WR PATRIOT, Inc.

Game Master ZenFox42

I have decided to combat the summer lull with awesome.

PATRIOT, Inc.
Vampires, Zombies, Werewolves and Apple Pie – A Savage Worlds Adventure

The Company Line
Welcome to the Paranormal Terrorism Response Initiative and Occult Think-tank – or PATRIOT, Inc. We are committed to America’s struggle against all paranormal threats, foreign and domestic, since our founding in 1955. We are an equal opportunity employer. Join the fight. And God Bless America.

History
Nathan Templar was a member of a black ops group within the United States government that dealt with paranormal threats around the United States. Noting a growing need, he entered the private sector to begin a highly successful company specializing in Paranormal Research, Threat Assessment and Extermination.

Tone
Think The Colbert Report meets Supernatural. Let’s have some fun.

Characters
You will be a squad of private contractor Consultants working as Threat Assessment Officers – read “Temps” – for PATRIOT, Inc., in the far flung future of 2014. Characters will begin play as Novice Humans.

The Doubting Tom hindrance is forbidden for this game, as it simply would not apply. And the Arcane Background (Psionics) and (Weird Science) edges are not appropriate to the theme of this game.

Additional edges will be subject to GM approval.

Equipment
Characters will begin play with the standard $500 and a company smart phone. Players will also have one vehicle of their choice within reason. You’re working stiffs, after all, so you don’t have a fleet of Panzers. You better believe your vehicle will be subject to GM approval. :-)

Skills
We will use the Knowledge Occult (smarts) skill for checks on the supernatural. Arcane Backgrounds will have their own dedicated skill, e.g. Magic (smarts).

Any questions?

What rule system will this be? Sounds kinda cool.

I'll put on the thinking cap, and come up with some feasible concept :-)

What rule system will this be? Sounds kinda cool.

Savage Worlds is the system I'll be using.

The game itself is meant to be episodic, so it won't be like committing to an AP. I just want to kill me some bad guys with guns and swords and stuff.

I should point out that I'm not going to be concerned over system mastery. So anyone who wants to play but doesn't know Savage Worlds still can. Just come up with a concept for a character, and I'll help you build it. The system is flexible enough to handle just about any idea you have.

Sounds cool, wicked_raygun. I'll try and get a character up in the next day or two.

Excellent. Glad to have you aboard.

I'm going to go out on a limb & guess that a 'street-level' Super would be right out? I got a chance to play in a 'Necessary Evil' campaign & thought the rules set was quite fun.

Alas, no. But magic is totally doable.

I think if I wanted to run supers, I would use Mutants and Masterminds. I did an Outsiders game once that my friends still talk about.

Actually, I was thinking something more along the lines of Hellboy/BPRD, myself; rather than an actual 'Super'.

No worries. I will have an idea option up either later tonight or tomorrow.

Is faith appropriate? Contemplating a priest, rehashing a character from a RL game (under a completely different system).

Arcane Edge (miracles) is okay.

Just because, thrown together a first draft character:

I've hit a snag. I want to beat the crap out of things with a baseball bat, but I don't see rules for it in the rulebook (I have the Savage Worlds Deluxe PDF). Any help?

Just use the stats for a club.

I don't see any. There's the billy club/baton, which seems too small, and the medieval maul, which seems too big. I'm thinking a Str+d6 weapon would be just right, but I don't see specific stats for it. Want to just improvise it?

I agree. STR +1d6 feels about right for a baseball bat. Let's say it'll cost $50.

And, Spinningdice, the character looks great. It's worth noting that your characters will be paid for their work. So you might want to think about how that plays into your character.

Hey, Ray, this is "Bukaru"!

So I've never played Savage Worlds before, just now looked it over.

I'm always intrigued by "magic" systems (written 2 myself), will try to come up with some kind of Arcane/Magic PC in the next couple of days.

I'll probably have a lot of "new-to-the-system" questions, please bear with me (and don't, as one of my students once emailed me, bare with me!).

What exactly is required for an Arcane/Magic PC? From what I can tell so far : the Arcane Background Edge and Spellcasting Skill. Anything else?

And, what would be very useful (but not essential)? So far, I think : Knowledge/Magic. Anything else?

Since we're on a fixed salaray from the Company, would the Rich Edge be allowed?

Since all Arcane Backgrounds have access to all Powers, I really don't see much of any difference between Arcane/Magic and Arcane/Psionic (except Backlash vs. Brainburn) - so why is one allowed but not the other? Just wanting your perspective on the Arcane part of the system.

The source I've got ("Savage Worlds Deluxe", 2011) says that Guts are gone, and should be replaced with Spirit - how are you running it?

Is the Driving skill ever needed for "ordinary" driving, or just "emergency" driving?

Not knowing the system at all, what would you say are the most useful and useless Skills in general? Any Hindrances we should probably avoid? Not trying to min-max here, just hoping to avoid any major blunders with a new system.

Thanks!

I'm thinking about a "Dirty" cop character who lost job...maybe a former drug problem, and is now clean and trying to rebuild his life. Some investigation and fighting skills, as well as knowledge of both law, and crime worlds. I'll give birth to him this weekend.

Okay, let's try this one-by-one.

What exactly is required for an Arcane/Magic PC? From what I can tell so far : the Arcane Background Edge and Spellcasting Skill. Anything else?

Your Magic (smarts) skill will cover your spellcasting. And the Knowledge Occult (smarts) will handle your knowledge checks relating to magical rituals, and supernatural threats.

And, what would be very useful (but not essential)? So far, I think : Knowledge/Magic. Anything else?

You can also research stuff using Investigation (smarts). Basically those three skills will help out an arcane spellcaster the most, I would say. Taking a foreign language could also be helpful. Street Smarts (smarts) might not be a bad idea either. But the rest of your skills should be whatever you feel helps to flesh out your character.

Since we're on a fixed salaray from the Company, would the Rich Edge be allowed?

Less of a fixed salary so much as you'll be paid case-by-case. I want an episodic feel so you'll have down-time to purchase items and such. And, yes, the Rich edge is fine. You'll start off with $1,500, if you take it.

Since all Arcane Backgrounds have access to all Powers, I really don't see much of any difference between Arcane/Magic and Arcane/Psionic (except Backlash vs. Brainburn) - so why is one allowed but not the other? Just wanting your perspective on the Arcane part of the system.

Mechanically speaking, the only real appreciable difference between Magic and Psionics is that, with Psionics, on a critical fail you can stun people around you. Otherwise the mechanics are essentially the same.

Savage Worlds is as much a toolkit as it is a playable system. It's meant to be adjustable to the kind of campaign you want to run. So for me, it's essentially a flavor choice. Magic is real. Mircales are real. Psychics charge you $2.95 a minute and tell you about how that "no good man is cheating on ya, girl!"

Now, bare in mind you'll need to describe the trappings of your spells. Is your bolt pure arcane energy? Or is it a bolt of lightning? That kind of thing.

The source I've got ("Savage Worlds Deluxe", 2011) says that Guts are gone, and should be replaced with Spirit - how are you running it?

I have the Deluxe version as well, so I'll be using Spirit for fear checks. That being said, this isn't Call of Cthulu, so it won't come into play too often. I imagine you guys will be pretty jaded. Therefore only something completely unexpected should shake you up at all. So I would rather just use your Spirit rather than have you dump skill points into Guts.

Is the Driving skill ever needed for "ordinary" driving, or just "emergency" driving?

You can drive regularly without investing points into the Driving skill. You'll only need it for doing stunt type stuff. Hairpin turns, chases, etc.

Not knowing the system at all, what would you say are the most useful and useless Skills in general? Any Hindrances we should probably avoid? Not trying to min-max here, just hoping to avoid any major blunders with a new system.

LOL.

Uh, I've been known by my players to pay attention to Skills my players are ignoring and bringing them into play. It helps to jack up the tension. So it's kind of hard to tell you at the top of my head. Boating and Piloting probably won't come into play for this adventure.

Beyond that... ::shrug::

Doubting Thomas is essentially banned here. I would avoid the Young and Yellow hindrances, but I'm not going to stop you either if that's your choice.

I'm thinking about a "Dirty" cop character who lost job...maybe a former drug problem, and is now clean and trying to rebuild his life. Some investigation and fighting skills, as well as knowledge of both law, and crime worlds. I'll give birth to him this weekend.

Detective Vic Mackey sounds like an awesome choice, sir. :-)

Does Guts not exist then? Not that that's an issue - just gives me a couple more points to play with.

I'm not too sure about vow, I was intending that he'd follow the commandments religiously (badum-tish) so he absolutely will not kill, or steal etc, regardless of circumstance.

will follow up with some additional background.

Nope. No Guts. We'll just be using Spirit checks.

There will be human baddies, just FYI. How you deal with them is of course up to you. That being said, I don't really want to bring up morality too much, so I'll try to keep it mostly supernatural threats.

And "thou shalt not kill" shouldn't really apply to a vampire trying to eat you, as far as I'm concerned.

I really want this to be a fun, light-hearted game -- with zombies.

Well, since you insist we have fun with this one...

How about a personality mash-up of, say (in decreasing proportions):

* Pete Lattimer (used to dealing with "a world of wonder," doesn't take life too seriously, gets "vibes" that are usually accurate, recovering alcoholic)

* Shawn Spencer (con man and manipulator, but for the "right" reasons)

* Adrian Monk/Hercule Poirot (smart but struggles with phobias and neuroses, OCD)

* Max Payne (fights the good fight but by his own rules -- the system just gets in the way)

Given the "company smart phone" I take it the PCs will already all know each other?

Pate Lattimer: If I was allowing super powers, then yes you could take the Danger Sense power, which literally is a Spidey-sense.

Shawn Spencer: Well, I'm not allowing Psionics. :-) But, seriously, there's no reason you couldn't fake it either with magic or a really high deductive capability.

Adrian Monk/Hercule Poirot: Oh, this part is not a problem.

Max Payne: Would you like an addiction to Pain Killers to go with that?

Alright, so let's give this character the Alertness edge so your good at spotting stuff. That along with a decent Notice, Investigation and Streetwise should make him pretty good at figuring stuff out.

So, here you go.

----

Name: Occult Detective
Race: Human
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d4, Investigation d6, Knowledge: Occult d6, Notice d6+2, Persuasion d6, Shooting d6, Streetwise d4, Taunt d4
Pace: 6, Parry: 5, Toughness: 5, Charisma: 2, Sanity: 6
Gear: Unarmed Strike d6 (Str)
Special Abilities:
•Habit (Addiction to Painkillers): Annoying and constant habit
•Quirk (Minor OCD): Minor humorous foible
•Vengeful: Seeks to right all wrongs against him
•Alertness: Very perceptive; +2 Notice
•Charismatic: +2 Charisma

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Hello, I'd like my shot at this campaign, I am thinking of playing a huntress character whom uses crossbows. She enjoys hunting creatures that will give her a challenge, because killing should be an exercise that allows you to think twice of what the hell you just got yourself into. It is all about the thrill of the hunt and making sure to survive another day, with your teammates. Can't do anything without a good team to back you up, a team whom kills together also buries dead bodies together. Or at least that what she thinks.

Pfft, Shawn fakes it, no reason I can't follow suit. Note I listed him not as a "psychic" but as a "manipulator." :o) He's just a manipulator with a really high Notice. :op

But ya know, after I posted that list I realized it just wouldn't be right without some "social dyslexic" Burt Gummer overkill dialed in. So I'll swap Max Payne out for Burt plus a splash of Gregory House for the pain killer addiction. :o)

Hmm, that's an interesting twist you gave him, Ray. Managed to get untangled from alcohol but now he's addicted to Vicodin. :o)

Thanks for running the numbers. I'll dump that back into Hero Lab and play with them a little to get a feel for how the mechanics of the system work.

You could easily swap out the Charismatic Edge for Rich. That'll let you buy more "toys". You could also take Command, for that military feel. And, of course, to really get that Burt Gummer goodness, you'll need a higher Shooting skill.

I wonder if there is a Graboid equivalent in Savage Worlds...

::checks books::

Yes. Yes, there is.

:-)

And, of course, to really get that Burt Gummer goodness, you'll need a higher Shooting skill.

Alright, the character went through some big changes from my original thoughts to what I've got now--including that he no longer uses a baseball bat, but his fists, so sorry for taking your time on that. Since others are listing some influences, I suppose I'll jump on board with that :)

If you've ever read The Strain books by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, he's a little similar to Vasiliy Fet, in that he's a blue-collar man of foreign descent, fiercely loyal to his allies, and finds that fighting the supernatural suits him much better than mundane life ever did. He also draws some similarities with Viktor Vasko from the Lackadaisy comic: also a foreigner who's skilled in combat and has an eyepatch. There's some influence from Sean Thornton, the main character in the film the Quiet Man, in that he's a former boxer who accidentally killed an opponent, leading him to try to avoid fighting even though he's very good at it. I'm sure there are other influences as well, but that's what I've got so far.

Stats are below in the spoiler.

Here are the basics for Arlo. Still need to do equipment, and a brief history.

I was assuming that undead and things from beyond didn't fall under though shalt not kill. That said, if it looks human he will err on the side of caution until whatever it is reveals itself as otherwise.
It is, however, somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps.

I'm finishing up a strong "magic-user" (just so other players know), but for those who are new to SW, I wanted to share a few pointers I think I've noticed so far - Ray, please correct me if my impressions are mistaken.

Of the skills, I would assume that like in PF/D&D, Notice is always good to have. It's the only one that all the characters above have in common (that I, er, Noticed).

Always have at least a d6 for Spirit, as you really, really want at least a 50% chance of shrugging off the Shaken state. Shaken is the first state you enter when you take damage, and you can't attack while you're Shaken. But a d6 gives you NO chance to shrug it off AND act in the same "round". A d8 gives you a 62% chance of shrugging it off, and a 12% chance of being able to act in the same round.

Always take at least a d4 for Fighting (even if you're not going to be using hand-held weapons), as this bumps your Parry from 2 to 6!

Note that Parry is used only to avoid hand-held weapon attacks. There's nothing you can do to increase your Target Number (TN) to avoid ranged attacks (short of magic), so the best thing to do is to get your Toughness as high as possible, since that is the TN that *all* damage is rolled against.

Ray - would you allow me to take the Wizard Edge? It says that it comes from being formally trained, but I'm imagining this guy as having spontaneously developed magic from being bullied, and if he has the Wizard Edge then he's been getting "trained" in his dreams.

P.S. - I'm disappointed that SW has the same damage for arrows as guns. Oh, well.

P.P.S. - FYI, this guy will be able snap people out of Shaken, help comrades to avoid being hit, and shoot a gun pretty well. One more Power TBD.

P.P.P.S - I'd like to point out (since several PC's have taken it) that the Investigation Skill isn't about analyzing crime scenes or talking to people, but *looking things up* - really, it's more "Research".

Ray, would you be willing to tell us if this is going to be a more kill-the-zombies type game vs. a figure-things-out type game? Or roughly equal amounts of both?

And, how does the Confusion Power affect supernatural things? I would guess no effect on skeletons & zombies, but does effect werewolves and vampires, etc.?
Or can skeletons and zombies be affected because Powers are, well, supernatural themselves?

Thanks!

Hey, ZenFox, I just felt the need to make a few notes and corrections on things you put in your post. Overall I agree with a lot of it, but I figured I'd let you know!

Of the skills, I would assume that like in PF/D&D, Notice is always good to have. It's the only one that all the characters above have in common (that I, er, Noticed).

Totally true. You don't want to be surprised.

Always have at least a d6 for Spirit, as you really, really want at least a 50% chance of shrugging off the Shaken state. Shaken is the first state you enter when you take damage, and you can't attack while you're Shaken. But a d6 gives you NO chance to shrug it off AND act in the same "round". A d8 gives you a 62% chance of shrugging it off, and a 12% chance of being able to act in the same round.

Here's where you're off. While having extra Spirit is always good, it's actually easier than you think to get off of Shaken due to the Wild Die. All player characters roll an extra d6 on any and all trait tests, which means that if you have a d6 in Spirit, you actually have a 75% chance of escaping Shaken. There are also exploding dice in the system: when you roll the highest number on a die, you roll again and add that to the total. This can go on indefinitely, although it gets unlikely. So even with a d6 Spirit, there is a chance of getting a raise on your roll and acting in the same turn.

Always take at least a d4 for Fighting (even if you're not going to be using hand-held weapons), as this bumps your Parry from 2 to 6!

Actually, it only raises Parry by half your Fighting die, so it goes up to 4. Still, that's nice to have, since it makes it that much less likely to get ganked.

Note that Parry is used only to avoid hand-held weapon attacks. There's nothing you can do to increase your Target Number (TN) to avoid ranged attacks (short of magic), so the best thing to do is to get your Toughness as high as possible, since that is the TN that *all* damage is rolled against.

This is also true. Getting Toughness high is very useful, although not easy to do at low levels, especially when you want to balance it with other things.

P.P.P.S - I'd like to point out (since several PC's have taken it) that the Investigation Skill isn't about analyzing crime scenes or talking to people, but *looking things up* - really, it's more "Research".

Yeah, but that's still gonna be useful in a game like this.

The basics of what you said are all good, just wanted to point out some clarifications!

Thanks, LB (and ZF). All helpful to SW newbies, and the back-and-forth actually brings out additional detail and information. Keep it coming, I say!

Thanks, Loupe, for the corrections!

I transcribed the Parry formula incorrectly into my notes, forgot the /2.

I was "aware" of the Wild Die and the exploding dice, but still have not incorporated them into my thinking. Boy, that's going to take some getting used to...

Regarding the Investigation skill, I just didn't want people taking it based on its name, thinking that it would come in handy for looking over a crime scene or ransacking someone's place. As near as I can tell all that's covered under Notice, another good reason to always have it! :)

Guess I'd better post what I have, so any errors or "un-alloweds" can be caught...

He's young and pudgy (as much as he can be without being Hindrances), and was bullied a lot so he's surly, but is loyal to friends and protects the innocent. Maybe he's an ex spoiled-rich-kid who's been disinherited, not sure about that yet, but he has had to survive on the streets on his own for awhile. He's *just* been hired by PATRIOT because of his "abilities", this will be his first mission (if that's ok with Ray).

Don't know if he fits into any tropes, but he's intentionally a bit one-sided in terms of the system - first time I use a system, I try to push it to its limits.

Some of the skills may yet get re-arranged, especially if Ray lets me use the Wizard Edge, and I decide to take it...

Ray - how much are spare clips and ammo? I will buy some more, unless PATRIOT gives us ammo...

I'll try to answer what I can. If I miss something let me know.

Essentially, I'll be using K. Occult to represent things your character readily knows about the supernatural and magic. Investigation is in fact basically Research. It's still important, especially if you fail an Occult check. And it can also be used for things other than K. Occult. I would strongly recommend a d4 in at least one or the other, if not both.

Having a Smart Phone -- which I'm providing for free -- will help you Investigate on the fly, providing you have signal.

Shakes phone and smack it with his palm.

"Danggone AT&T. Nationwide coverage my @$$!"

;-)

And, yeah, Notice is super important.

Your characters don't have to know each other. But it's not unlikely either. I'll leave that up to you.

I'll allow Confusion to affect undead for Miracles as Repel Evil. And it feels like it should be a spell with the Light trapping. I'll allow it for Arcane based on how you flavor it. The powers themselves are only the beginning. How you name it and want to apply it is the key. So pitch me. :-)

And, yes, you can take the Wizard edge, assuming you qualify for it mechanically. You can re-flavor it however you wish to fit your character.

My hope is to get a 60/40 blend of action versus investigation. So, yes, investigating will be important. But I also want to tear stuff up.

And, LB and ZF, thanks for the assist. You guys are really being troopers.

As Consultants for PATRIOT and not actual employees, you'll be expected to bring your own equipment. But you'll have a Handler who you can call to help you out with minor details, like, "Hey, Maggie. Do you know a guy who sells rocket launchers at 3 in the morning?"

It'll cost you a Benny, but might be worth it at the right moment.

Prices for Ammunition or on Page 64 of the Deluxe book. Here are the prices.

Bullets, Small $10 for 50
Bullets, Medium $25 for 50
Bullets, Large $50 for 50

Let's say special ammo like Silver costs Double. If there's a more forgiving rule about this in the Horror Companion let me know.

Oh, wow, I check Hero Lab and sure enough I find this:

Bullets, Garlic (small) $15 for 50
Bullets, Garlic (medium) $30 for 50
Bullets, Garlic (large) $55 for 50

Bullets, Silver (small) $20 for 50
Bullets, Silver (medium) $35 for 50
Bullets, Silver (large) $60 for 50

Bullets, Silver Nitrate (small) $30 for 50
Bullets, Silver Nitrate (medium) $45 for 50
Bullets, Silver Nitrate (large) $70 for 50

Bullets, UV (small) $110 for 50
Bullets, UV (medium) $125 for 50
Bullets, UV (large) $150 for 50

So, yeah, we'll use these prices then. I'm totally buying the Horror Companion now. Amazon, here I come.

In Hero Lab you can find these Under Gear --> Ammunition.

I've decided to go ahead and state that I'll allow Weird Edges so Danger Sense is okay. I was unclear about it before, since I thought it was actually a super power.

And, since I'm not going for a gothic horror theme we won't be using Sanity either.

Alright, sounds good. No problem on helping out, happy to do so! Any feedback on my character? He himself has no ranks in Knowledge (Occult) or Investigation, but he's really not geared toward that line of work. He helps keep those folks alive :)

I strongly recommended a d4 in at least Occult or Investigation, but it's by no means a prerequisite. So your character passes muster, LB, do not worry. :-)

And, yeah, it looks great. I'm looking forward to gaming with you.

And so far it looks like we have:

spinning dice - Father O'Callaghan (miracle worker)
Loup Blanc - Gavril Vasilescu (unarmed fighter)
scranford - Arlo Franco (Former cop on the run)
zenfox42 - No Name (wizard)
DaiShun - No Name (Huntress)
Don Jon Dux - No Name (Doctor House Monk, PI and Attorney at Law)

That my friends is what I call a party. I'll open up the Gameplay Thread soon so folks can dot.

Here is the Gameplay Thread.

Thanks for the re-take on Danger Sense. I can't see a way to fit it in with the other stuff though, so I'm going to dump Pete Lattimer and compensate with more Burt Gummer. ;o)

Players will also have one vehicle of their choice within reason. You’re working stiffs, after all, so you don’t have a fleet of Panzers. You better believe your vehicle will be subject to GM approval. :-)

If he knows a guy who knows a guy (and Burt would), he was probably able to pick one up "surplus" *cough* for about what a new SUV would cost. And since this isn't a vehicle for high-speed maneuvers and the PC isn't trained for it anyway, it's going to be a decided disadvantage in a car chase. Which I suspect is way more likely than trying to survive an RPG assault.

All done with setup, just fine-tuning gear now. Will set up an alias profile and dot soonest.

About to go to bed, will transfer to a proper profile and post in gameplay tomorrow.

I have moved some new questions to the Discussion page...