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So, I'm lookin' fer'some big damn heroes!
... and hoping you guys can throw together a rag-tag crew. I'm giving you freedom to determine if you're in one ship or multiple, but keep I'm mind that everyone needs to have a role in the crew: pilot, navigator, gunner, mechanic, copilot, medical, outflier fighter pilot, etc.
Here are the docs I’ve been spending WAY too much time prepping
Starting level: 2
25 pt buy
2 traits
Races and classes: if you look over the guide docs, you should have an idea of what's available. Let me know if you have questions.
Gear: you guys have been picking up odd-jobs as a team for a bit. You're not rich, but you ain't broke, either. Pick up what feels right for your character, and then I can iron out if maybe folks have a signature item or something.
Houserules: this game is like one big house rule, so please take a look at the house rules section. I don't want to catch anyone off-guard.
Additionally: I'll be giving you guys each a few perks in regards to your role on the crew. We'll work that out when you guys begin ironing out your characters, crew and roles. :)
———
So, everyone still interested, sound off! My apologies for the wait, but hopefully we have what we need to get a fun game going.
Shoot me your questions, either in this thread or via PM.
woot!
What up!
To really playtest this sucker, I'm going for a full 'Daemonist'. So my guy is going to be a multi-classed Sorcerer / Bard (Archaeologist). He's going to be a PhD professor and occultist.
I'm flexible on his role on the ship... navigator maybe?
My suggestion for the ship(s) we have is a good size trader ship and maybe one fighter.
I will try and read through all the setting info/rules soon, but just tossing up my loose idea for my character right now:
Halfling rogue or alchemist, preferably working as ship's mechanic. Small size to crawl around in the guts of the ship, covered with grease all the time, grew up with a wrench in her hand, that sort of thing.
That is a neat idea, Dien. :)
Race-wise, I'm thinking human, probably from Lassaiz.
Is there open slot for me to toss a hat at?
Hey! Stormraven, mbauers, dien .... so glad to see you guys didn't give up on me. Glad to see you're still interested. :)
So a possible Dr. Daemonist and a mini-mechanic. I like both of those options. Can't wait to see how they get fleshed out.
Is there open slot for me to toss a hat at?
Hey, I'll never complain when people show interest in a concept of mine (or, at least a concept i've stolen and cobbled together from other, smarter, more creative folks, anyway). Out of curiosity, given the lack of a Recruitment thread, how did you find your way in here? What drew you?
And to answer your question, there isn't a spot open right now. I have five tentative players, which is about the size crew I wanted for this game. Additionally, I have two players who were interested enough to be my alternates in case one of the original player slots opened up.
I can certainly add your name to the bottom of that alternate list, though, if you'd like me to.
A note I forgot to mention on the planned adventure: while much of our shenanigans will end up being episodic, there is a roughly-planned over-arching plot to pull you guys forward as you progress. While you should be free to make characters from whatever region, race, nation, or culture that strikes your fancy (well, with an eye towards being in and around the Realms, that is), there will be a lot of interaction with Lassaizan stuff ... cities, npc's, that sort of thing. Now, the nature of aerships means that you guys can easily get away from those locations and people (well, assuming you have money for fuel and no one shoots your ride down), but the planned components are Lassaizan.
... take that for what it's worth.
Awesome!!!!!!!!
Hey, dbauers! Good to see ya.
I like SRs idea, as I was thinking about being a fighter pilot as well. Beyond that though, I have to read the 5 gazillion supporting documents before I can flesh anything out. :)
McDOT
I like SRs idea, as I was thinking about being a fighter pilot as well. Beyond that though, I have to read the 5 gazillion supporting documents before I can flesh anything out. :)
You're welcome. :P
... let it never be said I don't put work into pre-adventure prep. (though I guess the quality of said prep could be argued ...)
And I'm pretty much fine with whatever allotment of ships you guys want to roll with. Well, within reason. Everyone single-handedly piloting a battle-cruiser is probably out of the question.
And hey, it's Lekku! Welcome, man. Looks like the gang's all here.
So my first idea was an investigator (the class, from the ACG) who kind of runs the business operations of the ship. Keep track of profits/losses, have a network of contacts to find jobs, that kind of thing. It looks like crunch-wise that may infringe on Dien, though. So I'm thinking of other ideas (still have to read all the docs).
As of right now I'm considering a Huntmaster Cavalier who is the pilot of our trade ship (or maybe a cook on the ship, if that exists).
I just think the image of a pot-bellied guy steering an airship with dogs running around the "cockpit" is a cool one.
Lol. I like both ideas, but that pilot sure makes a great visual.
So im leaving work now, but first--i just printed ALL of those documents. Gonna have some light reading now for awhile.
Oh, what's a little light reading? You guys should be thanking me ... to give you such wonderful content to get to go through. AND FOR FREE!
... i'm so generous.
(sorry there's so much. i hope it's not too painful to have to get through)
and if you have specific questions, I can maybe answer those directly or send you to the specific area of the docs that are most helpful?
I certainly don't mean to bog you guys down right up front. I just had a lot of ideas when coming up with this game.
Oh, don't get me wrong--im genuinely excited to read it. It's just going to take me a while.
im thinking about a slayer. gives me some "muscle" capability for any ground missions, but still enough skill points to be a good fighter pilot.
Dotting so I can secretly stalk y'all. :)
Hey, Alice. Hope you like what you see.
Also, you from the south? ("Y'all")
Dbauers, excellent! I love that class. Can't wait to hear more about him.
As you guys consider your characters, here are some things I need you to answer:
Where did you grow up and how did you learn the skills you possess today?
The Realms just came out of the War nearly two years ago. It was one of the defining world events for your generation(s). Was your character involved? If so, how? Military? Civilian support role? If not, how did he or she spend that time?
Each of you is likely to actually be pretty good at your job or role. Given that, why are you a part of this rag-tag crew?
Alice, ouch! I'm Texan! ;)
OK, so here is 'Doc' Long, aka 'the Eel'. I haven't double-checked to make sure he fits all the rules but he should be about 90% there.
He is an 'archaeologist' somewhere between the Victorian and modern definitions of the word. Investigating sites to understand the culture is part of the job ... as is acquiring relics and bringing them home. Imagine him as something of a heavily academic Indiana Jones with an occult twist.
Marty McFly: "Hey, Doc!"
... and we have our first flesh-on character. I like it!
Glad like him! With his current traits, he'd make a decent fighter pilot or I could switch him to a nominal Ship Pilot... so possibly a co-pilot instead? Also he would be OK as a gunner.
I'm happy to play whatever role on the ship is needed.
Well, there's every chance that he could pretty much play all three roles at once. Who's to say you guys couldn't outfit your larger ship to have Navigator/Co-pilot position that also sports a forward-facing gun turret? Obviously you'd only be able to act in any one "role" in any given round, but it'd give you options.
It's all in how you spend your CP's, I would think.
Nice, Stormy!
So I've read through maybe half of the documents or so and I have a couple minor questions.
1) How do shields work? Do they add to AC or armor? From what I recall about armor as DR rules it's the former.
2) The defense bonus--do you get that bonus to your AC based on your highest proficiency regardless of whether or not you are actually wearing the armor?
As of right now I'm leaning towards a Huntmaster Cavalier pilot from Dunhaven. I have to read up a bit about huntmaster, but after looking at all of the orders it seems that Dragon (sworn to protect the other crew members) or Guard (sworn to protect the ship--weird mechanically but could be cool) are the most appropriate.
Are firearms still exotic weapon proficiency? I don't want to bring a knife to a gun fight, so to speak. ;-)
All excellent questions.
1) How do shields work? Do they add to AC or armor? From what I recall about armor as DR rules it's the former.
Good catch. Shields add to a character’s Defense score (stacking with their class defense bonus). Not DR.
2) The defense bonus--do you get that bonus to your AC based on your highest proficiency regardless of whether or not you are actually wearing the armor?
Armor and Defense have no bearing on one another short of Max Dex bonus. So both would apply if a character were wearing armor.
As of right now I'm leaning towards a Huntmaster Cavalier pilot from Dunhaven. I have to read up a bit about huntmaster, but after looking at all of the orders it seems that Dragon (sworn to protect the other crew members) or Guard (sworn to protect the ship--weird mechanically but could be cool) are the most appropriate.
Very cool. I think it’s a great concept. As for using the Cavalier, are you going to reflavor the mechanics to work with whatever Dunnish concept you want? Or is he going to have some kind of cavalier-esque element to his background. I don’t actually have a preference either way … just curious. (I get flak for re-skinning class concepts and abilities all the time.)
Are firearms still exotic weapon proficiency? I don't want to bring a knife to a gun fight, so to speak. ;-)
Nope, given how prevalent they are, firearms are martial weapons. I'm guessing your Dunman would be quite comfortable with a nice double-barrel shotty parked next to his cockpit seat. :D
One thing that might have gotten lost in all the aership/firearms hoopla ... melee weapons remains very viable and common in Aeru. Guns are obviously useful, but in tight confines or after chambers have been cleared, people are still used to engaging up-close and personal-like. And rough folks are often more likely to be sporting a blade or axe in addition to whatever single-shot or muzzle-loader they can get their mitts on.
All excellent questions.
1) How do shields work? Do they add to AC or armor? From what I recall about armor as DR rules it's the former.Good catch. Shields add to a character’s Defense score (stacking with their class defense bonus). Not DR.
2) The defense bonus--do you get that bonus to your AC based on your highest proficiency regardless of whether or not you are actually wearing the armor?Armor and Defense have no bearing on one another short of Max Dex bonus. So both would apply if a character were wearing armor.
As of right now I'm leaning towards a Huntmaster Cavalier pilot from Dunhaven. I have to read up a bit about huntmaster, but after looking at all of the orders it seems that Dragon (sworn to protect the other crew members) or Guard (sworn to protect the ship--weird mechanically but could be cool) are the most appropriate.Very cool. I think it’s a great concept. As for using the Cavalier, are you going to reflavor the mechanics to work with whatever Dunnish concept you want? Or is he going to have some kind of cavalier-esque element to his background. I don’t actually have a preference either way … just curious. (I get flak for re-skinning class concepts and abilities all the time.)
Are firearms still exotic weapon proficiency? I don't want to bring a knife to a gun fight, so to speak. ;-)Nope, given how prevalent they are, firearms are martial weapons. I'm guessing your Dunman would be quite comfortable with a nice double-barrel shotty parked next to his cockpit seat. :D
Ok, cool. Well, some of the Cavalier orders don't really fit, but the two I'm considering seem to fit in line with what I have for the character. I don't want him to swear fealty or anything, I just picture him as being indebted to one or more members of the crew and he will protect them at all costs (I'm thinking, maybe he's an Ex-Con? I have to read the rest of the docs first before I finalize anything).
Here's Order of the Dragon, which is my first choice right now:
Edicts: The cavalier must remain loyal to his allies and must always work to further the aims of the group. He must protect his allies from harm and defend their honor when called into doubt.
The second choice is Order of the Guard, with me picking the ship as my ward.
Edicts: An order of the guard cavalier must strive to protect his ward to the best of his ability, even if doing so costs the cavalier his life. The cavalier must always receive some compensation for his services, be it money, a favor, or other payment. A member of the order of the guard must carry out the orders stipulated in his contract or dictated by his employer as long as doing so does not violate other elements of the order's code or a previously agreed upon contract.
That one requires some "flavor re-skinning".
Just throwing in my 2 cents here, mb, feel free to ignore it... but I think the Order of the Dragon would dovetail perfectly. It is very Mal Reynolds... he's fiercely loyal to his crew because they are his crew.
Just throwing in my 2 cents here, mb, feel free to ignore it... but I think the Order of the Dragon would dovetail perfectly. It is very Mal Reynolds... he's fiercely loyal to his crew because they are his crew.
Yep, that's what I was thinking. And he would make an interesting co pilot with your professor.
do we need a "captain", or is it a democracy? :)
That's something I was going to ask, as well. Having a captain would simplify things in some ways, but it's up to y'all. As you guys figure out ships, we'll also need to figure out ownership and stuff.
I wouldn't object to having a captain. I'd say we can still debate big decision but it lets us assign one person to make final decisions without constant back and forth.
Eben, how do you feel about me taking Boon Companion two (or possibly 3) times for different dogs? I ask because I'm not trying to be cheesetastic, I just know they're going to be in harm's way and I don't want them to die. Would that unbalance things too much?
As to the captain thing--I agree we should have one, but I respectfully request not to be it. I see my character as someone who will be honest to the captain, not sugarcoat or be a yes man, but when the final decision is made will abide by the decision, even if I personally disagree. I think that goes along well with Order of the Dragon too.
I didn’t realize the Boon Companion feat had changed. This version is way more versatile. I'll have to remember that.
I’m certainly not against you taking the feat a few times. However, I’m not a fan of the idea that you’ll be running around with a brood of dogs. It just seems like it would complicate combat fairly quickly … or at least very likely slow it down, something I’m not really keen on in a pbp game.
How many were you envisioning and how do you think you’ll want to use them?
Once we begin getting more information on the other characters, I think we can iron out how the crew met, who’s the captain, what that actually entails for this (likely untraditional) crew, and all those details. I know one suggestion is that the captain (and whoever else has a share on the ship) is still paying the big girl off.
Also, dbauers, do you envision that your fighter pilot owns his aership? Or is he hired to fly it, and it’s owned by the captain/crew just like the main ship?
Food for thought. I look forward to hearing more from everybody.
My thoughts:
1. I think we should have several (maybe all the crew) owning shares in the ship. The captain could have more than the others or just has the full confidence of the crew. My reasoning is as follows. If any one person owned the whole ship, they would be well within their rights to say "I'm not doing that with my ship". That could quickly end the 'democracy' of the ship... a la 'Firefly' with Mal owning the ship. He pretty much called all the shots and no one could dispute it. That works great on TV but could be a problem with a RPG.
2. Given Doc's background, he might not make much sense as the Captain. I would prefer not taking the Captain role myself - but I won't turn it down if you guys want me to do it. And I would try to 'Captain' to the play-style of the majority.
I could always provide an off-screen boss. He recruited you guys over the last couple of years to take jobs he pushes your way.
I'd prefer to be self-directed in terms of our employment and missions but if you'd rather (for simplicity's sake) to go with a directed approach, I get it.