Hey there! Looking to start up a Cthulhu Tech PBP campaign here on the boards, anyone interested? I've been GMing lots of things for a fair while, mostly IRL but now PBP, too. Here are links to the three PBPs that I am running that are all currently active, been running for just about year each, and all have well more than 2,000 posts each. Please read at least a bit of these to get a feel for how I run things so you can make sure I'm your kind of GM before posting a character concept to this LFP.
My PBPs:
The Legacy of Marianasu
The Seer's Journey
Mists of War
Cthulhu Tech, for those who don't know, is a mashup of Mythos, Mecha, Magic and Monsters. Combat system is ablative, everything runs on d10s, attributes are point buy. I like my PCs to be epic so I'll up the point buy and equipment a bit to reflect that. All classes are welcome. You can find out more about the game and download a free quickstart pdf at the game's website.
Looking for five players (or so). New players are welcome, but must be prepared to submit IC post samples. Veterans please link to post history so I can gauge the quality/quantity of your posting. I need players who can post once a day, minimum, and can interact well with the group. While all character concepts are of course welcome, I should note that I'm not fond of -- well let's be honest; I am predisposed against -- the "I hide darkly in the dark shadows with my dark dark soul and try to out-badass everybody in the dark" batman-wannabe PC.
Oh! Another thing. This campaign will run parallel to an IRL CT campaign I'm starting up in a few weeks. In addition to the three Pathfinder PBPs linked above, I also run 3 IRL Pathfinder games, and all six games happen parallel to each other in the same homebrew world, and all the PCs actions affect all the other PCs. IRL and PBP groups interact with each other, there are thread crossovers, etc. Personally I think that's fun, dunno if it's your thing. It doesn't happen like every week or whatever, of course, but I find it to be a nice way to kinda shake things up once in a while.
Players in all my current games are welcome and encouraged to submit character concepts if they're interested.
I will claw my way through an angry Shoggoth to be part of this game.
I've been wanting to try the system for some time, and I'm a frothing lovecraft nerd. I also write well and I'm a very reliable poster. Feel free to check my aliases and other PbP games/characters if you want to.
A couple character ideas-
1) A person trapped somewhere Beyond Space And Time who escaped when people started experimenting with reality-ripping magic/tech. He's a man out of time but for some reason is extremely in tune with the Engels, to the point where even when they are unmanned they seem to react to him in small ways.
2) A genetic hybrid created to try to better key into and study alien tech. Not very knowledgeable in the ways of the world, but hyper aware. (I'm thinking of something like Abe Sapien for Hellboy)
3) One of the Whatleys. A powerful and well-versed Arcanist who would prefer that monsters not destroy the world. A reasonable and self-aware power-mad lunatic.
4) A human-scale Engel. The first successful experiment of it's kind. The paralyzed combat vet who volunteered has suddenly found his brain and spine successfully transplanted into what is essentially a 7 foot Biomech. (think Avatar, cthulu-style) He's pretty messed up over everything, but hey, it's better than being trapped in your own body with nothing but the nightmares.
Color me interested.
Character idea = a Nazzadi parapsychic who has taken up painting strange extra-dimensional scenes to gain insight into the enemy. Unfortunately the paintings themselves have disturbing properties.
*blink blink* DRA with a scifiish setting... Must check this out.
I'm interested in this game. Dotting while I read up on your other games and get familiar with the cthulhutech system...
I'm extremely interested in the engels just need to find out more about them. What's the setting for this? Would the mechs play a part or more "normal" size stuff?
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I am interested as well. Working on an Engel entry now. It'll take me a bit to get back into the swing but I used to play werewolf and mage so D10 systems are fairly simple.
I'm going for a mix of Engel Pilot/Cascade Gunfighting style so he/she is useful both in and out of the mech.
I thought about a secret orginazation/cult but I didn't know what was allowed. =) So I will ave a story up in a few~
Me and Cyra are interested in making either a engel pilot each or something like that though tager are looking very interesting as well.
Oh hey, nice to see some early interest in this. ^_^
To answer Havoc's question, the campaign setting will be Earth as presented in the Core Rulebook, with the map as-is, and there is room for ALL types of classes; mecha jockeys, engel pilots, tagers, spies, mages, whatever you want.
One of the plot lines will be the PCs discovering that the world is even more complicated then they thought, and that even more dangers exist in the byways between the Paths of Power to which humanity has only recently been introduced, and that new allies and enemies exist in the strangest places. Because of the wide sweep of the story I've built, there's going to be ample opportunity for everyone to strut their stuff. As Havoc and Corerue have seen, I'm a big fan of letting my PCs have a large impact on the in-game world.
@Doomed Hero: Of your four concepts, numbers 2 and 3 appeal to me the most. I like both of those ideas rather a lot. Do you already know how you'll be marrying those concepts to the game's mechanics? Number 3 seems pretty straightforward, but I'm interested in how you'd build idea #2.
@Chainmail: Oh, I like that character concept a lot! I am a total sucker for arts-based PCs. I do have the same question for you as for DH above in terms of marrying the concept to mechanics, and look forward to seeing you flesh it out a bit.
@Havoc: My partner and I have been doing a bunch of playtests and brief scenarios to get familiar and she's built both mech pilots and tagers, and I gotta say there's something really satisfying about watching her do "crowd control" as a Tager (she was a Phantom) by calling forth her symbiont and scaring the bejeezus out of everybody, then taking on like 20 bad guys all by herself. :-D
The main difference, really, is the kind of combat you want to do; tagers are vitality scale and as such will see a lot more close-up face-to-face kind of fighting, and I tend to make their scenarios a bit grittier. Integrity-scale PCs like mech jocks and engels are a bit more abstracted from the actual bloodshed, but tend to see it on a more terrifying scale. Also, if you're in a mech you can like knock buildings down and stuff which is always a good time. ;-)
Just looked at the cherub engel HOLY S%%~ its badass looking.
Only managed to get the core book.
I read up on your other games and I like your style. I also read through the quick start guide... quite a bit to absorb. I like the system and have a few ideas spinning around in my mind- I love the blend of horror and sci-fi.
How is arcanotech taught? Does one simply sign up for classes at the arcology's university or is there more too it?
Are there cyberpunk elements to this setting? Virtual reality, computers with direct neural interfaces, cybernetics, that sort of thing?
How does the system handle old age? With modern medicine in the 2080s, would a character in their 60s or 70s be plausible? I'm thinking of a retired federal agent but I'm still working out the differences between the federal security bureau, special services, and office of internal security.
Will I need a copy of the core book to build a character? $15 doesn't seem too bad, I just want to make sure I'll need it before I buy it.
I plan on using my paintings as a way of introducing my Tager persona==let me know if this is a problem. Kind of like how Hayata triggers Ultraman (I bet this is way before your time) in a TV show that well predates anime.
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Lieutenant Cadwallader for your perusal, he isn't complete but here is the beginning. :) Constructive criticism welcome!
Originally he came from the 702nd Cadian Heavy Weapons Mechanized Division and piloted a MV-14 Scimitar as a 'Groundpounder' (Artillery support) during operations against the Migou. Out of the original three hundred men to serve in that division he is the only surviving member after a catastrophic break down in the NEG field command left the 702nd surrounded and abandoned to face the Migou alone. He somehow survived the conflict, returning in his battered and nearly wrecked Scimitar.
When he reenlisted he was quick to join the ranks of Engel pilots, he was also one of the first to pilot the Seraph class during its inception and was a key factor in a small victory against the Migou several years ago. The Migou, however, are more tenacious then could have been expected and they have slowly but surely continued their slow conquest of Earth unabated by the brave efforts of men like Alastair. Ever since the 702nd was wiped out, Alastair has focused himself purely on advancing as quickly as he can through the military ranks. This is why he is well known to be the first to volunteer for experimental projects and put himself in harms way. Out of most candidates he bounces back more easily then most, seeming to recover within hours of being harmed or tested upon.
His family was killed during conflicts with the Migou and his home town was wiped out. He has no love connections nor any children, his dedication has left him very little time to pursue any type of close companionship but he also doesn't show much inclination for such relationships.
Besides his disinterest in starting a family or romantic intrigues, Alastair is well known for his unusual fighting style involving handguns. He can seamlessly employs two handguns at once as part of a Cascade fighting style he picked up after years in the military. He also trains with an archaic sword, much to the quiet teasing of his fellow soldiers. He is second to none when piloting Valkyrie, his Engel Seraph, and is known for flying in with the sun at his back, hence where he got his moniker. The Dawnbringer.
His current goals include moving up to become a high ranking commander in the NEG military so that he can pursue advancing the R&D division along with the help of a Mechnized force of Engel pilots under his command. It is his hope through serious vision and recovering more 'intaact' alien artifacts, that he will be able to help motivate new research and breakthrough's to give NEG forces the edge they need in turning the tide of Migou that threatens to swallow the earth. Along with this lofty goal he plans on making a strike at the Migou mothership that dominates Earth's orbit and either destroy or take it if possible.
Engel Pilot of the Seraph (Behemoth) class mechanized division. Utilizes Cascade fighting techniques when wielding duel pistols in close combat and fights with an archaic blade as his secondary weapon.
I don't know if you use the Dark Passions book but I thought of having Alastair being a member of Scions of Forever their ranks. Believing himself to be an Einherjar despite the fact the world has changed so much since his simple times. Just thought I would throw it out there because their group was very interesting, strange, but interesting. ;)
I can expand on his story later if he ends up being a member of the SoF.
Downrightamazed is a fantastic DM to play for (and a fantastic player to DM for). I wholeheartedly recommend his games.
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Did someone say CthulhuTech?!? Woot! I've read the rules for the system, and have been wanting to try this for ages now. It's Christmas, and I've got commitments for the next few days, but I'm going to put in a character here soon.
I'm fairly new to these boards, am running a legacy of fire campaign at the moment under this alt. But I'd be more then happy to post up an IC post sample.
I'm entirely new to the system but I think I can have a copy of the book in my hands within the week. I'll be able to crunch numbers better then. Right now I'm just doing internet research on the setting's fluff and brainstorming.
I plan on using my paintings as a way of introducing my Tager persona==let me know if this is a problem. Kind of like how Hayata triggers Ultraman (I bet this is way before your time) in a TV show that well predates anime.
SHWAAAAAAA!!!!!!
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I admit I'm a bit rusty and I haven't played or run since the original Mongoose book (meaning I'm missing Vade Mecum and the like), but what the heck...
I'd like to sign up as either a:
NEG Infantry Battlesuit Trooper (either a MK-10 Centurion [Military] or a MK-5 Crusader[Civilian])
NEG Armored Vehicle Crewman (M-4A1 Vreta/M-15 Ranger [Military], X50 Guardian [Civilian])
Both concepts are flexible enough to be run as either a military grunt or a corporate/law-enforcement type character depending on where the campaign takes us. (Bit difficult to gauge from the intro post whether this is going to be an Arcology crawl, a military campaign, investigative horror or something else entirely [not ruling out all of the above].)
With DM Downrightamazed's approval of concept, I'll go bang up a writeup and an In-Character Post.
Bit curious how die rolling will work on the Paizo forum though...
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DICE POOL
DRAMA POINTS
1st Point
2nd Point
Keeping 8, 9, 10 + STAT
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Something like this?
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Merry Xmas and good luck to everyone.
I will read over the books some more and make sure i'm not being too overly presumptuous but at least I have my appearance and personality done lol. Story is always up for being modified~
None the less, Merry Xmas! Have a great time with friends and family and stay safe this holiday season!
I like the ideas everyone's putting forth! This is very cool. Those of you who don't have the rules fully absorbed yet, don't sweat it; I don't plan on starting for at least a few days, probably the weekend. I want to give more folks a shot at seeing this and submitting concepts, and also give you guys a chance to get familiar with the system. So read up, and feel free to keep bouncing ideas here on this board.
Thanks so much to Corerue and DMB for the kind words and recommendations, I really appreciate it. ^_^
Okay, so a couple things, and I reckon I'll have to mention this multiple times if this thread gets super long, but that's cool:
1. Point buy for Attributes is 38 as opposed to the 35 listed in RAW.
2. In addition to the couple of free skills every character already gets, you also get Hobby at the Student level and one Combat skill of your choice at the Student level for free.
I'm seriously interested in a Cherub engel with two hyperedge blades, while Cyra is liking the Malach engel. So I guess we will start working on character info until we learn the point buy and money you'll be using.
Edit: Nevermind I see you posted it as I wrote mine...
Yup. :-) Gear will be the same as listed in RAW. I'm looking over concepts, etc., and have noted the questions people have posted here as well. I will reply in more detail and answer all questions in several hours, after I grab some sleep.
How is arcanotech taught? Does one simply sign up for classes at the arcology's university or is there more too it?
Well, that's up to you, really; I try to give my players a fair amount of freedom and latitude in their background creation, as long as it fits their mechanics.
First it depends on where you're located. If you are near an Ashcroft facility and demonstrate the appropriate aptitudes while going through school, or if your family's internet search history includes certain terms and topics, you will likely be approached by company personnel and made a "very persuasive offer" to seek training in on-site Aschcroft Corporation facilities. If you are a diamond-in-the-rough ruins-rat who perhaps stumbles across a downed D-Engine or some such, perhaps the knowledge you find will lead you back to the cities.
Inevitably, you will most likely end up in Ashcroft Corporation's hands as they are the main gatekeeper of that tech. I am quite willing, however, to entertain prodigies, self-taught "shadetree" arcanotechs, or rogue techs (perhaps Eldritch Society members?) as perfectly valid background stories/character capsules.
Are there cyberpunk elements to this setting? Virtual reality, computers with direct neural interfaces, cybernetics, that sort of thing?
Sure! Love it! None of those things are explicitly mentioned or emphasized in RAW, if that's what you're asking, so there are no Shadowrun-ish mechanics, but I have no problem incorporating all those elements and emphasizing them as necessary depending on character concepts put forth.
How does the system handle old age? With modern medicine in the 2080s, would a character in their 60s or 70s be plausible? I'm thinking of a retired federal agent but I'm still working out the differences between the federal security bureau, special services, and office of
There are no rules giving benefits or liabilities due to advanced age that I'm aware of, but if the age of the character is just part of the fluff, I have no problem hand-waving that "through the miracle of modern medicine" your 50- or 60-year-old ex-Fed is duking it out with 20- and 30-something thugs.
Will I need a copy of the core book to build a character? $15 doesn't seem too bad, I just want to make sure I'll need it before I buy it.
I'd recommend it. Even if the quick start is sufficient, you'll want the core book anyway. Totally worth the investment, IMO.
I plan on using my paintings as a way of introducing my Tager persona==let me know if this is a problem. Kind of like how Hayata triggers Ultraman (I bet this is way before your time) in a TV show that well predates anime.
LOL! The name rings a bell but I confess I am unfamiliar. I like that idea a fair bit, feel free to flesh it out some; I'd love to see some background and mechanics for this. I'm assuming you're thinking of making a Tager with maxed-out first-level Artist ranks? (First-level characters are limited to level 2 (Novice) in any skill).
I'd like to sign up as either a:
NEG Infantry Battlesuit Trooper (either a MK-10 Centurion [Military] or a MK-5 Crusader[Civilian])
NEG Armored Vehicle Crewman (M-4A1 Vreta/M-15 Ranger [Military], X50 Guardian [Civilian])
These are both quite fine with me.
Both concepts are flexible enough to be run as either a military grunt or a corporate/law-enforcement type character depending on where the campaign takes us. (Bit difficult to gauge from the intro post whether this is going to be an Arcology crawl, a military campaign, investigative horror or something else entirely [not ruling out all of the above].)
Ah, an excellent point. This campaign is going to include all of those things and much more; I'm writing it less as a movie and more as a long-running series. So you will definitely want a well-rounded, deep character lest you go bonkers for lack of things to do in the non-combat times.
My M.O. for campaign creation is to let the players make whatever they want and then bend the stories/settings to include them however. I find that this pushes me harder as a GM and storyteller and has fun results in terms of scope and sweep of the campaign, and tends to lead to some really enjoyably over-the-top adventures. So really, honestly, make whatever you want and I'll find a place for it. Multiple places, really.
Another thing I should emphasize is that I have no problem splitting the party and letting people run around on their own or in pairs for a while within the game. Indeed, such activities are a staple of my games. I tend to really enjoy giving each player a time to totally shine on their own and impact the world pretty heavily. Point being, this bit of operational logic lets me give players more freedom in character creation since if I have one mech guy and then four vitality-scale guys, it lets me throw the mech guy into integrity-scale combat without having to shoehorn in the meatbags. Likewise, if Tagers are doing some kind of door-to-door thing, they can't have a damn Claymore outside stomping around giving away their presence.
So yeah! Come up with whatever you want, just make it awesome! :-)
With DM Downrightamazed's approval of concept, I'll go bang up a writeup and an In-Character Post.
By all means, let's see what you got! ^_^
Aight, I just posted a bunch so I'll put up a mechanics reminder again:
1. Point buy for Attributes is 38 as opposed to the 35 listed in RAW.
2. In addition to the couple of free skills every character already gets, you also get Hobby at the Student level and one Combat skill of your choice at the Student level for free.
Gah trying to make a character sheet that will look right in Paizo is a pain in the arse.
...or the Nazzadi storm Mecha....hmmm....cherub or storm....possibly storm cause I really wanted speed and the cherub is overly slow 30 mph I can drive faster than that...
Though the cherub...screw it sticking with the engel.
I plan on using my paintings as a way of introducing my Tager persona==let me know if this is a problem. Kind of like how Hayata triggers Ultraman (I bet this is way before your time) in a TV show that well predates anime.LOL! The name rings a bell but I confess I am unfamiliar. I like that idea a fair bit, feel free to flesh it out some; I'd love to see some background and mechanics for this. I'm assuming you're thinking of making a Tager with maxed-out first-level Artist ranks? (First-level characters are limited to level 2 (Novice) in any skill).
It says that you can't start with anything over adept are you sure its novice? Unless you want to cap it at novice of course.
Here is some of Alastair, I still need to select gear and get his mech lined out. Since I am still fairly new at this system I thought I would post what I have thus far for cross checking. Appreciate any suggestions and constructive advice is always welcome.
My boy got a cold right after X-Mas so he's taking up most of my day. :) I look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with =)
I am also trying to gauge the starting attribute feats for my various stats and what level they should be at but I can't seem to find the right reference...
Name: Alastair Cadwallader
Race: Human
Story Guide: DRA!
Allegiance: NEG, Engel Project
Profession: Engel Pilot, Seraph Class
Age: 39
Sex: Male
Race: Human
Height: 6’9”
Weight: 250 lbs
Place of Birth: Iceland
Virtue: Courageous
Flaw: Impatient
Distinguishing Features: Platinum Blond Hair, Grey Eyes and sever scarring from years of combat.
Attributes:
Human (38 points +1 for human +2 = 6 cheat points)
Agility 10
Intellect 6
Perception 8
Presence 5
Strength 5
Tenacity 7
Actions (Agi+Per/2= 9): 3 Actions
Movement (Agi+Str/2=7.5 = 7): 13 Mph (32 / 8 ypt)
Orgone (Int+Ten/2= 6.5 = 6 +5): 11
Reflex (Agi+Int+Per): 24
Vitality (Str+Ten+5): 17
Drama Points: 10
Human:
• Racial Abilities – +2 skill points for Character
design
• Recommended Skills – By Profession
• Attribute Modifications – +1 to any Attribute.
Engels have a will and consciousness of their own and pilots must be able to control them. Engel Pilot Characters must start with a Tenacity of at least seven. Engel Pilots are regarded as the New Earth Government’s elite, specially trained and surgically attuned to “commune” with the strange bio-mechanical Engels. Engels are among the most powerful of the NEG’s mecha army and Engel Pilots see a lot of conflict. Many would think that being considered the New Earth Government’s elite and piloting the amazing mecha they do that Engel Pilots would become arrogant or over-confident jocks. However, between the respect they have for their Engels and the amount of sheer combat that they see they don’t – they see things very differently. Most others consider them a little weird. The process of synthesis leaves pilots with a slightly different perspective on life. They’re usually considered a little off – that indefinable way in which someone just doesn’t quite fit in. Many Engel Pilots choose to keep their own company, feeling either uncomfortable in the outside world or that others just don’t really understand them.
Operating an Engel is taxing on a pilot. After all, every time a pilot crawls in the “cockpit” he’s exercising some sort of a telepathic bond with an alien cyborg. It isn’t unusual for Engel Pilots to slowly burn out, although the regular mandatory counseling associated with the job usually helps keep them sane. Even so, the dark eyes and distant look of a veteran worry even their fellows. While a trained Engel Pilot can pilot any Engel, he can only exert total control over the one to which he is attuned. Every pilot undergoes surgery to have an Engel Synthesis Interface implanted in his brain and this ESI ensures a deeper bond with the single Engel that’s his.
Special Gear: Engel Synthesis Interface (ESI) implant, a suit of concealed armor (such as Sentry tech Mk-IV or Mk-V), a sidearm(CS-44 Enforcer), and Valkyrie (Seraph, Behemoth Class) Engel to which the Character is attuned (see p. 155 for a list).
Skills:
Armed Fighting: Novice
Athletics: Novice
Fighting: Novice
Dodge: Adept, Engel Focus
Hobby: Student - Archery
Languages (English): Expert
Literacy: Novice
Marksman: Adept, Engel Focus
Marksman: Adept Pistols Focus
Observation: Novice if Human
Pilot: Adept
Regional Knowledge: Novice
Support Weapons: Novice
Survival: Student
Trivia: Student
Step Three: Skills &
Specializations, Qualities
Purchase skills using 20 points; 1 point is available for two Focused level Specializations. Each skill costs the desired level of expertise’s die rating:
• Student (1 Die)
• Novice (2 Dice)
• Adept (3 Dice)
• Expert (4 Dice)
• Master (5 Dice)
Authority – 3 point
Characters with the Authority Asset have been placed in a position of command and responsibility. You should work out the specifics of this position with your Storyguide – it can be military, political, corporate, religious, or any other. Just make sure that your Character is qualified to hold this position of authority before you take the Asset – he should have at least an Adept level of expertise in a couple of skills directly related to the position or he might find his authority won’t last long. It is not recommended that new Characters choose four points worth of this Asset. Titles and ranks will differ depending upon the Character’s occupation or service.
The cost of the Authority Asset depends upon the level:
3 – Low-ranking commissioned or warrant military officer.
Contact (3) NEG Military
The Contact Asset means that your Character has established a relationship with someone (or someones) within an organization who can occasionally provide you with information. The organization may be your own, the Ashcroft Foundation, the Office of Internal Security, or any other. Unlike the Ally Asset, a Contact will not take an active part in helping your Character – he merely provides inside information. Contacts usually only ask for information in return. Your Storyguide will decide exactly how much information a Contact can and will provide.
3 – Access to detailed information, may have access to some sensitive information –one high-ranking and one mid-level and two low-ranking contacts.
Wealth (4)
Characters with the Wealth Asset begin with more money and financial assets than normal. While most Characters are middleclass, your Character has more possessions and disposal income and exists in a higher tax bracket – whether from family, previous occupation, royalties or residuals, or the like.
The amount of points spent on the Wealth Asset determines the Character’s affluence:
4 – The Character is fabulously wealthy and a billionaire. Little is beyond his means. What the hell is he doing working at all?
Code – 3 points
1. A friend of a friend is my friend and an enemy of my friend is my foe.
2. I will protect the downtrodden and needy.
3. I cannot fail in my service – I will succeed or die trying (counts as two principles),
4. I always keep my word.
5. I accept any challenge to single combat.
Duty – 3 points
Being an Engel Pilot takes up a lot of his personal time.
Engel Synthesis Interface – 1 point
Your Character has an implant in his brain that attunes him to an Engel – he is now techno-mystically linked to a monstrous alien cyborg. Characters with an Engel Synthesis Interface start play with one Insanity Point. They must also succeed at a Challenging Insanity Test every month of game time; failure to do so adds another Insanity Point to the Character’s pool. On the other hand, he does now have one specific Engel that now obeys him absolutely.
Rival – 2 points
Your Character has a rival of approximately equal ability who shares a similar goal, be it certain role in his organization, a romantic interest, or the like. The rival will do his best to win, including making the Character’s life as miserable as possible in the interim.
Whenever he can the Rival will try to overshadow your Character through charm, intellect, or physical prowess. Note that while this rival will go to many extremes, he does not wish your Character any real harm as would a Foe; he only wishes to win. You should work with your Storyguide to determine the specifics of this rivalry and to create this recurring Supporting Character.
Foe – 1 point
Someone hates your Character for real or imagined reasons. This enemy wishes nothing more than to ruin your Character, gloat over his misery, and possibly even kill him. Depending upon the power of the Foe, his plans may be elaborate. You should work together with your Storyguide to determine the specifics of your Character’s Foe and why this situation exists.
1 – Foe is less skilled than your Character or has access to very few resources.
It says that you can't start with anything over adept are you sure its novice? Unless you want to cap it at novice of course.I plan on using my paintings as a way of introducing my Tager persona==let me know if this is a problem. Kind of like how Hayata triggers Ultraman (I bet this is way before your time) in a TV show that well predates anime.LOL! The name rings a bell but I confess I am unfamiliar. I like that idea a fair bit, feel free to flesh it out some; I'd love to see some background and mechanics for this. I'm assuming you're thinking of making a Tager with maxed-out first-level Artist ranks? (First-level characters are limited to level 2 (Novice) in any skill).
No, you're right. Sorry about that. I just got the two of 'em flipped.
@Alastair/Corerue: Attribute feats should just be half of the relevant attribute score, rounded down. (Page 61, under "Feats")
Question is there a way to equip Leviathan (my cherub engel) with an anti-personal cannon? I think if I'm reading the rules correctly it would work it would be hand held and half its normal ammo. Yes I'm imagining Leviathan running around with an assault rifle.
So, I decided to buy the book and it was absolutely worth the $15! Here's my first draft... I'm working up a grizzled agent of the OIS or GIA who stopped a horrific ritual at the last moment, but was consumed by the backlash. They couldn't even find enough of him to bury- he was given high honors and death benefits and a widow's pension were paid to his wife. Several years later, he wandered out of The Zone a gibbering mess with large gaps in his memory. After extensive psychotherapy he regained his sanity and some of his memory, but the psychs were hesitant to return him to his normal duty. He was placed on semi-retirement; he has an impressive title and still draws a salary but he has no official duties. Most of his work consists of digging through databases to uncover leads and passing it on to analysts. To occupy his time he holds a reserve commission with the local chapter of the Civil Defense Militia. To some extent it is just make-work, but it keeps him in shape and offers him an outlet to escape the tedium of retired life.
Virtue: Courteous
Vice: Liar
Agility 4 (2)
Intellect 6 (3)
Perception 10 (5)
Presence 8 (4)
Strength 4 (2)
Tenacity 7 (3)
Actions 2
Movement 13/3 ypt
Orgone 11
Reflex 5
Vitality 10
Drama 10
Literacy: Adept
Regional Knowledge: Novice
Hobby (chess) Student
Athletics Student
Bureaucracy Novice
Communications Student
Computers Adept (expert hacker)
Criminal Student
Intimidate Student
Misdirection Adept (expert liar)
Observation Adept
Occult Novice
Persuade Student
Pilot Student (drones)
Savoir-Faire Student
Security Student
Streetwise Novice
Surveillance Novice
Dodge Adept
Fighting (akido) Novice
Marksman Student
1 duty - civil defense militia
2 watched
2 severe phobia - The Zone
2 chronic pain
2 slow
3 commendation
3 authority - militia, GIA
2 wealth
Cheats:
10 skill points, Eldritch Faculties ( insanity test vs 12)
I think I understand the system. My character is in his 60s, and despite modern medicine he is feeling the effects of a lifetime spent in a dangerous career- reflected in the low physical attributes and the slow/chronic pain drawbacks. Despite the memory loss that is a part of my character concept, I didn't want to go with the Amnesia quality... I wanted his personality to be intact, with weeks and months missing but the overall narrative of his life remaining. The compulsive behavior reflects his terror of losing any more memories, he is constantly jotting down the day's happenings along with any bit of memory that surfaces from his illustrious past. The wealth advantage reflects a lifetime of well-managed investments.
Please let me know if anything stands out as needing to be fixed, especially the skills. I'm really not sure how skills will work out in actual play so I can't tell if I'm too focused in certain areas or not focused enough.
Sergeant Winston Chang
"Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Come And Carry Me Home!"
This was not to be the life of Winston Chang.
Instead, separated from his wife and son in their desperate escape, Chang was one of the last refugees extricated from the embattled arcology before the city was overrun by the insane Children of the Rapine Storm. Only able rage impotently by the window as Cthonians which had tunneled up from beneath the Changi Airport tarmac laid waste to the remaining evacuation craft - the very craft which were to carry his wife and child to safety, Winston despaired at his insignificance in the grand scheme of things - the comfortable world of the corner office that Winston Chang had always known was gone.
And there would be hell to pay.
Chang could never muster the grit and ferocity to take it up close and personal. The man was no soldier, and never would be. Years spent climbing the corporate ladder had dulled his senses and no amount of drill or training would ever awaken anything resembling a killer instinct. Though he failed one aptitude test after another and washed out from one infantry academy or Mech pilot course to the next, Chang's obsessive need to avenge his family kept him on his insane course.
In his mid-thirties, Winston was old in comparison to the fresh faced media-darlings who dominated NEG recruitment posters. Raising more than a few eyebrows when he blustered into a recruiting station, many doubted the salary-man playing at being a soldier would ever amount to anything beyond a waste of time.
Perhaps then, it was only fitting that he would find his way into the NEG Armor Corps, long since eclipsed by other branches of the NEG War Machine. Though the Tank had, for more than a hundred years, struggled on valiantly on the front line of almost all of Humanity's wars, the creation of humanoid mecha had long since banished these rugged machines from the public eye. Though an incompetent brawler and unsuited for direct combat, Winston's key eye and until then unrecognized talent for driving made him a natural tanker. Ironically, the maligned service and the untrained salary-man hellbent on making the enemy pay would be a match made in heaven.
Though a hero among the NEG Infantry for his daredevil driving and willingness to enter "hot" LZs to drop off reinforcements or evacuate isolated infantry squads, Winston "Gatecrash" Chang has likely seen more M-15 Rangers declared B.E.R. (Beyond Economic Repair) than the quartermaster would like. Likewise, more than a few M-15 turret gunners have flatly refused to serve alongside him, citing his recklessness in combat.
It doesn't matter.
Winston knows how it will end one day anyway...
One day, someone is going to be faster or better or he isn't going to be able to shake the bead or something is going to tear open his Ranger like a cardboard box...
It doesn't matter.
It hasn't mattered for eight years now.
“Blue Two-Zero…” his helmet feed crackled “Magazine of fifty rounds, load. Prepare to engage.”
He marveled at the simulated static as he complied, clumsily fumbling the clip into his Crusader’s handheld AP Cannon. He hated the feeling, like straining to touch the world through metal mittens.
“Target up. Engage.”
He watched the gangly thing rise from the waves cresting the shoreline, and was at once struck by the inhuman gait that drew the thing ever closer to his position.
The staccato roar of weapon fire in his ears unnerved him momentarily, the neurons in his brain frantically stitching together disassociated stimulus, trying desperately to piece together what was going on. Slowly, it dawned on him that the throaty bellow of weapon fire was coming from him, the AP Cannon greedily chewing through his limited ammunition reserve. Steadying the wildly bucking barrel, he slowly struggled to bring the brilliant muzzle flashes to line up with the thing’s alien form, trying and failing to draw a bead on the advancing monstrosity.
“Blue Two. Watch your firing chain.” The instructor’s voice was calmly grating against his panic.
Wrestling the weapon under control, he cut loose with another burst at the thing, a cry of triumph sending a stream of shells raced towards the thing’s location.
Or at least, where it had been a moment ago…
Suddenly, it was in front of him, the machine’s bounding leap having taken it clear over the poorly aimed gunfire, arcing through the sky like a surreal cartoon frog.
Hissing, it raised its claws, grasping greedily for purchase on the Crusader’s armored hull.
Letting loose a terrified scream, he raised his arms to shield his face as he wet himself and the simulator pod went black around him.
Question is there a way to equip Leviathan (my cherub engel) with an anti-personal cannon? I think if I'm reading the rules correctly it would work it would be hand held and half its normal ammo. Yes I'm imagining Leviathan running around with an assault rifle.
I don't know off the top of my head, but I'm sure we can figure something out. :-)
So, I decided to buy the book and it was absolutely worth the $15!
Cool! I bought my book at GenCon this year and Matt Grau himself happened to be running the booth at the time. He was super nice and helpful, taking time to explain the combat system and talk about the setting with me. Considering that all the CT guys do this in their free time largely as a labor of love, I'm glad you bought the book and like it. ^_^
Your character looks hella tight, the concept is cool! I'll look it over more thoroughly in the coming days. Could you do a post in-character some time in the next couple days? Just drop it here and spoiler it. Doesn't have to be super-long, I'm just looking to get a feel for his personality, see how the fluff matches the crunch.
@Dies Irae: Bravo! Love it! Great post. If that's the character you're proposing, I totally dig it. If you get some time, could you stat him out?
Doesn't look like I'm getting any more new nibbles here, but that's fine, we've already got a lot of great submissions. I'm gonna at least wait to see some more from caffeine_addict, doomed hero, and chainmail, hopefully by the weekend those cats will feel comfortable enough to post some samples and/or character concepts. :-)
I've got three really solid ones right now from ioimprovisto, dies irae, and corerue to mull over, with Havoc's concept pretty far along as well, so there's definitely room for more.
Havoc here hate the avatar images so I'm stuck with this one. Changing from a cherub engel to a Chashmal why yes I do think I will go rampaging across town in a Mecha people consider a dragon.
Doesn't look like I'm getting any more new nibbles here, but that's fine, we've already got a lot of great submissions. I'm gonna at least wait to see some more from caffeine_addict, doomed hero, and chainmail, hopefully by the weekend those cats will feel comfortable enough to post some samples and/or character concepts. :-)
I've got three really solid ones right now from ioimprovisto, dies irae, and corerue to mull over, with Havoc's concept pretty far along as well, so there's definitely room for more.
Cyra's also got an engel pilot in the works shred just doesn't want to tell me anything about it till its fluff is complete. Though I know its going to be a malach pilot.
I love the story Dies Irae and loimprevisto. I'm going to expand mine some to reflect my characters stats some more, but yours were awesome! Oh and btw I'd be your gunner, anytime Dies Irae. =D
Two Behemoths are gonna be awesome!
So far i'm starting to get the system down more, its been rough finding the time to read through it thoroughly with my son having a cold but I am starting to like the open-ended character creation process.
I have Alastair all picked out and I will find an appropriate avatar later today, hopefully I really wish we could upload our own. :/
Did you give anymore thought to allowing Alastair to be a part of the Scions? Just wanted your feedback before I got ahead of myself. ^.^;
I was going to set his assets and drawbacks to reflect some of his 'allegiances' and that way I can make a more interesting story as my original one is a little generic.
You've got two engel pilots who'd be gunners for you. I mean we are already a bit off.
So I'm trying to figure one thing out. Ranges are written in what distance. Like the laser cannons is that 30 yards/feet/miles what? I'm thinking either yards or feet.
All ranges should be in yards unless specified otherwise. =) At least thats what I could see when I searched for range in the book.
A example is the grav bomb description, if the weapon is shot within 15 yards... and the weapon ranges are 25/75/200
but then there is other Range indicators that say 2 Miles or 100 feet so i'm assuming everything is Yards. =)
...I can't help but feel like i'm remaking Big-O or something...
Crap....
It will be cool if most of us are Engel pilots or close to that same Genre, I tried to make Alastair a little bit flexible and able to survive outside of Seraph as well, since we have some characters who may/may not be in a big Mecha.
Definitely looking forward to the other characters.
Also i'm modifying Alastair's story as I read him over again and try and make it more legit/balanced. Cthulhutech surprisingly reminds me a lot of BESM but a little more complicated/serious. ;)