Looking to play...or GM... Options

[Penta]

Knight has it right...Sort of...I will say that I have not determined your initial sponsor, but it could be a corp...or a government...really depending on my mood when I write the setting if we go the cyberpirates route.

[Knight Saber]

CollateralDynamo,

I like your face idea... contacts and lots of them would be important in a game that would do a fair amount of moving around from place to place.

I don't have a solid idea myself yet... perhaps a former naval commando in the street sam role, or a gunslinger adept. A "sea elf" shaman also has some appeal, should there be room for magic users.

[Marwynn]

I don't care, I'm still free, you can't take the sea from me...

Shall we start with our characters? I'm itching to see what everyone wants to do, I'll fill in a hole or two if there are any still with this many players.

[CollateralDynamo]

Han Solo with an AI Falcon is a good one, but an even better one might be Firefly at sea... a ship and a ragtag crew on the fringes of the law trying to scrape by and keep sailing however they can.

LIKE!

[Penta]

LIKE!

Do I lose my geek license if I admit to never having watched Firefly?

[CollateralDynamo]

Do I lose my geek license if I admit to never having watched Firefly?

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/eek.gif) Wow, our DM is now on geek probation....having second thoughts now... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Seriously though, if this campaign gets off the ground and we decide that we will be a cut above scum of the earth pirates (which I hope we will), the series would definitely be worth a once over. They are all free on hulu if you want to check them out.

[Marwynn]

Nope, but it's now up for renewal.

Quickly! Quote something from Star Wars!

Have you decided on points and any special rules? I am thinking Mage here, a bit of a tomb raider perhaps. But as I said, whatever the team needs.

[Penta]

400 points. I may allow more, but ya gotta convince me.

Only position I'm going to enforce requirements on specifically: The ship's Master (not necessarily its commander, but sometimes the same person) is the one legally responsible for the ship.

There are specific skill requirements attached to this to get a license.
----

Requirements for the Master:

SIN (Real or a fake of at LEAST rating 4)
Skills required:

Maritime Law 2
Pilot Water Craft 3
English at least 4
Swimming 2
Navigation 3
---

Also, for sanity's sake, because this is a navalish campaign...Everybody must be able to swim. In the 1500s-1800s, maybe it would make sense for ya not to be able to swim...but not in 2072.

Finally, everybody will get a common contact of Kevin Roberts, a fixer of Loyalty 2, Connections 4. Free contact.

Other than that, please do settle upon roles in the ship's crew amongst yaselves.

Edit: Forgot to add.

The Magical Google Globe says you'll be starting in Miami, in the Carib League. Yes, you'll be starting out in the Carib. So sue me, I'm feeling uninspired.

Everybody please please please take a common language.

This post has been edited by Penta: Sep 16 2009, 03:56 AM

[milk ducks]

Sounds good. I feel a lot more comfortable with the Pirates idea now that it's been laid out a bit more for me; thanks for that guys. It's just after midnight now, and I'm pretty tired, but I'll pop on tomorrow before work to see what kinds of characters you're all into and try to decide on one for myself. I can tell you right now that I'm probably not interested in taking over the position as Captain or Leader or whatever, heh. It's not that I'm not interested in the responsibility, I'd just like something a bit less complicated for my first SR game. We need a designated (mounted) Gunner?

-milk.

[CollateralDynamo]

Hitting the hay really soon, but I was toying with my idea. Would it be too corny to take Poor Sense (sight) and wear an eye-patch? I'm an adept! I won't get it replaced!

Also, since I am doing the face thing, I was thinking my position on the ship would need to be pretty high up. I'm not calling dibs on captain, but 1st mate or quartermaster seem to be the only two sensible options. If nobody has a problem with it I would be willing to take captain and get the boat, but I will bow to anyone else who wants to do it.

[Marwynn]

Good stuff, good stuff. If this is a pirate style game perhaps instead of extra BP we get free contacts? Knowledge Skills are (Int + Logic) x 2, so maybe free contacts can be (Cha + Int) x 2? Or whatever. Lets us have good contacts without sacrificing the character's skills.

I suppose we can all take English as our common tongue, probably easier for all involved.

Gunnery - I'm taking at least 1 rank, for those situations.
Diving - Ditto.
Escape Artist - Ditto. Don't want to get tangled up down there.
Blades - Buckle some swash!

Does everyone have a role in mind? And yeah not that interested in being the Ship's Master. But if no one else will, I'll do it.

[milk ducks]

I might be interested in playing a character that's a sea-shaman or something. I've just got a vague idea right now, but maybe someone who's seen by the crew as a good luck charm more than an actual asset in combat. Great with navigation, always full of stories. Part-time priest and maybe defacto doctor? Quasi-crazy, sea-water drinking type guy? I might be interested in something like that, if the other players think there's room for the character.

Going to bed now, take it easy guys.

-milk.

[Knight Saber]

OK, I'll be the captain/owner aboard, a special forces naval commando who retired and bought a boat (What kind, in general, GM?), but found his old, violent life hard to escape from, especially after trying to make money legitimately with his boat failed.

[budoka05]

Weren't we going with the 2nd vote idea? LOL

I'm going to run with the cyberpirates, and I'll take a combat expert for all those bloody boarding jobs.

Otherwise I vote for the straight shadowrunning (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Whizbang]

http://www.hulu.com/search?query=Firefly

there you go....watch, enjoy, get that geek license renewed.

About now, thinking hacker/covert ops specialist. Might read up on the rules for a rigger, but I'd rather leave that to someone more experienced.

[Penta]

Roles I suspect will be needed in terms of ship crew:

Commanding Officer (could take other roles)
Executive Officer (could take other roles)
Gunner (likely a rigger)
Helmsman/Pilot (Could be same as gunner)

I'm unsure, with rigged ships, whether a ship of any size -needs- an engineering officer.

Other than those 4 roles, I fully expect everybody else to be doing boarding.

Which I will let you organize as you will.
---

The background, copied from my previous campaign (because it still works and I'm lazy!):

Privateering will be the theme. Grab your towels.

Next up: starting setting (We mgiht stay in this area, might move. It'll depend on how the story goes.)

For my sanity's sake, we're going to start in the Western Atlantic. This area can range ANYWHERE from the Grand Banks off Canada to the Atlantic coast of South America North of Brazil (The classic "Spanish Main"). Data's just a lot more available for this patch of ocean.

Like the pirates and privateers of old, this will actually be a somewhat "amphibious" campaign. The focus will be the water, yes, but you may well end up doing a fair bit on land, too.

Okay, background info as you make your characters:

Unknown to the characters

The Congress shall have power: ... To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations; To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water; ... - Article I, Section 8, US Constitution

As stated in numerous parts of the SR canon, the UCAS Constitution is basically a copy and paste of the US Constitution, with deadwood such as the 18th and 21st amendments removed, and the electoral college replaced by direct popular voting.

However, Article I contains an interesting thing. One nobody noticed when they were doing that cut-and-paste job, which really was rushed.

Letters of Marque and Reprisal. The commission of privateers, private ships armed and outfitted by private parties, and given a commission by a government to make war upon specified targets.

Nominally, they need to be issued by Congress. In 1856, most countries then existing ratified the Declaration of Paris abolishing the things...But the US, because its Navy was tiny at the time, never did. (Though it did say, during the American Civil War and Spanish-American War, that it would abide by it, the US never became a party.) As the UCAS formally succeeds from the USA, not Canada, this still holds true.

Well, by 2072, the UCAS Navy, while powerful, can't do some things without either engaging in an act of war, precipitating an international incident, or causing severe political heartburn.

So it, like everybody else, outsources. Unlike previous efforts in history, this one actually has Congressional approval, through the intelligence subcommittees. (The line item for it in the budget is in a classified annex, obviously - tucked away in the oddest places, too.)

Known to the characters

The starting city: Miami. The starting date: 1 October 2072

The parameters:

You'll have been brought together as runners only days before, on the 27th September. Your Johnson offers you some...interesting terms. Apparently, you were cleared by his employer (There's no clue who it might be, but the otherwise non-descript Johnson's manner suggests he's government or military; his voice suggests UCAS or CAS origin) previously, so he lays it out:

You'll essentially be acting as modern day privateers. From time to time, through secure channels, we will designate missions for you to perform. A pay rate will be noted. Your accepting now will be deemed your acceptance for later. Also, if you come across things - maybe you see or hear things, or acquire things, or so forth - that may be of intelligence value to us, you are to report them through channels which will be provided. Based upon the value and coroborration behind the intelligence you submit, you will be paid a minimum of two thousand nuyen per report. That number can, by the way, go up, the Johnson notes.

Otherwise, you're privateers. Whatever captures you make that we didn't tell you to make are yours to do with as you wish. No slave raids, however, will be permitted, even if you aren't working on things for us at the time.

In exchange for all of this, you'll get an initial budget from which to acquire and outfit a ship and to otherwise equip yourself. This will be a loan, but no interest will be imposed and no set term for payoff - just realize that you won't actually see money from this employer until you -do- pay it off, either in money or in information (or services) of value.

[Penta]

Oooh oooh.

Old Thread Reading convinced me of something.

Everybody must have Nautical Mechanics at at least 1, or be willing to learn it on the run.

Why?

Damage Control.

Meanwhile - the old game was named "Marque and Reprisal".

Now seeking suggestions for a new name for this game.

[Marwynn]

Slippery When Wet
Tales of Paranormal Monkey Island

I dunno.

So we have a Face Adept, an ex-Naval Commando, a sea-elf shaman, and one interested in gunnery and possibly rigging.

I would request some way to calculate free contacts. With all the potential requisites for the campaign I think it'll balance out.

I'm still interested in another Mage character... Will work on a concept. Perhaps a spy or infiltrator.. the "intelligence" guy aboard.

[Penta]

Hitting the hay really soon, but I was toying with my idea. Would it be too corny to take Poor Sense (sight) and wear an eye-patch? I'm an adept! I won't get it replaced!

Also, since I am doing the face thing, I was thinking my position on the ship would need to be pretty high up. I'm not calling dibs on captain, but 1st mate or quartermaster seem to be the only two sensible options. If nobody has a problem with it I would be willing to take captain and get the boat, but I will bow to anyone else who wants to do it.

Yes, I would have to attack you with a parrot.(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Knight, I'm logging on surreptitiously before class, so I'll get back to you on the boat issue this afternoon.

Keep in mind that I feel free to ignore list prices on the boat, instead setting it for whatever I think might be good for the game. GM's privilege.

Also, one word: Surplus.

[CollateralDynamo]

Roles I suspect will be needed in terms of ship crew:

Commanding Officer (could take other roles)
Executive Officer (could take other roles)
Gunner (likely a rigger)
Helmsman/Pilot (Could be same as gunner)

I'm unsure, with rigged ships, whether a ship of any size -needs- an engineering officer.

Other than those 4 roles, I fully expect everybody else to be doing boarding.

Which I will let you organize as you will.
---

Alright, so if we are going with that nomenclature I'd like to throw my hat into the ring for XO (Executive Officer). I have most of the basics for the character set up and ready to go. With the face skills I should be a suitable mouth piece for our CO and with my combat and leadership skills I should be at least marginally useful in boarding ops. Anyone have a problem with me basically being the 1st Mate?

We should definitely have a rigger for this ship, that said if someone is whipping up a hacker, it only takes a few extra points to make him capable of jumping into our freighter and doing the piloting and gunning. Hopefully we can get costs of autosofts for the boat on the johnson's tab and maybe this thing could even steer itself for a vast majority of the time, but somebody has got to interface with it.

[CollateralDynamo]

I would request some way to calculate free contacts. With all the potential requisites for the campaign I think it'll balance out.

I agree here, more points on contacts would be very nice since my face is practically required to take one or two in every port of harbor on that seaboard. If I can't get free points I'll need to hash out some sort of Group Contact (general rules in the RC) with you Penta.

Also, names for the game:
- Marquey Marque and the Funky Bunch
- Pirating, the Non-Software Variety
- Blood on the Seas, Wind in the Sails
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Marwynn]

Pirating like its 1799
The Perfect Storms
RDRR

EDIT: Scratch those character concepts of mine.

I have a combat mage of sorts, with blades and automatics and a nice suite of support spells.

[milk ducks]

As titles go, "Slippery When Wet" gets my vote. I think it's important to mention that in some of the most successful stories like these, the ship itself should basically be considered a character in and of itself. The relationships between Han and the Falcon, Mal and Serenity, or Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl are solid, and they add a lot to the story because the ships themselves have a personality all their own. It'd be nice if our ship could be viewed as a fleshed-out character like any other NPC; I'm not necesarily suggesting it's an AI with a literal personality all its own, just that it should be more than just a mobile base.

Sounds like when we start, we'll have just purchased the boat. Is it possible that my character (a sea shaman) has a deep, spiritual connection to the ship, like he's got a lodge built down in the hull, and that when the players acquire the boat, he was part of the deal? I'd like the character to view the open seas as a place of rioling spirits and unchained elemental energy; sailors live and die by the elements (Earth is the refuge and shelter of coastal harbours; the (sea)water itself represents both serenity and chaos; the beasts of the ocean and the sky are both life and death; the sun is your hope and the night is your compass; wind (traditionally) represents fate and destiny; etc, etc). The character is tied spiritually to the boat, and sees it as a part of this grand scheme in a very real way.

As "class roles" go, I'd like him to be more utility than straight combat (most of his combat will be in the form of summoning, I think); he'd be the crew's de-facto medic, their chaplain, their (spiritual) navigator who can see beyond sensors and blueprints, and their empathic link to the ship itself. I can't honestly imagine this character boarding other vessels and taking part in any "away team" activities. Rather, I imagine him more as a guy who'd stay behind with the boat, armed with an AK97, prepared to summon powerful spirits to aid his allies; whether in combat directly, or in utility functions, like summoning a spirit of the wind to grant the crew fog cover on approach to their target.

If that's cool with everyone, that is? I can make another character if this one doesn't fit what you're imagining.

-milk.

[Whizbang]

That Blood on the Seas name sounds good. And yeah, I'll work on the hacker/rigger deal.

And your shaman concept sounds interesting. I see a potential for a tech vs magic between our two characters. And... I dub thee Albatross. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[milk ducks]

Hell yeah, that's an awesome name man, thanks.

-milk.