In Neptune's Realm - Chargen and Recruitment, Cyberpirates: create characters here! Options

[Dumori]

Armorers workshop seams more usefull than one for chem tech guns need mantinance so does armor. Plus with the communal desktop forge we have the abilty to add any nodds to our guns an armor at sea. Along with ones for medical use and cybertech and ship repairs we have alot of our bases covered. For longterm independance from needing to dock. If we can get a microfab for chemistry as well all the better.

[Foxx]

I think i'm going to change over form intell gal to financier/bean counter. Someone's got to keep up with the cash on this endeavor.

[Penta]

Foxx:

A voice of God response (in other words, not a suggestion, this is fundamental stuff I'd like everyone to keep in mind):

That really only works: As an OOC thing, and as an Additional Duty (the purser, it's properly called) on top of anything else you do ICly.

Even then, don't expect to see it come up too often after chargen - It'll come up, yes, but we're talking very basic double-entry bookkeeping that one could do with a scrap of paper or an excel spreadsheeet on the OOC side, and ICly you'll have custom accounting software on the ship's computer to help you do it. You do need someone to do it, but it can't be the only thing you do.

Realistically, especially if we're talking a smaller crew, everybody needs to have an operational role of some sort.

The situation starts to allow more support roles as we reach 8 players, and with 10-12 players I specifically look for someone to act in the total-support roles as a dedicated MD (with background and stats to match) onboard ship.

Okay, end of VOG stuff, back to my usual GM posture of "These are strictly suggestions until I say otherwise":

I'm seeing a lot of role overlap as I look at concepts. My one tip as GM is that it'll probably make people somewhat happier in the long-run if roles are...Well, some overlap is expected, but you want to also have your bases covered, and clearly define who does what primarily, and who backs up whom. If you need help defining roles, tell me the context you need to define roles in, and I can scribble up a list of potential roles so everybody is working off a common vocabulary.
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A brief note about karma expenditure and stuff.

Because this campaign doesn't lend itself to a neat dividide between "action" and "non-action" like a normal campaign, I handle it differently.

There's time operational, and shore leave.

Shore leaves I'll declare - they're basically "downtimes", times for you to do the stuff you'd ordinarily do between runs (that you can't do aboard ship). The quickie rule of thumb I use is that when you're docked, it's a shore leave. That's when I process karma expenditures, when new players are added, etc.

Outside of shore leaves, you do stuff. You train, stand watches (quick and dirty rule: For training time purposes, each half hour spent standing a watch counts as one hour training time in the associated skill, I'll go into this more if need be), go after ships, and...yeah, this is sort of the run period.

Edge is tricky - my initial insticnt is to refresh it with each shore loeave, but that's a gut instinct.

As that note: look at This thread. It's long, it includes a lot of sausagemaking, but it has some handy rulings and stuff from the last time a group did the chargen process with me; As that was only in September, I've not really had chance to change my mind on rules-fu stuff, though I'm entirely persuadable.

What I've posted previously on this thread wins, but rather than repeat myself, I figure it just saves sanity if I point you guys to there, and you can ask questions with that knowledge of how I've ruled in the past.
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Finally: While we are nowhere *near* being ready to start play yet, that doesn't mean I don't think about the first moves.

My initial instinct is to repeat, with modifications, the training sequence the initial crew underwent onboard the Fedallah last campaign. It'll be modified to remove some of the drudgery, but it seems kind of nuts to just recruit you, hand over the keys to the boat (or whatever) and send you off. I wouldn't do that if I were the UCAS Navy, at least. So they'll probably do something, at the very least to bond you guys together and make sure you can handle life at sea before they turn over the ship and send you off on your own.

We can montage it as much as you guys want, that said. I know it dragged on a bit for those who did it last time, and my hope this time is that I can shake out some of the bugs and get it to run faster.

[Penta]

On that note, since today I've been through what remains of my old files (mostly karma logs and the like) for the last campaign, here's the Zodiac boat that I found in one of the threads, that maybe sticks out to you guys as a subcraft.

Zodiac International Hurricane VI RHIB

With over 80 years of history and development, Zodiac's Hurricane line of rigid hull inflateable boats is the best selling and most well-known RIB in the 6th world. The Hurricane is fast, small, manuverable, and easy to transport. They are commonly used by militaries and law enforment officials who need a quick an power craft that can be easily deployed from a larger ship or helicopter. Over the years the Hurricane base model has been kept highly streamlined, boasting only simple manual controls and only the most basic of sensors. These options can be added-on in more advanced models.

Std. Upgrade: Assembly Time Improvement

Handling +3
Accel 15/35
Speed 90
Pilot 0
Body 10
Armor 4
Sensor 1
Avail 9
Cost 30,000Y
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Rulings I'm making: Each Zodiac holds 16 people, including the 1 operator.

Disassembled, your typical Zodiac fits in about a cubic foot, excluding the engine. Assembly takes Body minutes, and uses one tank of compressed air - which costs 1Y at your local gas station and .5Y for refills.

This is only your 'stock' version. Zodiac sells numerous modified versions, all made in the UCAS.

[Faraday]

I'm seeing a lot of role overlap as I look at concepts. My one tip as GM is that it'll probably make people somewhat happier in the long-run if roles are...Well, some overlap is expected, but you want to also have your bases covered, and clearly define who does what primarily, and who backs up whom. If you need help defining roles, tell me the context you need to define roles in, and I can scribble up a list of potential roles so everybody is working off a common vocabulary.

I think we need a clear sound off of who's currently intending to do what to help us figure out what we have covered.

So far, my character is a MD/Hacker with a couple repair skills.

[Dumori]

I'm going ex-SBS so a sam type also a diver and steath to some extent

[Minchandre]

My character probably counts as a pure hacker (though with some very particular focuses), though she's capable of fighting if absolutely necessary.

EDIT: Spelling

[spudrocks]

I would like to add a character if a position is still open. An ex smuggler magician. A few technical skills other than the required, some rather expected magical skills, some inflitration skill, and little combat skills except those used in self defense or fishing take your pick.

[Penta]

Position's open, yes. Same rules as everybody else.

[fazzamar]

I would like to add a character if a position is still open. An ex smuggler magician. A few technical skills other than the required, some rather expected magical skills, some inflitration skill, and little combat skills except those used in self defense or fishing take your pick.

That'll be 2 magicians, not a major issue, but from your description I think you and me are going to have a fair bit of overlap... here's a quick skill/spell list for my mage:

Active Skills:
Conjuring group 2
Spellcasting 5
Astral Combat 3
Counterspelling 3
Perception 3
Infiltration 3
Shadowing 2
Pistols 3
Swimming 1
Nautical Mechanic 1

Spells:
Increase Reflexes
Heal
Powerbolt
Manaball
Improved Invis
Silence
Armor
Magic Fingers
Mist
Levitate

[Xahn Borealis]

Pure Watercraft Rigger. Pilot Watercraft 6 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
Navigation/Pilot for me
Combat skills consist of mounted weaponry and a backup sidearm in a cyberarm

[Faraday]

Pure Watercraft Rigger. Pilot Watercraft 6 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
Navigation/Pilot for me
Combat skills consist of mounted weaponry and a backup sidearm in a cyberarm

Any significant mechanical skills to speak of? (Can you fix our boat with duct tape and a soldering iron?)

[Minchandre]

Alright, here we go. One Communications Officer, right here. I'd also like to put Cherry forward for the position of Purser (she has a Math SPU and is probably one of the crew that our employers will trust more) and XO (she has some military command experience).

I can post the full spreadsheet if anyone really feels that's necessary.

EDIT: I just realized I forgot to make Cherry a SINner. Whoops. Dropping Codeblock for SINner.

Vital Stats

[ Spoiler ]

Name: Ilana Duvdevani
Alias: Cherry
Age: 28 (I think - born 29 February 2044)[/b]
Sex: Female
Metatype: Elf
Role: Electronic Warfare Specialist/Hacker
Brief Description: Though primarily an electronic warfare specialist, Cherry is also capable as a general-purpose hacker, though her military background leaves her with a particularly brutal style (it's telling that she carries a level 6 Blackhammer, but no Blackout). She's also okay with a gun, and kinda sort okay at talking.
Body 2
Agility 2
Reaction 3
Strength 2
Charisma 4
Intuition 5
Logic 6 (9)
Willpower 3
Edge 2

Biography in 3 Paragraphs

[ Spoiler ]

Born 29 February, 2044 (1 Adar I 5804) in the town of Zikhron Ya'akov (about 30 km south of Haifa), it was clear from day one that Ilana "Cherry" Duvdevani was hopelessly infected with nerd. Her mom was a New York Jew who had fled the USA at 15 following the sort of collapse of that nation, and her father was a typical Sabra (Israeli native). Her parents and two much older brothers lavished attention on her, always pushing her to succeed academically.

In middle and high school, she excelled academically getting fast-tracked to the prestigious Talpiot program (roughly equivalent in prestige and status to attend Westpoint/Air Force/Annapolis). Two years after her enlistment, however, her studies were interrupted as war broke out, and young Cadet Duvdevani was immediately tasked as a Battlefield Control and Coordination operator, which task she excelled at. After the war, she finished up her studies, and then continued them through the Technion's Fight/Study PhD program for serving officers, culminating in her thesis last year, "Transmission band coding: a high performance hardware-based encoding method for high volume, wideband transmissions", which seems likely to spark a small technical revolution. She excelled in her military work, and along the way got enough 'ware shoved in her head to turn her into a modern-day Mentat and make her sneeze fiber.

Doctorate in hand, Seren (Captain - roughly O3/O4 in NATO standards) Duvdevani thought to take a few years' break to give civilian life a try. A few short weeks in, however, she was contacted by her godfather, Alam (Colonel) Chaim Levy, a senior officer in Modi'in (Intelligence Corps). Uncle Chaim explained that her leave had actually been granted basically on the understanding that she would perform a particular job. Obviously, Israel was a free country, and she wouldn't be obligated to serve in this capacity, but it would definitely hurt her career path not to...

Physical and Personality Description

[ Spoiler ]

Cherry is about average attractiveness for an elf, which makes her a knockout by any other standard, especially if you're into redheaded pointears (and let's face it: who isn't?). Unfortunately, this innate attractiveness is balanced out by her being a giant nerd. Makeup is something that's inflicted on her by friends when they go out, and hair is kept short and in a sensible pony tail, typically with the Computer Directorate's dayglow green beret on top. Clothing tends to be olive fatigues on duty or on base, and jeans and a tshirt when on leave. When she goes out (God forbid!), she typically wears whatever her more fashionable friends are able to inflict on her.

Personality-wise, Ilana is a typical nerdy academic, with a splash of army. She's pretty quiet except when talking about her fields of interest, when she practically explodes with knowledge. Whenever she speaks, its heavy with jargon and technical terms. She also has a light but noticeable Israeli accent when she speaks, though she's able to do a fairly convincing Brooklyn when needed. She's always optimistic, even if she can be a little cynical, which tends to grate on people.

Skillz (Yes, with a Z)

[ Spoiler ]

Athletics (Group) 1
Outdoors (Group) 1
Mechanic (Group) 1
Electronics (Group) 4
Electronic Warfare 6
Cybercombat 4
Hacking 4
Automatics 2
Unarmed Combat 1
Leadership 2
Etiquette 1
Hebrew N
English N
Arabic 5
Armenian 2
Russian 2
Electrical Engineering 6
Computer Theory 4
Physics 4
Military 4
Corp (Ares Macrotechnology) 2
Matrix Theory 2
Sci-Fi Trids 1
Criminal (Vory) 1

Qualities

[ Spoiler ]

Bilingual 5
Trust Fund 20
Records on File (IDF) -10
Records on File (UCAS military) -10
Low Pain Tolerance -10
SINner -5

Gear
A bunch. I spent 50 BP on gear, and really don't want to list it all here, though I'll list her 'ware.

[ Spoiler ]

Commlink (Alpha) (Fairlight Caliban, modified to 6/6)
Datajack (Alpha)
Encephalon II
Math SPU (Alpha)
Hot Sim Module (Alpha)
Image Link (Alpha)
Cerebral Booster 3
Sleep Regulator
PuSHeD

Drones/Vehicles
2 Aztechnology Armadillos

Contacts

[ Spoiler ]

Chaim Levey 4/4 - a close personal friend of the Duvdevani family, Chaim Levey also happens to be very high up in Israeli military intelligence. He'll stretch himself to help Cherry, and his influence is immense within Israel, and surprisingly powerful outside, as well.

Amit Eisenberg 3/4 - a shooting star in Ares Macrotechnology, Amit currently heads up one of their EW divisions. He and Cherry met in Talpiot, and dated for long enough that people thought they might get married. Unfortunately, when Amit got his job with Ares and was transferred, the young couple learned that neither was willing to sacrifice their ambitions for the relationship. The two remain close, however, communicating regularly through the Matrix.

Kevin Roberts 2/4 - Cherry's never actually met Kevin Roberts in person, though they've spoken a little over the Matrix. They got put into touch with each other by a fairly convoluted chain of mutual friendships, but such are the credentials they've been presented with that there's a fair bit of mutual trust.

[GrimWulf]

So, been sitting back and playing with stuff.

Think I'll claim the Gunnery Officer position as Dumori switched to quarterpounder errr quartermaster. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Any issues with the restricted gear quality Penta? Or taking it multiple times for that matter?

While asking that... if you OK'd it, would taking ammo for an assault cannon require a separate quality pick?

[Faraday]

So, been sitting back and playing with stuff.

Think I'll claim the Gunnery Officer position as Dumori switched to quarterpounder errr quartermaster. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Any issues with the restricted gear quality Penta? Or taking it multiple times for that matter?

While asking that... if you OK'd it, would taking ammo for an assault cannon require a separate quality pick?

Considering he ok'd my rough character sheet with restricted gear, I doubt you'd have too many issues. >.>

I think we're dealing with a "no-munchinks plz" kind of GM.

[GrimWulf]

The heavy weapon to start would be the only thing i'd really consider munchy.

Just fits with the concept in my head that's struggling to break surface

[Minchandre]

Considering he ok'd my rough character sheet with restricted gear, I doubt you'd have too many issues. >.>

I think we're dealing with a "no-munchinks plz" kind of GM.

Yeah, I have a piece of forbidden gear, and got approval for a couple others I decided not to use in the end.

[toturi]

Pure Watercraft Rigger. Pilot Watercraft 6 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
Navigation/Pilot for me
Combat skills consist of mounted weaponry and a backup sidearm in a cyberarm

I was going for Navigator with Outdoors 3, but only Pilot Watercraft 1. More of a do-not-get-lost kind of Navigator.

[Penta]

I should note for Michandre's sake that of the elected positions, you can only have one - So, Purser OR XO.

[Penta]

Some stuff unrelated to anything:

Michandre, no need to post up your sheet again, but for everybody else I recommend posting your full gear listing, too, not just cyberware. Spoiler codes can be used inside of each other. This will become vital when I create the OOC thread for the campaign, as you guys will post your sheets before I repost the ship stuff. The reason is that in case something happens to my hard drive (which has happened before) or I or others are away from our normal computers, the sheets on the OOC thread will be our reference copies. Especially for me, I keep the excel sheets orwhatnot at home on my computer. I don't bring it around with me on a flash drive or anything.

For everybody. I use google chat and/or AIM extensively, and/or MSN messenger. If you don't, that's fine. If you do, I'll happily share my contact info via PM if you ask. If you don't use it regularly, understand that I filter my AIM list (though not my google list, it filters itself) every so often for people who don't talk to me much. I'm happy to chat about the game, or just babble about anything. However, while I'll outline stuff and even negotiate stuff over AIM or Google (I can even, over AIM, do 1-on-1 scenes for later posting), for fairness it should be considered tentative until posted.

Email: Yeah, as you finish sheets or backgrounds, PM me and you'll get my email address. Like with instant messenging, I'm happy to chat about the game, or just babble, or whatever. However, so far as game stuff goes - actual rules rulings, same rule as for IMs - it's tentative until I post something about it. If you want to do 1-on-1 scenes via email, we can do that too.

Same broad guidelines apply to PMs - I don't use em as much because I kinda don't like the interface, but I can work with it. Scenes using it are a bit harder, but totally possible.
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Oh, and nobody's asked, but since Zzyxzs is posting here, I figured I'd mention: If you previously played in Blood in the Water, feel free to bring over your chracter from that campaign. Or creating a new one. Just PM me and we'll work out the details.

[Penta]

Considering he ok'd my rough character sheet with restricted gear, I doubt you'd have too many issues. >.>

I think we're dealing with a "no-munchinks plz" kind of GM.

Exactly right. I pay attention to the RAW, but I pay far more attention to how it all fits together, and how it all balances out.

[Hudson]

I don't think anyone else did already thus I'd like to call dibs on the Medical Officer position with a former russian medical officer/battlefield surgeon, if possible.

[Penta]

We have a medic/comms person, but I don't think we've a dedicated medic.

Oh, one thing...Nobody's fallen foul of this yet, but I highly recommend y'all pick a language everybody should have in common.

Thusfar for the record, English seems to be winning on that score.

[Dumori]

English seams the best bet any way being the universeal language in aviation and sailing.

[Minchandre]

I don't think anyone else did already thus I'd like to call dibs on the Medical Officer position with a former russian medical officer/battlefield surgeon, if possible.

Hey, my character speaks Russian! I mean, not well...

English should definitely be the common language, especially considering our employers.

EDIT: I'd also like to note that I really like the former-military vibe that so many of our group seem to be developing. I think it'll give the game an interesting tone, compared to the usual options on Mirror Shades/Pink Mohawk continuum.