Scum... and Villainy!

Game Master Douglas Muir 406

I really like the second one! I'll come up with a Glitch for it in a moment.

Closer to an 6 on the SW scale for me

On the space opera scale, I am solidly between an 8 amd a 9 myself. I want the scifi goodness.

Thinking about it, how about this: the necklace (choker? harness?) doesn't just bond to your skin -- it sends tendrils all throughout your body. Option one: these tendrils form a sort of armor under your skin, giving you +1d to resist physical damage. They can also recycle oxygen from your blood, allowing you to survive vacuum or underwater without a spacesuit. Option two: they're like a second nervous system, forming a kind of antenna to the Way. Gain potency whenever you use Attune to try to sense or detect something.

Glitch... you decide. Make it a good one!

Alright, I think for the glitch is that the artifact's circuitry sometimes becomes overloaded when the Way is channeled through. It is released and it causes it to glow in these circuit-like designs on the user's flesh. I was kind of pushing that the color that The Way appears tends to be individualistic so Hex's would glow violet under his skin. It can illuminate him in the dark and, to those in the know about artifacts, easily betray that he is a mystic. Otherwise, these circuit-like markings are only slightly off from his natural skin color.

The necklace is loose until it is sat upon a user that bonds with it, where it'll then "sink" somewhat into the flesh and tendrils of precursor technology push out into the body. Painful but only for a moment. It should be relatively easy to remove but time has also made its "release" mechanism dangerous. If done improperly, it likely can cause me 3rd level harm as it shorts my own nervous system.

I'm not really sure what the numbers mean. I'm up for a SW universe with a good mix of xenos.

My main prefereence is for the Hegemony to be captial-E Evil. We went for the Rebels rather than Smugglers so I think it needs to be clear what we're rebelling against.

I'm not really sure what the numbers mean. I'm up for a SW universe with a good mix of xenos.

My main prefereence is for the Hegemony to be captial-E Evil. We went for the Rebels rather than Smugglers so I think it needs to be clear what we're rebelling against.

I wasn't clear on what the numbers meant either, but I'm against hard science simply because of the debate that would follow on if that would really work. Imma all for some technobabble ending with "because neutrinos."

Yup, neutrinos, positronic and quantum are the only detil I really need. Besieds, from what I understand talking to my physics frineds, if you don't like the current explanation for how the universe works come back in 5 years and they'll have another one - it'll be just as wrong, but completely different. Grand Unified Theroy, my *censored*

@DMDM - as a biotech geek, I appreciated your reference to the Hayflick limit :)

Boarding an airplane, afk for a few hours.

@DMDM - as a biotech geek, I appreciated your reference to the Hayflick limit :)

If you like that, then you'll probably enjoy this:

http://goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2015/10/azathoth-microbiologist.html

That's great, I don't know how you find this stuff but keep at it! :D

Did we decide who has the "Keys" to the ship, I think Zen makes sense but I was not sure.

I'm starting to lose the narrative. I might be a bad fit for this game.

It seems there's a lot of players just saying what their complication is, rather than waiting for the GM to pitch one. Is this normal? Will we be expected to do this going forward? I don't think we did this in the one other game of FitD that I played and my fear is that I will always be either too soft or hard on the consequences I give to myself.

Also, yes, the AKA's are getting me lost. Who is Lux? I thought Zen's AKA was Hex? Why use a character if you're not going to use their name? And if you want a nickname, just put it in the title. Same thing for wanting to use part of the name but not a different part. I am absolutely going to forget that at some point.

It seems like the party is sticking together. And Zen is ambushing people. Except I can't stealth. So must not be with the party. So I don't know where I am or what to do.

So my process has been this so far...

I'm offer my own thoughts on what the position is and what the possible effect is. I totally will let DM_DM make any adjustments to it and, for the most part, be okay with it unless there is a really big disagreement on something. There has to be some more give to the DM with it being a play by post scenario.

I will agree that I am kind of confused at where we are; I think we may be pushing ahead a bit too fast and need to have the DM_DM give us a little more structure of what is happening and give us better ideas of what opportunities arrive.

It is super cool that we're super active, we just need to slow down the tiniest bit.

This is my first BitD, I am happy to slow down

Yes, it's a fine balance btween "momentum!" and "WTF is going on?"

I'm hapy to slow it down.

The good/bad thing about dice rolls in BitD is that they're a conversation, which obvsiouly in PbP is going to slow things down. One optin to try and get around that is for players to suggest their own consequences, but it shouldn't be obligtory and the GM will awlays have final say. I've had less luck in the game I'm running in getting players to suggest stuff, they seem to be letting me do that. Hopefully as they get more confident they will share their ideas more.

To answer the question of where's my character/where is the key/wher is X - the answer is "wherever they need to be!"

Our *characters* have spent the last sevral days making a plan, and they are now putting ito action. What is that plan? That's what we're palying to find out - playing is waaay more fun than planning. But evrything that happens has been planed for by our characters. We - the *players* - work it out as we go along and decide stuff as we need it. So, Fliss has one of the three torches. Who has the other 2? Whoeer ends up needing them. The key to the ship is witht eh character who will need it - thta might be Fliss, or maybe we've sent Attero ahead to secure a path to the ship, or maybe something else. Think of this as theatre of the mind PLUS.

Aterro has no stealth? That's fine, it's all part of the plan. Maybe he's been plowing forward and drawing the attention that allows Sun to work from the dark. Or maybe he's gone in a different direction to draw the guards away and will rejoin us later at the rendezvous point (what rendezvos point? It's where we need it to be, it's a flashback away). What would be most fun for you to have Atterro do? That's what he's doing - we will work out as we go how that fits into the bigger plan.

This game is a world away from D&D and its grids and "you can't do that" and "may I do this" - the freedom can be conufusing at first but once you get used it it, there's a LOT of fun waiting for you :)

I hope you stay

Also, anyone using and alias should prbly put it into your header so everyon can read it

For clarity

Fliss = Zen
Vincent = Potter
Dedre = Duchess
Sun = Hex

If it's too confusing we can drop it, it's meant to be fun.

This is my first time playing BitD, but I do listen to to and watch some AP, from what I have seen BitD is more friendly to Splitting the party. I also hope you stay, and appreciate your mentioning your concern.

Indeed! Especially with us having a big group (I find that 3-4 is the normal size, 5 is kind of big) that having two objectives or two big complications per job/mission will give everyone something to do.

In general, I will try to give everyone something to do -- fight, negotiate, rig, hack, be empathetic, whatever. Complications help with that. Of course, they can also fractally multiply and, well, complicate.

In general, I will try to give everyone something to do -- fight, negotiate, rig, hack, be empathetic, whatever. Complications help with that. Of course, they can also fractally multiply and, well, complicate.

Absolutely! You're doing a great job of dealing with us being a wild herd of cats doing all the things. I really like how interested you've been both in the Discussion and in the Gameplay threads.

If I may make a suggestion, maybe we can have a "where everyone is and what everyone is doing" post from you? That'll let Attero and Deidre figure out where they want to be and assist with and give Potter, Zen, and myself consequences for what is going on right now?

I am not sure if it will help at all, but I have the Scum and Villainy plug in for Roll 20. I can make a game and make DM_DM the DM.

Yes, a big GM post indicating where everybody is would be helpful. I know my flashback roll was a failure, so I'm assuming the guard just doesn't show up, but there may be further consequences.

Phew! Okay, lost a day to football (soccer) and work, but will get on that.

Phew! Okay, lost a day to football (soccer)

No no, you had it right the first time - it's just "football" ;)

I am not sure if it will help at all, but I have the Scum and Villainy plug in for Roll 20. I can make a game and make DM_DM the DM.

How would that be useful? Do you think we could all get together at one time and play in RT?

DM_DM wrote:

Phew! Okay, lost a day to football (soccer)

No no, you had it right the first time - it's just "football" ;)

I'm American, but I live in Germany. So, everyone was depressed yesterday.

DM_DM wrote:

Phew! Okay, lost a day to football (soccer)

No no, you had it right the first time - it's just "football" ;)

If you use your hands and call someone a 'linebacker', then it's football. If there's a lot of kicking and you have to score all the points one at a time, that's soccer. ^_^

So, about these Flashbacks.

Can we do those at any time for any thing?

No, if you use your *foot* to kick the *ball* that's *football* (the clue is in the name!) If you have to put on half a ton of body armour just to play a weird version of rugby, you're an American. But then, I suppose we can't expect *too* much from you guys, you're still using Fahrenheit and Imperial measurements after all :P

@Flashbacks - yes, think of the heist movies where it looks like it's all going the bad guys way only for a flashback to show how it was all part of the plan the whole time. That's waht we use flashbacks for :)

@DMDM - I still think a post showing where everone is (like Deidre said) would be usfel if you can do that pretty please :)

"The Machine is strong. We must purge the weak, hated flesh and replace it with the blessed purity of metal. Only through permanence can we truly triumph, only through the Machine can we find victory. Punish the flesh. Iron in mind and body. Hail the Machine!"

(Oldest kid just got accepted into the Mechatronics program at university. More shortly!)

Son replies:

“There is no truth in flesh, only betrayal.
There is no strength in flesh, only weakness.
There is no constancy in flesh, only decay.
There is no certainty in flesh but death.”

Yeah? Tell them to get back to me when thir preceious Machine can make something with anythign close to the strength of spiders web (or even silk) from the same sort of raw materials ;)

(More sersouly though that's great neews. We alwasy need more warm bodies workig in STEM fields. You should be very proud.)

Son replies:

“There is no truth in flesh, only betrayal.
There is no strength in flesh, only weakness.
There is no constancy in flesh, only decay.
There is no certainty in flesh but death.”

We shall know no fear.

While the enemies of the Emperor still draw breath there can be no peace.

Educate men without faith and you but make clever devils.

Yeah? Tell them to get back to me when thir preceious Machine can make something with anythign close to the strength of spiders web (or even silk) from the same sort of raw materials ;)

As someone pointed out a while back, eyes are extremely good video cameras made from water and jelly.

(More sersouly though that's great neews. We alwasy need more warm bodies workig in STEM fields. You should be very proud.)

I told him that if he's seriously going to major in mechatronics, I expect him to come home for autumn break with a Gundam.

So, about these Flashbacks.

Can we do those at any time for any thing?

Yes. Any time, for anything.

Obviously, there's a catch. Catches. First, flashbacks impose a Stress cost from 0 to 2. Zero stress is "that makes sense, this is something your character plausibly would have done". Like, if you say right now that your character spent a few days making a shiv, so is now armed with a shiv? You're in prison, people make shivs. 0 Stress. 1 Stress is for stuff that's like, meehhh, I guess you *could* have done that. Like, you're trying to break into the warehouse, you roll Consequences, a guard walks around the corner. You declare, "Oh, uh, flashback! That guard is... he's Greg! And I met with Greg last night and bribed him. He's cool." Okay... could have happened. 2 Stress is for wacky-ass stuff like you're cornered and about to be gunned down, and -- flashback! -- you planted explosives in advance, and you trigger the detonator.

The other catch is that you usually have to roll something for the flashback. So, Greg the guard: I say, "Okay, you bribed him? How did you do that?" "Ummm... well, I used Sway, I guess." "Okay, roll your Sway."

Success -- Greg nods, turns around, and strolls away whistling.
Critical -- Same, but Greg not only took the bribe, he told you about the alarm system.
Consequences -- Maybe Greg walks over, smiling, and asks for more money... or else. Or maybe he rushes up to you, sweating, and says the schedule has been changed, the new shift will arrive in five minutes.
Failure -- Frickin' Greg, man. He took your bribe... and now he grins, pulls the whistle out of his pocket, and blows it anyway.

So, flashbacks are great, but they're not magic. Well, okay, they kind of are magic, but they can cost you and they can blow up on you. That said, they do reward creativity -- if you can come up with a flashback that your PC would do, the cost is lower. And if you can fit it to one of your PC's stronger actions (maybe you used Consort on Greg, or Attume...) you can improve your chances of a good outcome.

But TLDR: yes, you can use flashbacks any time, for anything.

@DMDM - I still think a post showing where everone is (like Deidre said) would be usfel if you can do that pretty please :)

I think atm you're all together at the grate, about to move down the corridor to find the safe where your stuff is kept. Unless someone is going off on their own?

Fliss Cooper wrote:

@DMDM - I still think a post showing where everone is (like Deidre said) would be usfel if you can do that pretty please :)

I think atm you're all together at the grate, about to move down the corridor to find the safe where your stuff is kept. Unless someone is going off on their own?

Concur. I think you said we're all together and moving along, singing our song.

OT tangent: I've avoided most webfiction ever since Worm ate a couple of weeks of my life a while back. (Worm is pretty good, and it definitely keeps you turning the nonexistent page, but damn it's long.) But I've been dipping in and out of A Practical Guide To Evil for a while, and... how to put this. If you like this kind of thing, it's going to be a thing you like.

Hey there guys. I think I am going to drop from this one; you guys are posting a lot faster than I'm able to keep up with and I don't think I'm vibing right with it. Having me gone should make the campaign more manageable too; less moving pieces to have to deal with.

Thank you for having me and maybe I'll get a chance to play with some of you in the other games here on the boards. <3

I'm sorry to see you go - hopepfully see you around on these boards :)

Funny thing is, I've been posting quite slowly this past week. But okay.

Uggh, the last ten days have been a cluster at work and beyond. Going to try to get back to regular / rapid posting tomorrow and into the weekend. Hope everyone is still with us!

I am still here

I'm still around :)

Hello

I'm ata wedding this weekend - my first real social event since March 2020 - so I will be not posting until Monday.

Please bot me as needed :)

Bump?

Hey team,

Really sorry to disappear like that. I've just had a major life event hit: I am getting a promotion and moving to manage a much bigger project in a different country.

A *very* different country. Like, ten time zones away different.

So, I'm on hiatus for the next little while. I do hope to be back later this year. Perhaps we can pick this up; let see. Meanwhile, if any of you know any gamers who live in -- let's say -- Kazakhstan, feel free to PM me.

Thanks for your understanding,

DMDM

That sounds liek great - and excicting - personal news! Congrats.