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Sandoval Smith
IC Thread

Okay, I've been tossing around an idea for running an experimental SR setting, and I figure that PbM would be a good way to try it out. Due to the setting, and character interaction that (I hope) will be going on, this will have to be a small group. Four players at this point. Here are the outlines so far:

123 Build Points, usual rules, anything under avail 8 is go. Because of the setting, there are probably going to be a few quirks about gear, so we might have to go over equipment lists a couple times. Cyberware, bioware, and magic points are all good places to spend nuyen. Don't bother with lifestyle or Docwagon.

If you're going to be a decker, choose either otaku or use a cranial cyberdeck.

Riggers are probably a bad idea. There will be no role for vehicles to begin with, and this will be a highly mobile game, so having to go stationary to control drones could be a lethal distraction.

Don't spend much time on background. The characters will be starting with total amnesia, a conditon not likely to improve.

Focus on technical skills primarily. 6th world knowledge skills will be fairly useless, as well as a lot of other culture and language specific skills.

Any questions, feel free to ask.
Chance359
Any details on the setting and how far it differs from cannon?
Whizbang
so we automatically have to take the Amnesia flaw?
Leowulf
I like it. Are we going to another planet by chance? wink.gif

I've been thinking of doing something a bit different as well. I want to see how this game goes.
Bastard
youre going to do this via email? rather than forum?
Sandoval Smith
I was originally thinking to do this as play by e-mail, but a little more thought has changed my mind. It'll be easier to run this on the forum.

Don't take the amnesia flaw. It's not that your characters have forgotten everything, it's that they never had anything to remember in the first place.

I don't have any details of the setting to pass along right now. The characters start out in total incomprehension of their situation, and so the players will as well (I'm not doing this to jerk people around; figuring out what precisley is happening is an important part of the plot).

On that note, don't take any contacts at start. I'll try and get the players some connections in the game soon enough, but at the beginning, they don't know anybody else.
JaronK
Wow, sounds like a perfect game for Wildcard. Generally a street sam type. In normal games, he's a chipped samurai who's used skillwires, BTL chips, and chipped skill so much that he's forgotten who he really is anyway. I guess in this game, he'd be more of a blank slate, but capable of slotting whatever is needed. He has computer skills, but no deck to start (though that could change). He's also an adrenaline junkie, with a bit of an impulsive streak and a tendancy to get bored, and he's not as wired for speed as many sams, but he's got chips that allow him to play a pretty impressive face in a pinch.

Is starting with vehicles a good idea or bad idea (I was thinking a street racing bike)?

JaronK
Sandoval Smith
As I said in the first post, no vehicles.

BTW, I can tell you this much. Deus is involved.

No, it's not an arc run.
Sphynx
I'm interested. If there are no objections, I'll work on a CyberAdept. smile.gif

Sphynx
Chance359
I'm also interested. I've got an ork sam I've been wanting to try out. Question: are Raygun's weapons allowed?
Aku
I'm also interested... however i'm an SR newb, so i will understand if you want a more high grade group playing your experiment.
Panzergeist
I would be interested. Got room for a physad spy? Is material from SOTA 2064 allowed?
Whizbang
Was thinking a face/BE spec.
Sandoval Smith
Raygun's weapons are out. We're just going by the books on this one. Of the people who have announced a character:

Whizbang: Face /BE
Panzergeist: Physad sneaker
Chance 359: Ork Sam
Spyhnx: Cyber adept
JaronK: Sam

2064 is allowed. I don't have a copy of it right now though, so I might need an explanation accompanying anything you take out of it.

I think five characters are about the max for what would work well in this campaign. Since more people than that have shown interest, put a character together and post it. Make sure that they have at least one good combat skill, they're going to need it sooner or later. If more than five people submit characters, I'll choose the ones that will 'fit' the best. I'm sorry that I can't really be more explicit for what I want in a character, but like I said, it's an experimental setting, and I'll know what I'm looking for when I see it. Just don't make too many assumptions based on what you know of about 2064 Seattle. Very little of that will apply here.
Gremish
Interested =D ill throw up a char asap thinking either a adept or a B&E covert opp sammy =P
Whizbang
so does the Amnesia flaw count in our flaw points? And if so, at what level?
Jrayjoker
I am interested as well. I will post ASAP. Haven't really thought about it yet, but a gun bunny/brawler may happen.
Whizbang
Do you take NSRCG files, or should I type it out?
Jrayjoker
Here is Gromitz:

[ Spoiler ]


I did not do any background based on your previous posts. Let me know what you think. The Smartlink II with Rangefinder makes him wicked with the pistol and shotgun at long and extended ranges. cyber.gif

I figured this guy could be the enforcer/protector for a group less specialized in combat.
Sphynx
I've changed my concept a bit while working on the character. He has no Cyber, but will have SURGE if permitted. Question though. Do you charge the optional 5 BP to be SURGEd? I've made the character under taht assumption, but wouldn't mind 5 extra BP if that purchase wasn't required. Will post character as soon as I get an answer to that. smile.gif

Sphynx
Sphynx
Completed Character

[ Spoiler ]
Panzergeist
How do you guys make those spoiler tags?

Whizbang
[ spoiler ] to start the spoiler and [ /spoiler ] if you want to add more text afterwards. Just take out the spaces.
Sandoval Smith
Don't take amnesia as a flaw. I was using it as a poorly worded example of how you're starting. You have all your skills, but don't remember anything of your past (more to the point, none of you have pasts to remember).

Jrayjoker: lose the contacts. When the game starts, all the players have is each other. I'd also rethink Gremlins. That affects cyberwear too, so you might have trouble with the smartlink, cybereyes, and datajack (especially at Level 3, although your bioware would be safe, at least). The medkit can only have a max rating of 6 at chargen.

Sphynx: you don't have to pay the 5 BPs to be a Changeling. I'm going to have to nix 'hung out to dry,' since no one is starting off with contacts anyway. The rest of the character is looking good though.

Whizbang: I'd prefer you posted wrote out your stats. I find it easier to reference than the generator print outs.

Here's one more thing I've been tossing around, but I'm really going to need some opinions from the players. Characters can start with sub zero essence, but are not cyber zombies (there are story reasons behind this). They have to take the dual natured and astral hazing SURGE flaws, but do not need memory stimulators, or some of the other cyber zombie specific ware. I'm also thinking that max Charisma for such a character would be 2 (or maybe a -4 CHA penalty for going below 0).
Whizbang
Well, here's my sheet...wouldn't be surprised if I wound up tweaking it some more between now and any deadline.

[ Spoiler ]
Panzergeist
Here is Fade, male human adept of the Invisible Way

[ Spoiler ]
Chance359
This is Greven:
[ Spoiler ]
Jrayjoker
Here is a modified Gromitz:
[ Spoiler ]
Jrayjoker
So, is this still a going concern? Am I assumend to be in or out? What is the situation?
Jrayjoker
OK, "final" edit based on GM comments:

[ Spoiler ]
Sandoval Smith
Okay, so that's five characters posted. Monday sounds like a good start date, since most of the characters look pretty close to finished. I'll start a better labeled IC thread then (we'll use this one for OC posts). The only problem I see overall is there is no real magical support (in hindsight, I suppose I should've remembered to put 'recruiting' in the title to get more attention). I can work around that though, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Jrayjoker: Looking good.

Chance: You're going to want to drop the internal GPS. There won't be any satellite around for it to use.

Panzergeist: Could you post the descriptions of what the powers from SOTA 2064 do? I don't have a copy yet.

Whizbang: Correct me if I'm wrong, but chargen gear is restricted to a maximum rating of 6.

Sphynx: still need to see the finished character (but I know you're working on other stuff right now too).
Jrayjoker
Groovy. Should we assume we will not have access to gear other than what we carry? Or will we be able to go to our storage lockers, etc?
Sandoval Smith
At the begining, you're starting equipment is all that you have access to (so, people might want to add a backpack, or large sack to carry their equipment list, just in case).
Panzergeist
Adept Powers 25 BP
eidetic sense memory .5
facial sculpt 1
linguistics .25
melanin control .25
motion sense .5
voice control .5
nimble fingers .5
improved scent .25
thermographic vision .25
improved reflexes level 1 2


Eidetic sense memory lets me remember everything I sense. Nimble fingers gives me +1 to any roll involving manual dexterity, and makes the simple actions insert clip, pick up/put down object, remove clip, and use simple object into free actions. Linguistics lets me learn a new language at rating 1 in just a few minutes, without spending a karma point. motion sense lets me sense all motion within (magic) meters. facial sculpt lets me reshape my facial bones. Melanin control changes my hair and skin colors. Voice control lets me mimic someone else's voice.

I am actually considering a few modifications to this character. Is there any chance I could start out with a monofilament whip, due to the wierd circumstances involved in this run?
Whizbang
I always thought the char gen limit was 8...
Whizbang
QUOTE (Sandoval Smith)
123 Build Points, usual rules, anything under avail 8 is go. Because of the setting, there are probably going to be a few quirks about gear, so we might have to go over equipment lists a couple times. Cyberware, bioware, and magic points are all good places to spend nuyen. Don't bother with lifestyle or Docwagon.

Hmm...so it's 7 or less? Or 8 or less?
Sandoval Smith
I'll double check my books when I get home to be sure, but IIRC at chargen, max availability = 8. Max rating = 6.
Jrayjoker
IIRC It is max 6 skills and program ratings, but medkits and patches (highly legal things I would think) should be OK, just expensive. I don't have my books here.
Jrayjoker
I had a dream last night that this run was going to be based on the movie The Others . Weird.
Sphynx
Character Completed. However, I opted to start with no knowledges, as I just can't see having any and being Amnesiac. I realize that it's my own loss, but I'm ok with it.

Sphynx
Whizbang
I'm pretty sure all my gear and cybernetics is availability 8 or less. Is there something I'm missing?
Jrayjoker
Sandoval is doublechecking the maximum allowable rating for gear (like Medkit rating 6 max, not 7 or 8 ). Availability for the medkit may be less than 8, but the rating limit may exclude its use if above rating 6.
Whizbang
Ah...so all those rating 8 items, despite their being availability being 8. Now I see where I messed up...
Jrayjoker
Not necessarily messed up, but Sand is checking on it.
Whizbang
Well, anyways, edited to rating 6...also while I was at it, caught the fact that I didn't have any ammo...
Jrayjoker
That would have sucked. I need to add a backpack or some other such thing to cart around my spare clips, axe, and shotgun.
Whizbang
Yeah, that would be useful...it's always those little mundane things that slip your notice...until the GM asks if you have one and you realize that you don't.
Sandoval Smith
Panzergeist: I know the startup is a little strange, but mono whips are up around avail 24. That'd be stretching things a little at chargen. However, I already had inclusion of monowire planned for certain events, so if you keep yours eyes peeled you can probably get your hands on some soon enough.

Sphnyx: Blame it on my poor wording, but it's not precisley amnesia you're starting with. When the first IC post goes up, it'll all be pretty clear how you can start with knowledge skills (I highly recommend scrounging, and technical knowledge) but no memory. I don't want to spoil the intial revelations by explaining too much before the actual start.

Jrayjoker: Sorry, Nicole Kidman will not be in this game. I will however, try and screw with your head. So yeah, a little like 'The Others.'

On a further note, I really couldn't figure out a way to do this without pulling a ZING! Got ya! So, the fact is, EVERYONE has a datajack. No essence or nuyen cost; it's located on the back of your head, right above the last vertabrae.

As for mundane gear, at the start, if someone is missing something they need, like a bag, a belt, or a pair of socks, it won't really be that hard to scrounge one up. I don't see the point in screwing with people over socks.
Jrayjoker
Sandoval,

Can we at least get a Nicole Kidman lookalike? love.gif
Whizbang
ooh...free datajack...a little more essence and money to get something else with smile.gif Yes...I do tend to have a thing about going under 1 essense...no cyberzombies here.
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