I do have the Basic Set so no worries there.
Here's a neat, heavily armed, dune buggy if you need inspiration. :)
Ooooh, I likey. That is something like what I was planning on making.
By the way, What kind of tone do you guys want.
Part of me is sorely tempted to go with something like Guardians of the Galaxy.
"Prepare ta be boarded by the Dread Cap'n, MASERFACE!!!"
"Cap'n, I don't think they're properly afraid o' yer Dreadliness."
:)
I'm happy for Gritty or Silly. If you do end up with something like GotG though, be aware that I'm going to make a damn silly character to fit in.
That's why I'm asking because I'm not sure what tone to go with.
Okay, thinking on it some, I believe that I have a better idea of the campaign nailed down.
Campaign Concept: Firefly meets Guardians of the Galaxy, the crew of a tramp freighter gets up to all sorts of trouble while trying to make a semi-honest living.
Tone: Humorous/Silly. There are some serious moments, but most of the time things are dialed to 11.
Scope: Local. Most problems that the crew deals with affect them or their cargo. Occasionally something that might affect a planet or a system might come up.
Scale: Galaxy-wide, potentially. At the very least it'll be a large portion of the galaxy.
Style: Cinematic. Advantages like Luck, Gunslinger, and Trained by a Master are all open. I won't be using the bleeding rules and Gun-Fu techniques are allowed. Things will run on rule of cool. I'm not going to worry too much about the LC of items or the legal consequences of the smuggler's actions unless it serves the plot of the adventure. Things will be episodic, though the outcome of an adventure affects the start of the next one.
I'm sticking with the current TL and personal Directed Energy Weapon ban, but that's because I like kinetic weapons more.
I don't want to ditch all of the ideas that I've written about so far, so I'll be using the basic ideas I've got and flesh things out from there if this sounds like the sort of game you want to play.
Sounds good to me, I've been really busy the past week but now I can get working on a character. Do be careful with Gunslinger though, it tends to make missing impossible.
Reread it because I didn't remember exactly what it did. I think I'll be backtracking on that one and just allow the accuracy without aiming as a technique that applies to the Guns skill. It's Very Hard and caps at the associated skill level. I think that may limit the miss only on a 18 to only a few things.
Yeah I've allowed Gunslinger in a few games I've run and it makes it pretty cheap to gun effective gun skills above 25 at high TLs.
Ronnie? Haladir? Stormraven? You guys still with us?
Sam, just out of curiosity, what kind of character are you making? Human? Alien? Still going with the soldier idea, or something else?
I'm still here; just recovering after a con. I only got my first exposure to GURPS over the weekend, so I'm going to bounce some ideas off Sam and see what sticks.
I'm working on a Human. Looking at a concept of an espionage type character. Taking infiltration and counter-intelligence jobs from the military, corporations, whoever. Talents would include computers, planning, a large network of contacts, and high versatility. Rogue-ish from a DnD perspective.
Should be pretty kitted out with cyber-ware and bio-tech, but will have a focus on easily disguised mods. Should be decent in combat but is definitely not an Assassin and would dislike being called one, might even take the Reluctant Killer disadvantage.
Advantage wise I'll probably have High IQ and DX, Combat Reflexes of course, the Rubber Skin emulating Cyberware, some of the enhanced reflexes upgrades, a good amount of social advantages, especially contacts. Probably an Alternate Identity as my 'working' persona. Don't know about disadvantages beyond Reluctant Killer, still thinking about that.
That a good run-down? Need any other info just let me know.
Yeah, also working on setting background. I'll try to have stuff up some time this week, but we'll see.
Also, does anyone have things against aliens in the setting?
V1 of the Map
It's based off this map.
I went ahead and put in the homeworlds for all of the aliens I've got ideas for along with Mercator. Three guesses on what Yddluc is supposed to be an anagram for. (Hint, there's an "L" missing that I didn't catch until after I did that.)
I still need names for the Federation and the Alliance. I like the name I came up with for the Empire.
The Alliance is a loose confederation of systems that has strong protections of basic sophont rights, civil liberties, and trade. They also are notorious for the lethargy of their bureaucracy and the squabbling that occurs in the political establishment.
The Federation is more like the US is politically speaking. There is a strong central government with smaller regional and local governments handling things on a lower level. While nominally, everyone in the Federation is equal, the Federation doesn't count everyone as being, well, everyone. Those who have cybernetics are treated as second-class citizens and robots, full cyborgs, and bio-modified sophonts are legally property that can be claimed. This causes a lot of tension with the Alliance, who considers any thinking being a person, and the Empire, which is ruled by a race that consists of only bio-modded people. On the other hand, the Federation has free, universal medical care; a guaranteed standard of living that's pretty good; and great basic education.
The Orm, who's home system lies within Federation claimed space, have refused all attempts by the Federation to extend an invitation. As they put it, "If we wanted heads full of oatmeal about who's a who and who's an it, we'd've joined the Goldies!"
The Empire of the Ascended and Eternal is ruled by the Ascended, a race that has modified themselves to the point that all of them are genegineered and grown in artificial wombs. The Ascended believe themselves to be perfect in all ways and that it's only a matter of time before they take their rightful place in the universe, and Mercator is only a setback, make no doubt about that! The Empire is in the business of "aggressive expansion." Which is a way of weasel-wording they take over other planets. Other than taxes, surrender of sovereignty to them, and an acknowledgement that the Ascended are just better than you, they leave worlds to their devices.
The Maki-liki home system of Maiki was added to the to the Empire relatively recently and is still in the process of integration. The Maki-liki resent the intrusion, but have so far not done much spectacular to oppose it, but there are rumors about a secret jump point and a naval base squirreled away somewhere.
Mercator is the joker of the deck. It once belonged to the empire before the mind boggling number of jump and far jump points had been discovered. The successor faction that had been busy trying to get the Empire out managed to engineer a diplomatic incident between the Empire and the Federation. While the two were too busy gearing up for the potential conflict, the Alliance, in a rare show of speed and decisiveness, aided Mercator's succession and acknowledged them as a legitimate government. Now, Mercator is a center of trade and culture that has a reputation for being even more serious about free trade. It also acts as a neutral site for meetings between different powers. It's also an open secret that most smugglers like to make Mercator their home port since there isn't much that's contraband in Mercator.
I'll have some aliens up tomorrow.
Second, as promised, here are the aliens, or at least the basics.
Syrens
The Syrens are from a cold world with long and deep winters. They have evolved to tolerate the cold at the expense of not being able to handle heat well. They are natural storytellers and curious about anything and everything, though it's easy enough to distract most Syrens. They also tend to view themselves as less important, skilled, or deserving than others.
Syrens are slightly shorter than humans with long, pointed ears and eyes with dark grey scalera. They are naturally quick, physically and mentally, with keen eyes and ears, though they tend to be a little frailer than most.
Morsk
The Morsk are clannish and fearsome warriors. Mora, their home world, is rife with all sorts of dangers and the Morsk are chief among them. They are heavily armored and possess sharp teeth and claws. Their resemblance to the extinct Terran raptors amuses them and some have taken to adopting the scientific names for the various carnivorous dinosaurs as their own when dealing with Terrans. They are proud of their physical prowess and tend to be acutely aware of the "softlings" around them when among those of other races.
Orm
The Orm are a people who have embraced the sciences with all of their passion. Many can be found in various technical fields and are often seen in the bowels of some broken machine or another trying to fix it. Despite their talents, they avoid the stereotype of the aloof technician. They are chummy and enjoy the company of others, often buying people they meet a drink in exchange for swapping some tales, or having someone to talk to. That said, they do not suffer fools gladly and despite the immense pressure the Federation has placed on their home system to join, the Orm have flatly refused.
The Orm resemble four foot long (not counting the tail which adds another two feet) otters with eight, short legs and paws that resemble racoon hands with webbing. They are quite comfortable walking upright, but can be astonishingly quick when moving on all eight legs. Their fur ranges from white to black to brown to red depending on where they are from. They have two eyes that are very good with small details and they have been known to play pranks on others when bored.
Maki-liki
The Maki-liki come from the idyllic world of Maiki. They are polite, almost to a fault, and physically attractive to most humanoids. A strong sense of empathy and natural charm makes many Maki-liki skilled negotiators and mediators. Some make use of their race's reputation as exotic and graceful dancers and singers, leading to the stereotype of the Green Skinned Titillator, or gist. This is something many other Maki-liki find annoying, though those that have made names for themselves that way tend to think of them as jealous prudes.
The Maki-liki look like idealized humans with green skin and dark hair. They also have antennae that come from their foreheads.
Crish
The Crish are a friendly race, though that can be hard to remember when first meeting them. They are not the brightest of minds, but their steadfast loyalty and willingness to help make them highly sought after for ship crews. Their extraordinary sense of taste and smell, along with a passion for eating, make them some of the most skilled chefs in the galaxy. On a somewhat ironic note, they can eat just about anything and not get sick, making them rather unpopular at restaurants that offer eating challenges.
The Crish are tall and stocky. They have two large tusks jutting from their powerful lower jaw and massive, muscled arms, legs, hands, and feet. Most prefer to live in larger habitats and ships since they can lay things out to minimize the likelihood of of causing a mess out of clumsiness. They have tough, thick hides, making them the only race that most Morsk don't call softies.
Hmmn
Tall grays (the aliens.) Stoic, humorless, and comical in their seriousness.
Hnnm
Short grays. Chatterboxes, tricksters, and highly annoying to other races by intention.
The Ascended
Imagine the Sovereign from Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and you have the general idea.
Yddlluc
Equal parts cute furry animal, mad scientist, and wannabe evil overlord.
Sorry the last four aren't as detailed, but I haven't given them as much thought.
By the way, you guys can see the setting document and comment on it, right?
Aliens looks good to me. Can I have Contacts/Contact Groups among these aliens or would you rather I didn't?
Also, document is working fine for me, I can both see and comment.
Sure, but most places in the explored galaxy have a good mix of all the different races. It's not like there's Maki-liki space or Syren space. Naturally, they are most prevalent in their home systems, but you can find at least small group of any race anywhere. You can also play as most of the races at least. I'm still on the fence about allowing Ascended and Yddlluc PCs.
Just so I know, what suggestion did you make? I didn't see anything other than calling the Centaurus Arm the Centaurus Arma.
Just wanted to make it known that I'm really focusing on the Racial Templates at the moment. I've created a work in progress doc just for them so I can get feedback. If you're interested in them, here's the link.
I didn't actually finalize a suggestion, just confirmed that I could.
Ah, sorry for getting so confused then.
Hey folks,
Sorry for unexplained absence. I got dragged into an unplanned business trip that went far longer than advertised. I'll catch up and post as soon as I can - most likely tomorrow. If you've had to replace my character in the mean time, I understand.
No worries. I've been working on stuff and in the process of working on stuff have pretty much realized I've been going about this wrong.
This is supposed to be "Session 0" where we hash out what we, all of us, want to play. and there hasn't been much hashing because I've been "Let's do this and this and this and it'll be awesome!"
I keep planning too big and spinning in circles because I've got no focus, so if you guys don't mind, can we start again from square one and build something that we can really noodle around in? I think if I know, really know, what you want to play, then I can focus on that and get us going.
So, here's some ideas that have been banging around in my head. Think of these as the elevator pitch.
1 - "Space marines with space princesses and space kingdom under siege"
2 - "Firefly, Cowboy Bebop, and Guardians of the Galaxy mixed up in a blender"
3 - "Smugglers/Free traders/Tramps trying to make a living while dodging the Cartels/Oppressive Government™ and trying not to get fried by progenitor tech/eldritch powers." (Which is the one I was kinda trying to go with.)
3 - "Alliance cell members fighting against the Empire" (Psi-Wars)
4 - "Spacers/Espatiers doing their part in a war against some big bad power that wants what you've got."
5 - "Mass Effect with Psionics" (Never played the games, so this would definitely be a loosely based on kind of deal)
6 - Something else entirely.
So, what do you guys want to play? Personally, I'm cool with any of them, but I would like to do 1 or 3 a little more than the others. Feel free to suggest stuff as well. If everyone is more into what is suggested then I'm perfectly fine with running that as well. I also have the Infinite Worlds book, so if you want some parachronic, kitchen sink action, I can run with that as well.
Well 1 or 3 gets my vote, probably a slight lean toward 3. Nothing that can't be improved by possible Eldritch Frying.
I like 3 followed by 1.
I guess I should ask which 3. I kinda goofed and have two of them. :P
3a :P
Alright then. :)
That's 2 for 3A. Ronnie? Haladir? Any thoughts?
Actually that goes for everyone. Any thoughts on what you want? Should there be psionics? If there are, should there be only stuff like ESP, telepathy, and/or telekinesis or are we cool with more, ah, flamboyant powers like pyrokinesis? Should it affect machines? Should it be limited to those with no modifications, biological or cybernetic?
On another front, what kind of tech do we want? Are we cool with super-science stuff, like contragravity? Do we blasters and lasers, or railguns or caseless ammo, or just improved versions of modern firearms?
What kind of power level do we want? Are you average joes, fairly exceptional, or John McClane?
Think of this as Session 0 where we're trying to figure out what we want to play. Right now we have two strong votes for "Smugglers/Free traders/Tramps trying to make a living while dodging the Cartels/Oppressive Government™ and trying not to get fried by progenitor tech/eldritch powers." and two weaker votes for "Space marines with space princesses and space kingdom under siege."
Don't let that dictate what you want, though. Part of this is figuring out common ground.
Good questions. I'm flexible but if you want to know my druthers...
1. Minimal or no Psi stuff. It just makes it simpler.
2. I'm good with souped up versions of standard equipment, maybe at the advent of laser weaponry?
3. I like the character level be somewhere on the scale from Exceptional to 'Roid-ed Riddick.
Okay. Can you explain what you mean by standard equipment? Do you mean things like modern gear?
Sorry. I meant improved versions of modern weapon and gear and if you want to throw in some 'next level advancements' like powered body armor, jet-packs, etc. I'm good with that.
So something TL-9ish with perhaps some TL-10 stuff for things like ship drives and powerplants?
Yeah, I guess I meant 3a, or 3b. I don't mind whether there is eldritch horrors to run from. I'm happy to go without Psi, I think Rai is right in that it makes things simpler. I'd like tech to be pretty advanced, I like the idea of Cyber-ware and Bio-ware, though I'm fine skipping lasers and stuff. So maybe more Cyberpunk style tech? I also vote for at least somewhat exceptional characters, not anything insane (point-buy 1000 or something crazy like that) but being a bad-ass would be pretty cool.
Sounds good to me.
So something around the 250-ish mark? That's the limit used in Action. I'm fine with upping it to 300.
250 to 300 sounds great to me.
Yeah either or sounds fine. 250 is probably plenty.
250 points for characters. Do we want to go with standard disadvantage limit or the Action limit. Standard is up to half of the starting point total, which is -125 points. Action is -10 for every 50 points, so -50 points of disadvantages.
Also, what kind of tech do we want? Do we want most things to be TL9 (Near future) and then bump certain things, like having bio, cybernetic, and medical technology be at TL11 (things that are like a hundred years off at least barring major breakthroughs) and have starship stuff be at TL10 (Fusion power and railguns are a thing)?
Hey, woah, sorry for the radio silence. Been getting ready for an Exalted game, and doing a lot of writing for it >.>
I'm good with 3A. I'd kind of prefer 2, but it looks like I'm outnumbered, so I'll take it. I also don't have a whole lot of input regarding tech levels, as sci-fi is a very underexplored genre for me.
We can throw in 2 if you want and the others agree.
It also gives me an excuse to see if I can get Cowboy Bebop in full and rewatch it.
If you mate the two campaign types, I'm fine with that. I'm also good with 250 pts and -125 in disadvantages.
Just realized that both 3s could be Psi-Wars campaigns, but, I don't think the Tech's the right fit for what Sam's looking for which makes it kind of a moot point.
Anyway back to planning.
Our basic premise is that you are smugglers/bounty hunters (could be both) trying to make a living without getting tangled up in Imperial Inspectors, Federation Customs Agents or Cartel enforcers. Sometimes people post bounties on Progenitor Tech, though those that take on such jobs are rarely heard from again and those that are speak of horrors beyond comprehension.
As far as setting goes, at one point, there was a grand civilization, and it fell apart leaving behind relics and ruins throughout the galaxy. Now, there are two major powers, the Imperium and the Federation.
The Imperium is open to all, but requires that all citizens try to follow the same mindset. Graft and corruption are rampant in the bureaucracy with many officials abusing the powers of their office for their gain or the gain of their allies.
The Federation, on the other hand, is very much anti-modification. Those who have had gene-tweaks or cybernetic mods are considered to be "lesser beings" and artificial intelligences, no matter how capable, are property, not people. Federation officials tend to be sticklers for rules and regulations, especially when dealing with ships that aren't homeported in the Federation.
There is also the Rim and the Void which are controlled by the Cartels, pirates, and warlords. Some Cartels are very business-like and professional, while others are little better than warlords themselves, and many fall between the two.
Most tech is what we'd expect to see in the next 10 to 50 years. There are some things that are more advanced, if you can afford the prices, but there are also some technologies which are quite advanced, like computers, cybernetics, and biotechnology. Starships are also fairly advanced, but not as much as the categories previous.
In game terms, the setting is late TL9^. Some TL10 gear is available at double cost. Computers, Cybernetics, and Biotechnology (which includes medical technology) is TL11. Spaceship technology is TL10, with some superscience stuff like artificial gravity, contragravity lifters, and FTL travel. (I'm partial to jump points or jump gates, but if you want something else, we can go with it.)
Looks good to me, I like the different 'civilizations', my cybered-up spy will probably be from the Rim.
Also been thinking about what you'll be doing. I figured that I'd list out what I have here.
- getting cargo or passengers
- getting bounties
- getting info on the above.
- getting past customs and guards.
- getting codes to make it easier to get through check points and the like.
- combat and chases.
- guarding stuff and people.
I figured this would be plenty for getting you into trouble. We could probably use the action templates from Action 1 with little trouble, but those don't work as well if you want cybernetics.
Alright, I think I want to go ahead and dive into getting characters together. For now, I'm going to say no aliens, and that you're operating in the Void, the wild spaces between the major powers, at least for now.
I want to help build your characters, and since I have all of the books we'll be using, you don't have to worry about getting them. Sam has obviously played before, so I hope he'll bear with me through this because I'm going to be going with things pretty much as is and tweaking as needed so we can get going and actually play.
So, for building characters, anything out of the Ultra-tech and Bio-tech books is allowed except for nanites. Computers, cybernetics, and software are TL11 as is medical stuff and biomods. Everything else is limited to TL9 gear, except for spaceship systems (through habitats, control rooms, and comms/sensors are still equipped for the appropriate TLs) which are TL 10.
You can get TL10 gear with GM permission at double the price in the book.
Any exotic advantages will need to come from biomods or cybernetics.
No supernatural advantages.
No skills like esoteric medicine. Basically, if a skill seems to be for some psuedoscience thing or for something supernatural, don't get it.
I think I'm going to drop the eldritch powers thing for now. It may crop up later once I have a better handle on GMing GURPS. This means that you're pretty much just smugglers, but hey, you know Han Solo had to have gotten up to some shenanigans, and Serenity was just a smuggler. I doubt you're going to be bored. :)
As far as background goes, things are pretty loose, so feel free to work in something of your own into the setting. I'm totally cool with that.
Looks good to me, I'll get a start on my character. Unfortunately I'm coming up to the end of the university year, so I'll be pretty busy with that for a while, but I'll put work in on my character in my spare time and keep you posted, shouldn't take too long.
Probably not helping, but would you guys be up for doing this over VoIP and Roll20?
My schedule is too irregular for VOIP. If you want to use Roll20 for Maps, I'm fine with that.
Not even on weekends or every other week?