Rai glances at his comm. Great. Still, confirm it while I have the chance in case the rot goes deeper.
He glances at Jak. "Get our gear into the hopper while I sort this out."
Search Posts
Rai half-lowers the gun and aims it in the vague direction of the thugs with the batons. ”Drop the sticks. Get a pressure bandage on your boy and pick him up.” He looks to the leader of the group, ”I don’t even know what a ‘Helion Extractive’ is. Who called you? We can help you get out of this jam, but you need to help us first.”
Am I looking at the wrong edition of the rulebook? Page 118 > Slugthrowers > Autopistol entry says the Damage is 3D-3
Rai shoots the pistol-wielding thug again. ”Who sent you after us? He ain’t worth your life.”
Oh. So my shot should have had an effect of +5 and done 8 damage total?
What is the Effect modifier to damage?
“Says your credentials are fake. Says you’re Helion Extractives scum trying to cover your tracks after stealing our cargo and trashing our haulers.” Rai snorts at that. ”So your boss can identify fake IDs. That possible, I suppose… But somehow he can magically determine who created them? He must be a wizard or something. What’s your boss’ name? Cuz his career is over, right after yours.” “Orders were real clear: you’re to be removed from the premises… with extreme prejudice.” Trying to keep this gig under the radar, Rai was planning to just pistol-whip these rent-a-cops. But the phrase ‘extreme prejudice’ was a euphemism for ‘murder’. Death threats earned an immediate and lethal response. He pulls his autopistol and shoots the shmuck tapping his pistol.
Spotting the approaching guards, Rai sub-vocalizes to Jak, ”Eyes up, marine.” He turns his attention fully to the approaching potential threat and holds up his Pelagic League ID card in his off-hand. His gun hand comes to rest on the grip of the autopistol tucked in the back of his waistband. He tries to pitch his tone as curious and a bit confused. ”What’s with the sticks and the glares, fellas?” He waves the ID card in his hand. ”We’re here on an authorized Pelagic League inspection of this craft. Lotta executive eyes on this. You interfere with our job, that’s trouble you don’t know. And they ain’t gonna give a damn if this is some clerical error in your office. So, best you sheathe those batons, turn around, and let us get back to work.” He glances around for surveillance cams in this area and if they are on or off.
They have plenty to discuss - but not here. Rai is about to suggest they wrap this inspection up and head out… when something catches his attention.
Jak waves Rai over and points to the prints and the data port, ”Looks like someone already been here. Maybe, covering things up or creating a false trail?” He shrugged, ”Lets see if we can access anything with that data port.” Rai tsks at the sloppy security and nods at Jak’s suggestion, ”Works for me.” He grabs the appropriate tools from his belt and does a close examination of the port and tries to find access record or some clue as to what the trespasser got into.
The site has been mostly down over the last 4 days.
@ Sunway Ridge Refinement Depot: The hauler is roughly ship’s-boat-sized, but it looks like a carcass picked clean by predators. Panels removed. Wiring gutted. Access hatches open like wounds. The cargo bay is empty — scraped down to bare metal. Rai hops out of the grav-raft, pulls most of the diagnostic gear from his engineering toolkit and puts them into his toolbelt. He looks at the hauler for a moment before pulling out his comm device and recording images of the hauler as he makes a slow circuit of the craft – an external inspection. He ignores the guards unless they challenge him.
Rai draws on the notes in the precis and his practical knowledge of ship profiles and drives to provide some tentative conclusions. ”OK, so our thieves are potentially sitting on 120 tons of ore if they haven’t gotten it off-planet yet. Offloading ore and gutting the electronics takes three to four hours per hauler. They did it one to three hours. That takes a crew of 6 to 9 professionals, not amateurs. Taking the drive and doing all the rest? That’d be six to eight hours work with a team of a dozen minimum. Even then, doing the work simultaneously, it’d still take a team three to four hours. Basically, to do all this in the timeframe provided means a large, well-trained, and organized crew with all the right tools.”
”We’ve got two passes and a location. Choose who else is going. I’ve got to change.” Rai heads to this bunkroom to change into a clean and ambiguous coverall, pulls a workman’s hat to cover his features, and uses a little makeup to cover up his facial tats.
"Rai, Good idea, So how do we get to have a snoop around trashed haulers, hummm." "We've got an isolated comm line to Thale, let's use it. I won't be surprised if they locked up a couple of these haulers to search for evidence. If they've got'em at a private site, she can get us in there."
”Some parts are also the same parts that where taken off Ore Haulers have. That could give one of us a backstory Rai.” ”Maybe. But let’s think through the pieces that don’t fit and the ones we can slap into the puzzle. Thane told us how much the ore is worth. But we need to know how many tons of ore were hauled. It’s gotta be multiple tons per hauler, right? And the M-Drive on a hauler has to weigh at least a couple tons as well… And according to her, the ground crew emptied out all that ore, tore out the electronics, and (in one case) stole the entire engine assembly. They did that half a dozen times, taking no more than three hours per job, and in some cases, less than an hour. That means they have the vehicles, equipment, and a big enough crew to do that fast. And they must have their crew waiting at the landing sites. Or they have a bunch of robots doing the work. That would explain the lack of DNA at each site.” ”I’d like to get a look at one of these trashed haulers, especially the one missing the M-Drive. I wanna know if they just ripped it out or took it out like a professional would. And a human with a plasma cutter leaves different marks than a robot. The missing electronics… could be they were paranoid about leaving evidence. But with the missing fuel as well, that’s seems like a scavenger move. It could be that’s how the ground crew is getting paid. Because IF the ore was taken out of the haulers on the surface and Vanguard did their job and interdicted the space around the planet – then that ore hasn’t been sold yet.” ”Of course, if I was running an op like this, I’d make it look like scavengers just to muddy the water… so we can’t take that for granted.”
"So, I have my ID as an auditor and will take that route. Who is going to do what? We need a reporter investigating Corporate & political motives, linking with me, an underworld thug looking to make a deal and Criminal underworld & scrap yard infiltration, and someone snooping through shipping manifests, checking shipments, Port activity and linking with our thug to check smuggling activities. Three roles, three of you." Rai shakes his head, ”Yeah… that’s not working for me. Homework and reconnaissance first. We need to know more about the thefts, the players, and the dynamics here before we decide on roles, personas, and targets. Thale wants this discreet; she said so a couple times. So, the homework needs to get done or we’ll start blundering around asking questions to the wrong people and give away the game. Your auditor shtick will likely work, but what is our off-world reporter doing here? Why’s he on this backwater? And if you’ve never worked the other side of the street… depending on how organized the criminals are here, getting in with them isn’t done with a word and a smile. They can match any corporation for the depth of their background checks. New faces are always suspect. There might be some ways in – but we need to learn more about how crime is run here before we can get a boot in that door.” ”I think we should scrub through the data, general newsfeeds, and any public info on the criminal element here to start.”
Rai reads the file. He has a follow-up question to mask his reaction to the outrageous amount of credits Tommy named. ”What kind of access does Level 3 League Mandate Clearance get us?”
Rai’s response is all business, ”Anyone at Vanguard know we’re comin’? Or is our investigation sub rosa?”
The esatz engineer’s heavy boots ring across the deckplates as he arrives from the engine spaces. Liberally stained with grease and other unnamed solvents, his green coverall is pulled halfway down with the arms tied around his waist. Thankfully, his black t-shirt doesn’t reveal stains so easily, but it does reveal his muscled frame and brown skin. Rai is built like a ferro-concrete sh!tter (if it had square shoulders) – compact, no frills, and designed for utility. He isn’t neckless; his neck is just nearly as wide as his squarish skull. When he isn’t covered in sweat, dirt, and grease, Rai likes to think he’s cleans up well – but it isn’t true. His DIY haircut looks like it was done by a far-sighted barber with palsy. A bullet scar crosses one cheek and leaves a furrow heading into his hairline. Almost as if matching it, there is a laser burn across his other temple and the hair there refuses to grow back. Cauterizing your follicles has that effect. And the few, discreet, blue-inked tattoos on his face and arms suggest criminal entanglements without specifying a gang affiliation. In short, he looks like a meaty thug with a disreputable past and present. He holsters a large wrench like a sidearm and vainly tries to wipe the grease from his hands on a slightly less filthy hand towel. As the overhead light flickers, he glares at it. ”That’s a feature, not a flaw. Little ‘mood lighting’.” When the comm starts chirping, he sits down and guzzles a liter of water. The engine space was a sauna right now.
Thanks for the clarification, Rai is now totally done. Working on a description and post.
Thanks! Rai is all squared away with his gear. On the skills after we count the two Connection skills... are you saying we get two skills at 1 rank or four skills at 1 rank (the two you mentioned in the recruitment and the two you mentioned above)? I just want to be sure I've got the correct number.
Aside from the open question about a Gauss Pistol, Rai is all done and ready to play!
Rai is updated and I dotted the thread. In terms of skills, I believe we don't have a bunch of the needed engineering skills, so I'm scooping those up. Connection Skills:
1 pt Skills:
For the Skill Package, mine are Engineering (Life Support) and Drive (Wheeled).
Last question, GM. I’m looking to buy a sidearm. I know I can’t take a Gauss Pistol onto the surface of KHARON’S WAKE but would I be able to buy one (from whatever world I mustered out on) and leave it aboard the ship?
This might be dipping into the 'military paths crossing' a bit too much but, off the top of my head... In our 4th Terms, Rai was being a military spook and infiltrating the Black Hand. Since Warren has skill at piloting small spacecraft, perhaps he was the pilot assigned to drop me off in some innocuous craft - and something went really wrong (leading to your Term 4 Event). And then my mission went pear-shaped as well (which leads me to seek out Jak and eventually meet Tommy). UNRELATED: My character sheet is nearly done. Just got to buy a few more goods (depending on the tech level) and write up my backstory. @GM I was looking through the rulebook. Are we using the rule that says you can have a maximum of 2 Connections? I don't mind building more than that without gaining a tangible benefit. I'm just curious.
@GM What is the tech level of the world we start out on?
I've got no problems with Rai and Jak connecting from their shared 3rd Term "shedding the same blood in the same mud" experience. Combining the two Life Event results, it sounds like a serious global conflict. They could have worked together in some sort of joint operation or their units were in close proximity. And it makes sense that Rai would contact his old military buddy who is in the same system when he gets jammed up by the Black Hand and needs a place to lay low or a quick exit. Which brings us to Jak introducing him to Tommy who has his own boat - the best way to get out of Dodge. The Ship Share arrangement we can leave until the GM let's us in on his plan. Anyone else want to connect in some interesting way? I'm flexible on Rai's history. I'll get Rai's stats, etc. into my profile at some point today.
Connections: If the GM doesn’t mind a little tweak to the order of events… In his 4th Term, Rai was working undercover against the Black Hand (mafia basically) and things went sideways – making them his enemies and necessitating a quick jump off-planet. He could have sought out Sir Tommy and got off-planet by purchasing a share of Tommy’s craft for a quiet and immediate exit. (I’d use my mustering out Ship Share for that). That might be how he also met Jak as Tommy’s hired muscle. They might have struck up a friendly inter-service relationship as they are of similar ranks and both are combat vets.
Rolls look great Rai...do you need help with character creation, or are you good to go ahead on your ouw?? Just let me know! I appreciate the offer! I think I understand the process. Feel free to double-check my work. STR: 9 (+1)
Background Skills (3): Mechanic 0, Electronics 0, Streetwise 0 1st Term: Military Academy (failed) + Army:
TERM 1: Army Military Academy Rai tries and fails to get into the Military Academy. Undeterred, he tries to join the Army… TERM 1: Army
Skills: Gun Combat 3, Vacc Suit 0, Athletics 0, Recon 1, Heavy Weapons 0, Melee 0 2nd Term: Army:
TERM 2: Army He lives (skin o’ teeth)! = Surrounded and outnumbered by the enemy, you hold out until relief arrives. Gain DM+2 to your next Advancement check. promoted to Rank E2: Corporal = Heavy Weapon = Athletics Skills: Gun Combat 3, Vacc Suit 0, Athletics 1, Recon 1, Heavy Weapons 1, Melee 0 3rd Term: Army:
TERM 3: Army Another close call = You are assigned to an urbanised planet torn by war. Gain one of Stealth 1, Streetwise 1, Persuade 1 or Recon 1. promoted to Rank E3: Lance Sergeant (Leadership 1) = Navigation = Engineer Skills: Gun Combat 3, Vacc Suit 0, Athletics 1, Recon 1, Heavy Weapons 1, Melee 0, Stealth 1, Leadership 1, Navigation 1, Engineer 1 4th Term: Agent (Military Intelligence):
TERM 4: Agent Enter into Military Intelligence. Basic Training: Investigate 0 Lives! = You go undercover to investigate an enemy. Roll (FAIL) If you succeed, roll immediately on the Rogue or Citizen Events Table and make one roll on any Specialist skill table for that career. If you fail, roll immediately on the Rogue or Citizen Mishap Table. = Get a gang (Black Hand) as an enemy. promoted to Rank 1 Agent (Deception 1) = Persuade = Persuade ALL Skills: Mechanic 0, Electronics 0, Streetwise 0, Gun Combat 3, Vacc Suit 0, Athletics 1, Recon 1, Heavy Weapons 1, Melee 0, Stealth 1, Leadership 1, Navigation 1, Engineer 1, Investigate 0, Deception 1, Persuade 2, Jack-of-All-Trades 0 Mustering Out
2k + 10k + 10k = Cr 22,000
I haven’t played Traveller since the original edition but I remember it fondly. I looked through Mongoose 1E version some years ago. If you are taking relative newbs/rusty old guys, I’ll throw my hat in the ring.
STR: 9 (+1), DEX: 11 (+1), END: 10 (+1), INT: 11 (+1), EDU: 8 (+0), SOC: 6 (+0)
Space military Commando Bob concept still works for me.
My schedule is too irregular for VOIP. If you want to use Roll20 for Maps, I'm fine with that.
If you mate the two campaign types, I'm fine with that. I'm also good with 250 pts and -125 in disadvantages.
250 to 300 sounds great to me.
Sounds good to me.
Sorry. I meant improved versions of modern weapon and gear and if you want to throw in some 'next level advancements' like powered body armor, jet-packs, etc. I'm good with that.
Good questions. I'm flexible but if you want to know my druthers... 1. Minimal or no Psi stuff. It just makes it simpler.
I like 3 followed by 1.
Hey folks, Sorry for unexplained absence. I got dragged into an unplanned business trip that went far longer than advertised. I'll catch up and post as soon as I can - most likely tomorrow. If you've had to replace my character in the mean time, I understand.
I do have the Basic Set so no worries there. Here's a neat, heavily armed, dune buggy if you need inspiration. :)
I only have access to Ultra Tech and Bio Tech through what I can see in the character builder app I'm using - so I don't have full descriptions of the equipment or advantages. Since I'm a newb at GURPS, I could use a little help on my build. I'll link you to a copy of my character sheet in progress so we can collaborate on backstory and build.
Since I'm not a GURPS expert, I really don't have an opinion. It does seem reasonable that buying a ship with a 'standard' build - i.e. one that has been relatively mass-produced would have a reduced price. Even more so if we are buying a used model of an older non-cutting-edge design. In terms of getting our hands on a ship... I like the idea of 'liberating' (either on purpose or as part of an adventure) an outdated and rugged cargo hauler that was slightly refitted for use by a group of pirates. In a pitched battle, we kill or chase off the crew, and claim their ship as our own. Then we can all take the same Enemy disadvantage. Maybe this ship belonged to a pirate fleet... so now we have a swashbuckling and pirate pirate lord in charge of a medium group who is looking to kill us and take their ship back. Alternatively, we could go with the 'debt' option and to be fair, we should all take the disad so we distribute the large debt. If you want us constantly scrounging for work/cash (aka Firefly) that's not a bad approach. FWIW, there are some pre-built ships (with deck plans) in GURPS 4: Traveller Interstellar War. The building process is quite different but the deck plans and ship costs might work for you.
Zounds! We're gonna be big damn heroes! :D
I've read through GURPS 4 Lite and started selectively reading bits of GURPS 4 Basic Set... I'm not up on all the Skill names yet so bear in mind I'm tossing out concept ideas not the specific applicable skill name. Apologies. Salsa, are we at a point where you'd like to give us some character build parameters - i.e. Character Points, Disadvantage Limits, credits, and gear TL available for purchase?
For my own benefit, it looks like we have: Sam - Hacker/Spy
Does Valerie have a smuggler's spaceship... or are we planet-bound and/or reliant on booking passage on commercial spaceships? If we do have a ship (and it has a weapons turret) I'd be willing to take a Gunnery type of skill to help out there... or take something like Engineering to keep the drives running.
SR, here. This will be the profile for my character.
|