Ahhhhahahaa, I didn't think anyone would actually look that up! Nice catch.
Actually, since I took Commendation 3, I figure he has been thanked at some point. To flesh that out, I was thinking of a posthumously awarded Distinguished Intelligence Cross (or it's contemporaneous GIA equivalent). If that seems too over-the-top, we could go for a lesser commendation instead...
Would you prefer this style of Drama Point usage leaving final arbitration up to the GM or is it more convenient to just wing it?
** spoiler omitted **
Thanks.
No worries. 'Bout to post a reply anyway, so your timing is great.
Looking back, as we head towards the Preston suite, I somehow have this idea of the motley crew doing a Power Walk towards the camera as the screen fades out and Tokusatsu credits roll.
Awesome posts, you guys! Keep it up! I really love how everyone's developing, already. Gonna start dialing it up a notch or two, reckon y'all can handle it. :-)
Been reading more of the rules, for a high ranking non commissioned I should have the drawback of Duty 2, which would give me two skill points to spend, am I OK to do that and spend them on Persuade, Novice? which would be in line with his current position, and who he used to be.
Also, equipement, at the moment he's on holiday, so he doesn't have much with him, what are the rules for how much money we have to spend etc?
So I've been trying to figure out three things.
- 1: Can the chasmal stand on two legs or is it a only on all fours?
- 2: If the chasmal stand on two legs could it have a hyperedge blade set as an handheld weapon?
- 3: Can neg kendo be used while communing with Azrael?
Been reading more of the rules, for a high ranking non commissioned I should have the drawback of Duty 2, which would give me two skill points to spend, am I OK to do that and spend them on Persuade, Novice? which would be in line with his current position, and who he used to be.
This is fine.
Also, equipement, at the moment he's on holiday, so he doesn't have much with him, what are the rules for how much money we have to spend etc?
Everyone gets a sidearm and a suit of armor by default, infantry I reckon gets a rifle too. I'm pretty handwave-y about this; basically if you want something and it's not ridiculous, I'll generally let you have it. Like, you can have some hobby-related stuff, a decent flat or small house, a car or bike, etc., but if you wanna say you're driving the 2080's equivalent of an Aston Martin Vanquish, then you'd better have a way of justifying that (live in a crappy apartment, take the Wealth quality, etc.) in terms of mechanics. Make sense? Basically if you're not sure, just ask me. :-)
So I've been trying to figure out three things.
- 1: Can the chasmal stand on two legs or is it a only on all fours?
- 2: If the chasmal stand on two legs could it have a hyperedge blade set as an handheld weapon?
- 3: Can neg kendo be used while communing with Azrael?
1: Yes, but like a gorilla, meaning it generally gets around on four legs, but can stand on two to fight, etc.
2: I'm willing to let you have the sword, but you're gonna have to put it away before you can move around with it, since locomotion is a four-legged affair. So yeah you can have it, but the penalty is it has to be stowed and then re-drawn for movement to occur beyond very short-range tactical adjustments in melee.3: If anyone has a rule for this handy please feel free to chime in, but as I understand RAW, any hand-to-hand skills possessed by the pilot are in effect whether they are in their mecha or out. So, short answer; yes.
Awesome. Also on another note. I've been reading up on what a warrant officer is and I'm still not sure...enlighten me please.
Awesome. Also on another note. I've been reading up on what a warrant officer is and I'm still not sure...enlighten me please.
A Warrant Officer is a Non-Comissioned Officer (NCO). Basically a grunt who got promoted up the food chain due to his/her capabilities and who now occupies a rank (and leadership position) above the regular rank and file.
NCOs typically provide field advice to Comissioned Officers (Lieutenants and above), providing an 'in-between' between the Officers (who are tasked with providing strategic leadership) and the Men (who are tasked with carrying out whatever needs to be done).
In short, in a perfect world, Officers figure out what need to be done, and NCOs figure out how to get it done.
I'm (finally!) back home. My laptop died on the last leg of my trip and I've just managed to replace it and catch up my PbPs. IC post coming soon...
@Kyra & Dies: In the US military at least, A warrant officer is NOT the same as an NCO. They are basically technical officers, they do specialized, demanding work that doesn't call for the same broad skills and leadership roles that traditional officers are groomed for. Helicopter pilots and network technicians are an example of their roles in the US army. They have different titles but are generally treated the same as other officers in their paygrade (WO1 = 2nd Lt, WO3 = Captain, WO5 = Lt. Col, etc.) Past WO2 they hold the same commissioned status as other officers and can initiate disciplinary actions, hold command positions, and everything else that goes with that.
@Kyra & Dies: In the US military at least, A warrant officer is NOT the same as an NCO. They are basically technical officers, they do specialized, demanding work that doesn't call for the same broad skills and leadership roles that traditional officers are groomed for. Helicopter pilots and network technicians are an example of their roles in the US army. They have different titles but are generally treated the same as other officers in their paygrade (WO1 = 2nd Lt, WO3 = Captain, WO5 = Lt. Col, etc.) Past WO2 they hold the same commissioned status as other officers and can initiate disciplinary actions, hold command positions, and everything else that goes with that.
Lol.
In the Singapore Armed Forces, Warrant Officers bridged the gap between the Specialists and the Officer. Like their US equiv, they can initiate disciplinary positions, but they lack the command rank.
We used to refer to them as "Encik" ('Mister' in Malay).
Way too easy to get pigeonholed into a single perspective. Bit presumptuous of me to not check whether it held true across different forces... :-)
...Dies Irae I was wondering since you said you were in the Singapore armed forces where'd you do your basic training? I've been reading different stories mostly from a place called Pulao Tekong.
Pulau Tekong (or Tekong Island) is a smaller offshore island off the main island of Singapore(Gosh, that looks surreal when you type it) is where most of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Conscripts go to do basic military training (Physical training, basic rifleman training, etc).
Tekong is, in comparison to the rest of the Armed Forces here, really just a play-pen full of whining conscripts who miss their mama (I should know. I was one of them. :-P). The real entertainment comes once you 'Graduate' from the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) on Tekong.
After that, we end up parceled off to different units where we complete our Operationally-Ready conscription period of two years (Infantry, Armor, Mechanized Infantry, Artillery, Guards, Commandos, etc.). Loads of horror stories from the force with people trying day and night to beat the system or shirk their work (Chao Keng is the local term for it), but I've always held that the (regular) Officers respect a you-get-back-what-you-put-in attitude.
Compared to the drudgery that went into the university degrees and 9-to-5 desk jockeying that came afterwards, I can say with some honest pride that those were some of the best days of my life.
Also... I'm waxing lyrical so I'll shut up now.
Winston is slowly beginning to "write himself" - He's at once gloomy and fatalistic while somehow still somehow managing to sound smarmy...
He's a really refreshing break to write about from my usual legion of heroic PCs though I'm really not sure I'd like him very much as a person.
If you find him turning into a complete jerk (well, moreso than current levels anyhow), you'll let me know, right?
:-P
Also... Just Something I thought fit the whole CthuhuTech mood.
Awesome pic DI!
Very Neat Pic!
@DRA: Sorry for playing catch up here, been busy as hell since I got home. will try and get more in tune here as the day progresses.
No worries. :-)
Speaking of catching up, how much do you guys want to play out the last few days of this vacation? My intent was to get everyone on the same page then handwave you to Saturday, when you depart for Abeche. However, John mentioned looking into some things, so I wanted to see if that was something y'all wanted to pursue. Thoughts?
None of the things I need to do need to be handled in character. I wanted some sort of ECCM system in case someone tried to jam us again, and I wanted to look up a sorcerer in the yellow pages to get warded.
I figure that protective spells would be standard fair for field work and would probably spend most of Friday being chanted over for Ward Against Sorcery, Ward of Corporal Protection, and Eldritch Faculties.
Regarding the 'Ward of Solitude' spell, does it prevent the target from using any sort of modern communication? It says you are only visible and audible to the naked senses, so making a phone call sounds pretty much impossible...
Well, I'm good with ye olde GM handwave, however we seem to be heading towards taking a car trip there instead of the train at this point, if I'm following the flow of things right.
I think we're leaning toward splitting up. John prefers to take the train, but it sounds like others would be more comfortable driving.
Ironically, now that it's increasingly clear that it's a NEG sanctioned operation rather than a "I Have The Negatives So You'll Do Whatever I Say" schtick, Winston is actually increasingly on board with the plan, far less belligerent and definitely further from a complete nervous breakdown.
He's a soldier. He's used to following orders. No sense going the additional mile just to make it difficult for the support staff if they're nominally on the same team.
And Handwavium to advance the plot is awesome. I'm perfectly fine with a time skip to Saturday or whenever the accelerated timetable starts.
Also, high quality inspirational image dump:
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I figured these might one day come in handy to someone while sitting in the DM's seat.
Also, for a laugh... I believe someone mentioned Ultraman in the recruitment thread.
Well... he's come a long way...
Awesome stuff, DI! Saved all those pics for future use. ^_^
Game business; all of you can now assume that you have permits for public concealed carry. Sorry Kyra, but that doesn't extend to katanas. These permits are good anywhere the NEG has sway, which includes pretty much all of central Africa.
Also; anytime I roll for you in-game, you don't have to accept that roll if you don't want to. Just say "hey I wanna roll that" or "that roll is fine but I wanna blow 2 drama points to add two more dice" or whatever. It's totally fine with me. Just do it reasonably quickly so we can retcon as necessary closer to the roll; if we're in combat and after two rounds you say you want to re-roll something from two rounds ago, I'm not going to allow that, for what I hope are obvious reasons.
just wanted to drop a line of encouragement to you guys.
Another fun and interesting read. Good on ya, Downrightamazed!
What system are y'all using here?
Oh hey, thanks man! 'Preciate it. ^_^ Yeah, had me a hankering to do some sci-fi gaming.
We're using Wildfire's Cthulhu Tech rules, the "Framewerk" system. You can learn more on their site, and the games are all available as PDFs at DriveThruRpg if you want quick access to them.
John looks for various resources but is largely stymied by the tourist-centered economy of N'Guigmi. In Abeche, he is informed, there are many more things of the type he is seeking.
I guess this means there's no friendly neighborhood sorcerer to cast those wards... can I assume that John was able to cast the Eldritch Faculties spell on himself and is currently under its effects? The difficulty is only average and can be achieved by taking 7.
Correct on both counts. Other magicks will be available in Abeche.
Awesome stuff, DI! Saved all those pics for future use. ^_^
Game business; all of you can now assume that you have permits for public concealed carry. Sorry Kyra, but that doesn't extend to katanas. These permits are good anywhere the NEG has sway, which includes pretty much all of central Africa.
Hmmm....that means I can't carry my defender either....well at least I can carry my wakizashi still. Why is the higher caliber enforcers a lower license level? Hmmm something I'm wondering do you need both the 'p' and 'pa' licence or does one cover the other? Since p is more expenxive than pa... I'm confused.
Alastair watched Airfix go momentarily, he still didn't know what to think of here but she had unknowingly dredged up memories he had hoped were long buried. Despite the sadness that entered his eyes he turned back to fous on what was on the table. Gatecrash is a lucky man, too bad he is too weak to realize it.
The first that popped into mind was to up the stakes and kick off a whole Macross-esque Romance between Alastair and Chelsea replete with drama and misread intentions.
From a dramatic standpoint, this looks too good a setup to throw away.
-------------------
Three things:
Airfix is pretty much a collaborative character at this point, as much your character as a creation of mine. Would you be comfortable introducing this element into your game?
Also, you know Corerue as a player better than me. How would he take it?
Finally, maybe the term is regional, but I'm slightly saddened that none of the players have picked up on the Airfix Model kit reference.
For the question of who/what is known about Alastair's finances. Hmmm...
His personnel file will probably have indications of his drive to gain rank and prestige within the NEG military. Volunteering time and time again for test projects and extra tours of duty as he constantly strives to prove his worth in and outside the battlefield. His records are not filled with commendations, in fact he seems to do his best to avoid commendations.
Unless specified by you, his personal involvement with Clarkson can be known or unknown by those outside the upper brass. However they're has been no indications of him using wealth or bribery to obtain rank. (Personally Alastair hasn't ever tried to do this, instead he rather anonymously give funding to small time projects that could improve a soldiers survival time)
This is why he has a Secretary at Camelot, she manages his Portfolios and personal financing. Despite being loaded Alastair is somwhat cautious with his money, it took a long time to get where he is and he isn't just going to piss it away on useless things.
Although it was tempting to have a car armed with lasers. :P But I am Trying to play him out like an immortal who is focused on a few personal goals and is seemingly bored with everything else. Don't get me wrong, he Enjoys women, life and such but after centuries, damn near two millenia, everything literally is a 'been there, done that... done that Loads of times and yeah that too...'. Kyra and Cythera have given him a challenge for the first time in centuries.
So let's keep that on simmer and let something develop organically; I'll nudge Alastair into a situation where he has a chance to do something amazing that might impress her if he doesn't get around to it or make a first move himself. As a player, Corerue will be fine with it, from what I've seen.
As for the model kit reference, I had to look it up before I got it, so maybe that's your answer? ;-)
Models are like strippers; it takes a bit to shake them up romantically.
Lol.
The nuances of you reference to strippers is completely lost to me except on an academic level.
It's a side effect of living in and having grown up in one of the most strait-laced countries in the world... Ain't cultural differences grand? :-)
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I figured Winston probably tripped a 'Mech over a fence during training and being called Airfix probably really got under Chelsea's skin.
The general rule of call-signs is: "You will hate your callsign. If you do not, we will find you one you do."
They're seldom as grand as they're made out to be on screen.
I was initially called "Berlin" in the service. When my IFV dropped it's ramp during training, I charged down the ramp, tripped and slammed face-first into a wall, hence the nickname.
"The nuances of you reference to strippers is completely lost to me except on an academic level."
That's okay. You're not missing anything, believe me. Strip clubs are the worst. Can't stand 'em.
"I was initially called "Berlin" in the service. When my IFV dropped it's ramp during training, I charged down the ramp, tripped and slammed face-first into a wall, hence the nickname."
OUCH! That's funny and cringe-inducing at the same time. Still, great story for how you got your callsign. :-)
At the knock on their cabin's door he meets Alastair's eye and taps a few quick commands into his PCPU, angling the screen toward the other man so he can see the universal symbol that indicates the device is now recording audio.
My fault for using an ambiguous pronoun; I meant that John was showing Alastair that he would be recording the conversation, without saying anything that might be overheard.
Also, how does aura reading work? Does it require an occult roll, or do you just have an intuitive understanding of what you're seeing? What does it actually look like in-character?
A person under the influence of Eldritch Faculties can sense things normally beyond his means. Anything invisible or mystically hidden is instantly revealed to him. He can also see the auras of living things – which allows him to ascertain a being’s health and wellness, its dominant emotional state or states, and if it is affected by or under the influence of magic or para-psychic powers.
@John: No worries, we'll just go forward as if I didn't write that bit. Not a biggie. As for your question, there's no roll involved, I'll just post what you see. I just haven't had a chance yet...
Hmm I have an idea for the sand man but I don't think were going to get our deposit back on the rental...
If the idea is CAR FU, then great minds think alike (Fools also seldom differ, but we won't go there).
Yes that was exactly what I was thinking.
Well... on an issue of game logistics, most of the posting action takes place at what is basically 3am for me, so I'm likely to be the bottle-neck for this whole thing.
Have a few free days of leave over Chinese New Year though, so we'll see how this rolls.
np! Besides I have several off days as well, especially when i'm off working/flying to work, but as some of the other players are in other PBP that I am in as well. We Will have plenty to keep us busy ;) so don't worry about being the bottleneck or whatever Dies Irae. =)
Servais here is the sword I drew for Maiathreen in DRA's The Legacy of Marianasu. Everything else on the page is Cyra's work.
Drama points, irl these are supposed to be refreshed at the start of each session, pbp is a continous session so how do you want to work that?
Good question. I was thinking we'd refresh them at the start of each day, in game time. What do you guys think?
Also, w/r/t initiative, let's indeed plan on just a single initiative roll, as Kyra mentioned. If it gets to be a problem or anything then we can switch back to RAW, but for PBP it does seem best to just do initiative once.
I had planned on typing my post up before the sandman incident. However I still couldn't help but add that in my post. =)
Winston ducked around the side of the hotel, finding a nice poorly lit spot where he could put his back to the wall.
He tapped the device and the little PCPU screen lit up, flashing a little password box and a holographic keyboard. Winston ignored them. Back when he'd worked for the Corp, he'd left the visible security features as an obvious decoy for any corporate ninja attempting a brute-force approach to data theft.
"Ning Wei Tai Ping Gou, Bu Zhuo Luan Shi Ren"
Better to be a dog at peace than a man in troubled times.
The little PCPU hummed momentarily, it's processors whirring as they processed the password.
"Password Accepted" the device flashed, the security screen fading away to reveal the device controls.
"Babe..." He slurred, hoping he sounded sufficiently drunk, "Been a long time since we danced the tango... How you doing pretty girl...?"
Normally, when they tangoed, the Bugs, Fishies or Kaos Kids obligingly provided the dance partner... this was new...
"Heard you guys were going to a private backyard barbecue. We might not be able to make it... Damn, did we get smashed... The rest are sleeping it off..." He paused for a a moment to let the point sink in.
You're walking into a Hot LZ. We took a beating and can no longer make rendezvous. We have wounded.
"Don't be mad babe... Call us when you get the chance... I'm just dying to hear your voice again..."
It was an innocuous, albeit offensively misogynistic, message to the unacquainted, but given what had just transpired, he didn't feel confident just calling. He ended the recording, tapping the 'send' key with a sense of finality, hoping that whatever network John had rigged up carried through on it's end.
Come on Chelsea... Don't let me down here...
I left my laptop unlocked over lunch with the above post on the screen by mistake.
Afterwards, when I was heading back to the office, a female co-worker came over and told me she couldn't help but read the forum page I was on and that although she didn't skim the entire thing, "That Winston Chang guy sounds like a stereotypical rich *She was creative with her language here* calling his mistress." and that whoever wrote that should "Go Fly Kite" (a local version of 'Go Jump In A Lake').
I promptly politely declined having any knowledge of the writer's identity.
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!! XD! Nicely done! Bluff Check Successful!