn't make much sense when you're being fully paid for hazard pay and on assignment.
Check the link again, it should be up to date. We just need 5 pts of disads.

mdt |

Dawn Svenssen |

My sheet has -75 in disads, -5 in quirks. -25 was the template (and duty). That left me with -50 in disads, -5 in quirks. This was your original limit for the characters.
Since you're telling me long after the fact, that I can't be a poor soldier, I'd like the opportunity to retroactively load up on personal gear appropriate for average wealth. (It will all fit in a duffel)
Technically, we all would have an extremely hazardous, nearly all the time, duty.
We are all required to follow orders, follow the Uniform Code of Military Justice, abide by terms of engagement, uphold the constitution, etc.
We are effectively "always on duty" and most certainly at risk of death or serious injury from our duty.
Not having a duty would effectively mean we are not required to act like US National Guard professional soldiers.
Bring on the looting and pillaging! (Part of the duty would be not to loot/pillage)
Duty rank and patron often go hand in hand though. That was why I originally took the patron.
Under patron we find "But the U.S. Army, though powerful, is not a likely Patron – at least for an ordinary trooper. You could say, “The Colonel takes care of his men.” But you could just as easily say, “I’m on my own if I get in trouble,” and play a soldier who does not have a Patron."
Which is why I was thinking the patron might not fit if I wasn't likely to get a benefit from it.
Took some research, back on 3/8 in the original recruitment post:
"Your equipment will, for the most part, be supplied by your 'patron'. The California Civil Defense Authority (CCDA). The patron is free, and the legal duty to the patron is also free."
Based on that, everyone should have the patron/duty. We've since realized that patron probably doesn't count since we're getting second rate equipment. The duty should probably still be there though.
You're latest version of my sheet looks okay as is. 2 unspent points, 85 CP total.

"Genie" Debbs |

Just a quick question and comment.
I'm having a bit of a hard time "finding my way" in to the game, so I'll be asking a lot of questions on this board, most likely. I also never served, so the military lingo is foreign to me as well.
Secondly, will there be any chance to use my helicopter skills? If not, should I pick a different character concept?

mdt |

I did not want to volunteer but if no other wants it I will do the squad leader position and change ranks to a 2nd lt with prior enlisted service. Ooc wise I retired from the army and know the service well, having been a scout, military intel, and a drill sgt finishing as an instructor.
I've been thinking this over, and while Jacob is new, it might be better to take you up on that. Primarily due to the military experience, and the ability to help those of us who haven't served (I've just spent so much time around people that have served that I've absorbed a TON of second hand knowledge, I think every RP group I've been in since I was 16 has had at least 2 people who were former military. I've had three chopper mechanics (one navy, two army), one Marine Ranger (who mustered out with a completely blank file, which those in the military know what means), three marines of various ranks, one navy seal, two airmen in the airforce (one fighter pilot and one logistics specialist), and a half-dozen army grunts of various ranks).
Jacob, if you're still ok taking the role, I'm ok with it, as long as it's understood IC vs OOC is completely different, and command is really just an OOC tie breaker if it comes to it.

mdt |

Well, patron in that they are supplying everything. Not all patrons supply everything all at once. And note, your equipment loadout changes. If you check the thread, you've been authorized to change out your equipment loads per your personal preferences. So as long as it's a US fielded weapon, you can load it out. You can also requisition local armor and arms for if you need to walk around a town without generating stares. The patron aspect is basically GM fiat. But yes, the Duty is also still around.

mdt |

Just a quick question and comment.
I'm having a bit of a hard time "finding my way" in to the game, so I'll be asking a lot of questions on this board, most likely. I also never served, so the military lingo is foreign to me as well.
Secondly, will there be any chance to use my helicopter skills? If not, should I pick a different character concept?
First, a quick primer on terms (those in the military correct me where I'm wrong) :
Roger - Understood, correct, yes sir
<indecipherable jumble of letters and numbers> - Generally military equipment. AR14 is a rifle, M61 is a vulcan minigun (8 barrels, lots of bullets), C130 is a cargo plane, etc. If you see some letters and numbers, just google them and you'll see what they are.
Enlisted - People who enlisted in the army, and didn't go through officer training. AKA Grunts
Officers - People who went to officer training and have an officer's warrant.
Warrant Officer - An enlisted person who got promoted to officer and obtained a warrant.
LAV - Light Armored Vehicle, a squad vehicle with armor designed to carry personnel. Also called an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC).
Sub-Machine Gun - An autofire weapon that is man portable utilizing small rounds, highly inaccurate, primarally used for crowd suppression at short ranges.
LMG - Light Machine Gun, The largest 'man portable' weapon in service, designed for light anti-vehicle work.
MMG/HMG - Medium/Heavy Machine Gun. An emplaced or vehicle mounted autofire weapon designed for anti-vehicle work. MMG's usually fire belt fed full load rifle rounds, while HMG's usually fire 50 caliber (12.7mm) rounds also from a belt or drum. The prototypical HMG is the US Army M2 (also called a Ma-Deuce).
HUMVEE/HMMWV - High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle. An armored 4-wheel drive offroad vehicle used by the US armed forces. Also called a Hummer.
That should, I hope, cover enough to get you started. Ask questions if you don't recognize something.
As to the helicopters, your unit is being converted into a force recon group with embedded local combatants. Basically, a type of special mission group (not special forces!). It is entirely possible (even likely) that you'll be assigned helicopters in the future, so while you wont' be using it every second of the game, it's far from useless.