Welcome to the OOC thread!
If you want to make background ties to each other, more power to you. With that said, none of you have officially worked together in the Wardens as of yet. To start the mission off, all of you have been individually summoned to the Warden-Commander's office in the orbital station above Mars. How you all got there is up to you, but feel free to post here to figure out if you want to have come together. Also feel free to talk about any specific non weapon/armor items you want if that is important to you.
So far you have been given literally no details of your mission. Only that Warden-Commander Antoine Shari has called you all for something urgent. I will begin the IC thread either later tonight or tomorrow.
Have fun!
Checking in.
As far as non-weapon/armor equipment, all I need is a wristcomp and a decent set of clothes.
Kit checking in. The only non combat gear I can think of is a comp thing that everyone has, and some sort of head light, assuming it is not built into my suit.
Checking in
Nice to see everyone. I'll post a short description of my character in a bit. Oh, for Quinton, did you mean not to take any Surveillance, or was that an oversight? I know there are a ton of skills and it took me a few passes to notice all of the ones Phineus should have. Some may still have gotten lost since there's so much overlap in weird places.
Phineus appears to be a young man, possibly in his late twenties. He generally dresses well, in a casual suit. Always quick with a smile, Phineus can be quite charming. Tall, though not particularly large, he stays fit through a regular regimen of running and swimming.
His hair is of medium length and black, though there are already signs of silver. Phineus' dark skin marks him of Persian decent, and his blue eyes are almost clear.
Kevin Ichi Takenachi, Kit to his fiends, looks like some one who has done a lot of hard living. His eyes constantly dart around noting every potential exit. His hands are never far from either his gun or his knives.
He is of mixed descent, Irish and Japanese. He has the sort of lithe body you would expect to find on some one who has spent most of their time in microgravity.
Looks like Kevin and Phineus are both from Kuiper, though Phineus left early and has rarely been back there. I'm happy for them to not know one another (it's not *that* small a colony), but if you've got some really cool idea for a background connection, I'd be happy to hear it.
He also doesn't advertise that he comes from the Kuiper Belt, and it'd be tough to guess.
Kaylee was born and raised on Ganymede. She is also of mixed decent, a little bit of everything in her bloodline basically.
She looks to be in her mid-twenties, stands at about 5'4" and has long dark brown hair and hazel eyes.
Kaylee is fairly easygoing and friendly.
Her main interest/hobby/occupation is engineering. She loves to tinker around with stuff and enjoys taking things apart just so that she can figure out how to put them back together again.
Watch out when she does medical procedures on you. Might not put everything back in the same place! :P
Oh, Takenachi, speaking of missing skills: You have no Defense. It's a very useful skill. (Listed as one of the three most important skills in the book next to Notice and Reaction.)
While people are talking about readjusting skills - do remember that there is a rule for complimentary skills (Void Core pg. 111). So if you have a skill that is close to what you are using (the example is shooting a pistol while you have skill in a rifle) you can test at your complimentary skill at a one Die penalty.
So if people want to shift things around slightly, that's fine by me.
In my experience it's difficult to balance characters that are good at something who should also at least be passable at a lot of similar things. Like a guy that's a decent shot with a rifle will probably be alright with a handgun. I think this rule is an attempt to help that a bit. There's also quite a bit of overlap in science/engineering and the social skills.
But it should at least save some people skill points in the combat department.
Once you have a character finalized, I've started the IC thread. When you are all set and ready to go, feel free to post there and get the roleplaying on!
Should we have a better idea of what non-combat gear we have available? I think wristcomps are pretty much standard for people in the setting, but should we have a clearer idea of what other "stuff" we have? Or will that just kind of naturally come up in the game?
Wristcomps, the ability to use whatever wealth you have, and clothing/travel amenities I'm assuming you all have. If you want something specific, let me know and we can handle it.
When I say specific I mean stuff like: "Can I have a chemistry set for analyzing substances?" Generally stuff that you want, that is within a reasonable price range, but that isn't just easily carried on your person. Normally the answer is "sure" but you'll need to explain to me how you are storing/moving it and how you are managing to secure it as you travel around. Similar rules go for illegal goods even if they are easy to carry (drugs, etc.).
I'd like some sort of scanning contraption like the one in the intro story that the scientist has. Essentially something to detect atmosphere, minor/basic chemical testing, searching for life signs, etc. And maybe a decent flex screen to show other people the data easily.
I assume the wristcomps have everything that modern day smartphones have as well. Like camera and video capability. In any case, I'd like a particularly good computer to go along with my Wealth 4 rating. :)
Wristcomps have smaller screens it seems, but I see no reason to think that they lack anything a modern smartphone would have, sure. At wealth 4 it can be as snazy and large/small as you want it to be.
And some sort of analyzer is cool too. I'm assuming, particularly with the quality of the wristcomp, that the two items are well synchronized and anything done on the analyzer can be accessed remotely from your wristcomp (assuming you have a signal). It can handle identification of very basic things easily and instantly, life signs with a bit more work - and dependent on things like the lifeforms having some heat or otherwise identifiable thing with respect to the surrounding atmosphere, and a screen is no problem at all. We'll say that atmosphere and life signs can be done easily, but any chemicals to be tested have to either be placed in the device or a detector/tester attached to it has to be lowered into the substance.
Assuming Low Crime covers picking locks, then I would like a locksmiths kit.
Assuming Low Crime covers picking locks, then I would like a locksmiths kit.
You can have an auto-picker of some sort that will take care of picking most low security locks. Anything high security is going to require more effort (and likely hacking of biometrics).
yes, unfortunately I missed that there was a surveillance skill, although none of my lifepaths options get it (at least none that I saw).
I was wrong, however, both law enforcement and warden gets it. I have dropped my proficiency in Japanese, French, and german by 1 each to get surveillance 3. I think i'm good with my other skills.
As far as specific things go that we would not (per se) start with, I think I would like a crime scene forensics kit, say something backpack-sized that has things like a video camera, specimen jars and bags, zip ties, a measuring device, quick-set plaster for shoe molds; basically, anything that would be handy for investigating a crime scene. This would be something I would lean on requisitioning once we were on scene at a location with "trouble".
As far as specific things go that we would not (per se) start with, I think I would like a crime scene forensics kit, say something backpack-sized that has things like a video camera, specimen jars and bags, zip ties, a measuring device, quick-set plaster for shoe molds; basically, anything that would be handy for investigating a crime scene. This would be something I would lean on requisitioning once we were on scene at a location with "trouble".
No problem. It is easily man-portable, but bulky enough that you probably don't want to carry it around with you all of the time. You'll get it from Warden HQ, so you can assume you have it with you now. Most small outposts won't really have that kind of thing, so you'll be hauling yours with you with your luggage.
sounds good to me =)
Sounds good to me too.
Oh, and I'd prefer that his wristcomp not be snazzy or big, just efficient and good. He's a little bit of a computer geek/elitist. So he's all about function over form. With computers anyway.
I'd like a first aid kit and a small toolbox of some basic engineering tools.
Maybe an "engineering scanner" for interfacing between tech and her wristcomp? If such a thing would be necessary.
What is the standard number of reloads to carry at a time?
I'll be posting in the game thread shortly. Just doing a last check over of the character and reading some game fiction.
What is the standard number of reloads to carry at a time?
There isn't one as written. But assume that there's no reason for magazines/clips to look substantially different. So if you are carrying large numbers of bullets, then you'll look like a guy that walks around with ammunition strapped to him everywhere.
I figure that Kaylee would just carry around one spare clip for her gun. Can I get a holster for my gun that has room to store the spar clip on it?
I will also be carrying around a knife located in a boot sheath and some kind of current version of a multi-tool.
Oh, I should note that Phineus rarely carries his pistol casually. He'll have it on actual operations, or when they're in Warden "uniforms" (armor), and if they go out into the boonies. But in town he'll generally go unarmed.
I assume at some point that the Wardens will point out that their agents are always supposed to be armed. But he'll routinely be "forgetting" it until it comes up that he needs one.
Quirks and Talents updated with some more information for quick reference.
I figure that Kaylee would just carry around one spare clip for her gun. Can I get a holster for my gun that has room to store the spar clip on it?
I will also be carrying around a knife located in a boot sheath and some kind of current version of a multi-tool.
For apparel items you can basically assume that anything available today is available. So, that means a holster with a clip is fine, as is a boot sheath for a knife.
So Hoss would have a kind of combat harness, with chest holsters for his knife, a holster for his handgun at his hip, his throwing knives strapped to his arm. Along his belt would be 3 extra clips for each gun in separate pouches.
He also has a midline wristcomp, a small communicator (something that would fit in the ear if that's acceptable), a flex dataslate (around the size of a sheet of paper), a weapons cleaning and repair kit, and a handheld game system with his copy of Pat the Baker. Presumably this would all fit into a backpack in multiple compartments in order to keep it separated and organized.
Also, may I use the stats of the Long Rifle, but have it count as a Shotgun (so have a short range). The Longarms skill mentions Shotguns, but there is none in the gear that I could find. SO I was hoping to have a shotgun on hand as well as a pistol and rifle.
For those that may have missed it earlier: Those of you that have a lot of combat skills, if you combine them into one, you can use the others as a "complimentary skill" at one point less. So, if you wanted to be especially good with assault rifles (for example) and took it at a 3, you'd be able to use other ranged weapons (probably excluding heavy weapons or special weapons that aren't quite point/shoot style weapons) at a 2. This is also true of close combat weapons.
It's also true of other skills, but combat skills are where it seems to be of most use.
On a separate note: small communicators are a good call. I'd suggest they be standard gear for everyone?
I thought it would be a good idea, much like the wristcomp, for everyone to have a communicator so we can make sure to stay in contact. I was working under the assumption the wrist comp doesn't really make calls.
What are the features of warden armor?
I kind of assumed that wristcomps can make calls anywhere there is internet available. Though the communicators would still be good for when that's not available. And when actually making a phone call would be...problematic.
Oh! I also forgot to roll a Blessing and a Curse:
Blessing:
Curse:
For Lifesaver, I'm thinking that it's part of the reason he ended up getting arrested. That is, during a con, he learned of a plot that would have killed a lot of people. Stayed when he should have run, and ended up getting caught. Any ideas as to where this could have happened? Maybe a sabotage on a large ship. or space station? His involvement would probably have been noticing some physical anomaly and realizing the danger it posed, then instead of cutting and running, he stayed and fixed the problem.
As for the Angering a Cult, it might as well be the same instance. As far as he's concerned it was a group of odd terrorists sabotaging a settlement. He probably doesn't even know that a Cult was involved or that there are more of them out there.
What are the features of warden armor?
My understanding is that Warden Armor is the same as just a Flak Suit...so if you want any protection from the void of space you're going to need a vac suit as well
So Hoss most likely saved someone at some point, either through inadvertent actions or direct, but he honestly won't remember that part of it. He isn't much of one for heroics if it doesn't involve the unnatural, and when it does he isn't much concerned with who he's saving so much as what he's killing.
As for Dark Legacy, as far as Hoss knows his parents and family are just normal 9-5 shmucks stuck on Earth, which is why he did everything to escape their monotony.
I'm not sure if I needed to roll Blessing or Curse since I didn't use the Lifepath rules when I created my character, but there it is just in case.
Hoss is correct about Warden Armor. It's a uniform that basically functions as a flak suit.
Hoss, I also think you are a point overspent - Seduction 3 -> 4 costs 2 points instead of 1.
Wristcomps definitely can place calls wherever there is internet service (though being the genre that this game is, that may well be infrequent on actual missions). You can also just assume that there is some form of walkie-talkie like communicator in the same device. That will cover short range comms outside of internet range, but long range communications require fixed non-portable communication systems.
Just a note about pacing - I'm moving quickly since it seems to mesh with the posting rate of many of the players. With that said, I'm not trying to ignore people that are not posting every five minutes. If you feel we need to slow down, feel free to say so. In addition, don't feel that if you didn't get the chance to post in a particular scene, that you are shut out of it. If things have moved past, but you didn't get the chance to post, feel free to say "oh, back there I actually wanted to search the desk drawers" or whatever and I'll take care of it.
I'm happy with the pacing (as I obviously don't mind posting frequently) but I don't want anyone to feel overwhelmed.
I do love watching procedural television shows, so don't be surprised if I have Kaylee do stuff from them, like a giant map with red marker.
I do love watching procedural television shows, so don't be surprised if I have Kaylee do stuff from them, like a giant map with red marker.
I think all of that fits well thematically. This is a game that has quite a lot of investigation and characters that work hard at that and have their own quirks definitely help emphasize the themes. Getting in the habit of preparation and detail-oriented approaches will also greatly increase survival rates when bad things happen.
I realized I should post this here since it is relevant to future things as well:
I don't mind you guys splitting up when you feel like it. There are obvious risks to doing so, but the beauty of play-by-post is that I can quite easily run scenes for multiple people at once.
On a related note, investigations take time. Remember to prioritize what you do. You won't always have time to chase down every lead or exhaust every avenue of investigation. Sometimes you'll be aware of your clock, sometimes you won't be. Just keep that in mind when you are deciding how to spend your time.
And to clarify on Plot Points - you generate an amount equal to the highest of the Stat+Skill among the group that is on site. They don't stack and they aren't "save-able" so someone with sufficient Stat+Skill needs to go to the location and hunt around if you want the information present.
Most of the time there is no specific limit to "retries" but it obviously takes substantial amounts of time to take more than one trip to each location.
How often do you want to be reminded of my occult sense advantage? Or do you have it marked in notes nearby?
There are multiple PCs with Occult Sense and I'm aware of it. Don't worry about reminding me.
Just a heads up, but unless I hear from people today, I'll move on to the next day in character. I don't want to rush people if they have more to do, but I want to keep things moving.