So everyone is good to go?
Great.
I'll post the game thread soon.
I think that we should start at Starbucks as an homage to the D&D cliche tavern. It's going to be evening, about 24 hours since the first reports of the disease. I'll post a sort of verbal montage of what is on the news, which you've been watching on a wall mounted widescreen TV.
All you guys need to do is figure out why you're the last customers (watching the jaw dropping news I guess) at a Starbucks on monday night in north Vancouver during an encephalitis epidemic that is spreading faster than e. coli at a Chinese barbecue shop. None of you have heard of any zombies yet.
It's a privileged part of town that sits above a robust economic zone on the waterside. The Lion's Gate Hospital is nearby and Rad can probably work in a free clinic associated with the hospital. It's late, so the clinic is closed.
If your characters have any friends in town let me know who they are. (I've already got Patrick's Aunt Terrie).
Again, check out the The MAP in case you missed it above and have a look at the "explore this area" option on the left menu. Zoom out and have a look at one hell of a nice North American city.
Father John Reuter, S.J. - local priest and mentor
Mary Ann Garcia - GF
Allan Esquivel - Journalist Friend
All residing in Vancouver.
Hey, just because there’s a potentially deadly disease breakout, doesn’t mean a man doesn’t need coffee!
I’m thinking that Sam and Dave are staying in a cheap hotel or upmarket backpackers hostel located upstairs or across the road from the Starbucks. If things seem serious, they’ve probably decided to get out of town, but it’s taken them a while to be able to organise flights / tickets whatever.
They may be currently waiting in the Starbucks for their (now late) taxi or shuttle bus to the airport, grabbing a last coffee or checking out the worsening situation at the attached internet café or on the in-house tv or whatever.
Sound ok Flash?
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Dave doesn’t know many people in the city; maybe a few fellow travellers at the hostel, a few local parkour practitioners that he’s met, but he doesn’t have close ties to any of them as yet.
The one person he does know is one of his Aussie mate’s Canadian ex-girlfriend, Anna Cho. She was studying med on exchange in Sydney, got together with Dave’s mate Matty, but the relationship didn’t last for long after Anna returned to Vancouver about two years ago.
Dave has her address and phone number, and had emailed her that he was going to be here … but there’s a certain amount of weirdness / awkwardness in the situation, and he’s been a bit hesitant about contacting her so far that he’s been here.
Rico is on the way to Starbucks to buy his usual cup of coffee. It's been a long day.
<Looks for a top view of a Firebird for the map.>
Convertible?
No it was hard top. Hmm.. maybe I should just get a van.
Your call.
Hey, just because there’s a potentially deadly disease breakout, doesn’t mean a man doesn’t need coffee!
I’m thinking that Sam and Dave are staying in a cheap hotel or upmarket backpackers hostel located upstairs or across the road from the Starbucks. If things seem serious, they’ve probably decided to get out of town, but it’s taken them a while to be able to organise flights / tickets whatever.
They may be currently waiting in the Starbucks for their (now late) taxi or shuttle bus to the airport, grabbing a last coffee or checking out the worsening situation at the attached internet café or on the in-house tv or whatever.
Sound ok Flash?
Yep, sounds like a plan.
Sam is the same basically. No friends in town, other than a few backpackers that she met at the hotel/hostel (other than Dave of course).
Still gotta finish Sam's skills and gear, but I should have that done by mid week.
Your call.
A van's cool. It has to be painted like the 'Mystery Machine' though. I always coveted that hippy adventure spook bus.
Your call.A van's cool. It has to be painted like the 'Mystery Machine' though. I always coveted that hippy adventure spook bus.
You've got one Dodge Ram van that you bought for a steal from an Italian grocery with mafia connections. It smells a little of salami and you think they used it to dispose of dead bodies.
It's not very fuel efficient but you can sleep in the back, which you did last night, by Kitsilano Beach, which the locals call "Kits beach". Aunt Terrie wasn't home and hasn't been answering her phone, so today you find yourself hanging around in a Starbucks on the North side, with some strangers. She has a mobile phone but usually forgets it, you've been worried.
You've got one Dodge Ram van that you bought for a steal from an Italian grocery with mafia connections. It smells a little of salami and you think they used it to dispose of dead bodies.
You are a kruel and heartless GM. A salami-smelling Dodge van? Jeeze with a ride like that I will welcome the zombie who puts me out of my misery :P
Almost done.
And I ordered World War Z on Amazon.
Fantastic book. One of the best I read last year (and I read a lot)
Shortlist np.
Moth, Rad, Patrick, Flash? What U think?
REPRINT AND EDIT of MAKING CHARACTERS:
28 point buy (d20)
2nd level, half way to 3rd... whatever that is in XPs.
The following skills can be combined:
One free craft at max ranks, OR one free knowledge at max ranks.
Three free ranks each in Knowledge (either Popular Culture OR Current Events) and Drive (note: you don't need a feat for regular 4 wheeled vehicle operation, but you do for motorcycles).
Everyone has the same free feat:
Everyone has money, mobile phones, and whatever you want that is suitable to your selected profession. Don't worry about money. Hehe.
The only way you can have a gun is if you are a policeman. Hunters may also have guns but they must be kept locked. Concealed weapons are illegal except with special permits, such as those held by some security workers and private detectives. Remember, you are starting in Canada. Don't worry, there are gun shops, just not as many as you'll find in the US.
The characters are pussies, sure. But I'll be giving out some free feats to up your attack bonuses and skills - these will be in addition to level increase and dependent on what your character does. For example: use your gun for a while, get weapon familiarity with it for free. Drive a boat around for a few days, get familiarity OR drive it a few weeks, engage in combat while driving the boat a few times, get combat driving for the boat.
Three's a majority.
Make up a character any time if you please. I'll keep my schedule (ok I have none) and you can pop in whenever he or she is ready.
Shiny,
We've got a Filipino Doctor on the run from the military in his homeland, an American Sargent who came up to Vancouver to visit his Aunt Terri, a pair of Australian backpackers one of whom is a free runner and the other a martial arts aficionado.
You can probably forget a PC there for punk gigs, cuz Vancouver punk is twitching on its deathbed. In the halcyon days you could catch NMN, DK, DOA (umm still can?), SNFU (from my hometown!), Subhumans... <drops a few obscure but classic punk band names to sound cool> but all the great venues are condos now and the grotty corners are cleaned up and the herion addicts are in nice tidy clinics.....
...gngzzzt...
<gags himself.>
Shortlist np.
Moth, Rad, Patrick, Flash? What U think?
Excellent! The zombies will feast well! Welcome aboard Mr. Shiny!
I love the smell of burning zombie in the morning ... smells like victory.
Brains!
grrr... Damn Rassum Frassum +1 BAB Prerequisites for Feats! =(
grrr... Damn Rassum Frassum +1 BAB Prerequisites for Feats! =(
You can save your feat slot if you want and then buy it when you get the BAB next level. That's cool by me.
You are halfway to 3rd level when you start. That means you can pick 2 feats at 3rd.
grrr... Damn Rassum Frassum +1 BAB Prerequisites for Feats! =(You can save your feat slot if you want and then buy it when you get the BAB next level. That's cool by me.
You are halfway to 3rd level when you start. That means you can pick 2 feats at 3rd.
Wow! Cool, I will do that then. Cheers.
Also, are we maxing hp at all levels, or just 1st and then rolling on IC for other levels?
EDIT: Late night Moth. =)
EDIT: EDIT: Aaaaaand Sam is finally finished... now for some sweet sweet bed action. =) (And no, get your mind out of the gutter, my wife went to sleep 4 hrs ago and we have a 5 month old in the room.)
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Shiny,
We've got a Filipino Doctor on the run from the military in his homeland, an American Sargent who came up to Vancouver to visit his Aunt Terri, a pair of Australian backpackers one of whom is a free runner and the other a martial arts aficionado.
You can probably forget a PC there for punk gigs, cuz Vancouver punk is twitching on its deathbed. In the halcyon days you could catch NMN, DK, DOA (umm still can?), SNFU (from my hometown!), Subhumans... <drops a few obscure but classic punk band names to sound cool> but all the great venues are condos now and the grotty corners are cleaned up and the herion addicts are in nice tidy clinics.....
...gngzzzt...
<gags himself.>
Heh. You've given me an idea: an over-the-hill punk rocker. I'll start once I get home.
EDIT: Actually, now that I think about it, I'm gonna be unoriginal and play an idealized version of myself, a la "Diary of a Solipsist." Again, stats will be ready ASAP.
And by the way, I like the fact that Dave Judd is carrying around a cricket bat. My character will probably call him "Shaun" a lot.
Also, are we maxing hp at all levels, or just 1st and then rolling on IC for other levels?
Hopefully you won't take any damage. It could turn out bad.
I think we should roll, but if you feel unlucky you can roll multiple dice and average (using math class rules for rounding off) - just decide how many dice you want when you start.
So if you fear unluck, then roll 10 off the bat and average it. If you feel lucky roll one or two.
One roll of 10d8 on invisible castle, added up for you: 10d8=43
HPs:4
One roll of 10d10 on IC: 10d10=42
HPs: 4 Yikes!
One roll of 10d10 on IC:
10d10=69
7 HPS! YAY!
Or just decide how many HPs you think your character has according to you character conception....
...whatever.
Done.
Christ, how do I get this guy into Starbuck's?
Capitalizing on the escalating chaos and distracted police: Mike... the guy standing outside Starbuck's, with a razor blade and some green paint, changing the b to an f?
Promoter.
Organizer.
Maybe he's meeting his agent or something.
Well this is a game dealing with the flesh-eating soulless undead after all, so that would work.
Working in the New York Burger shop next door to Starbuck's, closing it down? Maybe he picked up a little side job to cover the irregular cash of playing gigs.
Even better, sitting on the roof of the New York Burger shop watching the chaos and playing his guitar. The rest of the staff has already bailed.
It's up to you guys to find a way to hook up with the punk kid sitting on the roof of the New York Burger Co.
;)
Great!
I changed your intro. Mary Ann lives across the street at the Gramercy. You can see the door from Starbuck's.
Sudden idea.
Tightened up the intro really well.
Just so you guys know the style of my posting for future reference, all of Sam's descriptive text is written normally, her "normal speech is in Bold", or "UPPER CASE BOLD for shouting or extreme emphasis", her "whispering is in Italics" and her . Very occasionally I may do a "loud whisper, which will be in Bold Italics".
Generally I will keep my at the beginning or end of a post, unless they specifically reference a section.
Fantastic game that I'm really gonna have to follow. I've never played Modern, but you all have me interested. Great theme, great characters, great maps, great soundtrack - and I'll add one, when Dave was making his run up the roof of the burger joint, War Pigs (FNM version) came on my player. Nice fit.
I have to say, living in the DC area through 9/11, Malvo the Sniper and Anthrax scares, you're given me the shivers. Creepy, creepy ala "I am Legend" (I prefer the book) or even Stephen King's homage, "Cell." I think it's the whole, how to we deal with this attitude - stock up or get out?