# The Peacemakers - Alternity, Star*Drive (OOC Discusssion)



## Angel Tarragon (Sep 16, 2005)

This is The Peacemakers - Alternity, Star*Drive out of character discussion thread.


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## Ozmar (Sep 16, 2005)

I am updating this post to use for a "Summary" of the game.

*Campaign: The Peacemakers*

*Current Crew: (and Star Force Rank)*

1. Captain Van Curran - (player: jkason)
2. First Mate: Commander  Dra'Ked - (player: Hammerhead)
3. Mindwalker: Lt. Commander  Gabriel Dane - (player: Prof Yeti)
3. Pilot: Lieutenant  Ebon - (NPC)
4. Navigator: Lieutenant, J.G. Thomas Caine - (NPC)
5. Chief Engineer: Chief Petty Officer Lucas Tyler - (player: Samnell)
6. Engineer's Mate: Petty Officer Jak Friday - (NPC)
7. Gunner: Spaceman Duke Lincoln - (NPC)
9. Entertainer: Miss Liriani Lopez - (player: Frukatha)
10. Ambassador Quentin Sikes - (NPC)

*Starship:*
The "CSS Pacific", a retrofitted Geneva Trailblazer 

*Mission:* To bring the Concord's Peace to all reaches of the galaxy.

*Campaign Setting:* Star*Drive
Alternity Links

Rogue's Gallery
In-Character Forum

*House Rules:*

1. Starting Level 1
2. Sources: Star*Drive, Alternity Player's Handbook, Mindwalkers, Arms & Equipment Guide, Starships, Dataware
3. No robots, AIs or non-standard aliens.
4. Psionics, mutations, and cybernetics are all approved.
5. Assmue maximum starting wealth and signature equipment.
Combat Spec = 3000
Diplomat = 6000
Free Agent = 4000
Tech Op = 4000
Mindwalker = 2000​6. Use www.invisiblecastle.com  for die rolls in the game.
7. Starting skill points for every Alternity hero = (INT ability score x 3) + 30. Humans still receive their extra 5 starting skill points on top of that. Aliens and mutants do not...
8. Maximum starting broad skills for every Alternity hero = 6 + (INT resistance modifier).  If a hero's INT resistance mod is negative instead of positive, it actually reduces the amount of starting broad skills they can have.
9. Skill costs for ranks higher than rank 1 = list-price.


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 16, 2005)

I'd prefer to use the D20 Modern/Future ruleset, as it is what I am most familiar with, if I end up having to GM this one. Whoever GMs though will have say over what system is used.


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## Ozmar (Sep 16, 2005)

Cool. I'll keep my eyes on this to see if it goes anywhere. I can't commit to running it at this time, but am interested in playing...

Ozmar the Weren Cyborg (!)


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 18, 2005)

Anyone else interested?


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## LogicsFate (Sep 18, 2005)

What is Star*Drive, a preexisting world, or a home brew?


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 18, 2005)

LogicsFate said:
			
		

> What is Star*Drive, a preexisting world, or a home brew?



Star*Drive is a SciFi setting using the Alternity rules that WotC came out with.


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## Ozmar (Sep 18, 2005)

It's pretty kick-butt, too. It is the only scifi setting I am familiar with that makes perfect sense, from the perspective of applying human history and nature and extrapolating it out into the future.

Ozmar the Star*Drive Fan


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 18, 2005)

I too am a big fan of the system. And a game sounds great.


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## DiamondB (Sep 18, 2005)

I think I could be interested in playing.  I'm itching to get a feel for how d20 Modern/Future plays before I start my own campaigns with it.


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## LogicsFate (Sep 19, 2005)

Anywhere I could get some more info on it, Looks very promising


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## Ozmar (Sep 20, 2005)

Star*Drive: Alternity
I am not sure if I can run this, but here are my thoughts about the possibility...

This campaign setting is set in a far-distant future in which humans have spread across the galaxy. The game is pretty close to a "hard science fiction", but of course there are a few elements that you have to accept for the premise (such as FTL, telepathic abilities, and humanoid aliens). The setting is extremely detailed and, in my opinion, makes a whole lot more sense than any RPG scifi setting I've ever read. (Although I've noticed that scifi in general seems to have been getting more "sensible", particularly in regards to television shows such as Firefly and Battlestar Galactica.) There are humans, fraal (telepathic "greys"), mechalus (cybernetic humanoids), t'sa (hyper-curious reptilians), seshayans (primitive winged humanoids) and massive weren (large, hulking warriors). There are robots and cybernetics. There are mutations (some are even somewhat helpful) and psionics. There are artificial intelligences, and FTL travel and communication. But the galaxy does not have "ultra-high" technology: no Star Trek style transporters or holodecks. The game system is very nice, and combat is "realistically" deadly, encouraging characters to avoid being shot, but not so deadly that any fight is certain doom.

The campaign model I would prefer would be an "episodic" exploration-style game, modeled somewhat after Star Trek's winning model. PCs would be the command crew on a military vessel whose primary mission is exploration and diplomacy. Adventures would primarily consist of new missions and new places to explore and new objectives to meet each week.

Ozmar the Brainstormer


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## Samnell (Sep 20, 2005)

Star*Drive? Oh dear. It's been so long and I miss it so much. Color me interested, as a player anyway. But I lack d20 Future. Could one probably muddle through with d20 Modern and some help? Or would it be a pretty big learning curve?


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 20, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> But I lack d20 Future.



Right click this and select 'Save As' to dowload the elements from D20 Future that are in the MSRD.


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## Samnell (Sep 20, 2005)

> Right click this and select 'Save As' to dowload the elements from D20 Future that are in the MSRD.




You are my hero.


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 20, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> You are my hero.



I aim to please.


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## Samnell (Sep 20, 2005)

This looks like good stuff. Might have to get out and buy the book.


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 20, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> This looks like good stuff. Might have to get out and buy the book.



If you do end up buying it I would recommend purchasing Menace Manual as well, if you don't already own it. The Menace Manual has stats for the following races that appeared in Star*Drive: Fraal, Sesheyan and possibly others that appeared in Creatures of the Verge. There are also plenty of other crwatures within that may pique your imagination.


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## Samnell (Sep 21, 2005)

Frukathka said:
			
		

> If you do end up buying it I would recommend purchasing Menace Manual as well, if you don't already own it. The Menace Manual has stats for the following races that appeared in Star*Drive: Fraal, Sesheyan and possibly others that appeared in Creatures of the Verge. There are also plenty of other crwatures within that may pique your imagination.




Might be worth a look. I guess time shall tell. I few a bit mechanics-schizophrenic right now, trying to think up a Star*Drive concept and fit it to these rules I'm in the process of reading. Mmmmm...mutations and cybernetics.


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## Samnell (Sep 21, 2005)

Just stopping back to add that the system isn't a big deal to me. If we can find more people willing to do Alternity like Ozmar's mentioned I'm good with that too.


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## Hammerhead (Sep 21, 2005)

I love Star Drive! I'd be game for anything in the world, although I'd prefer d20 Future since I don't have my Alternity books at school.


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 21, 2005)

Okay. We certainly have plenty of people that are interested. We might be able to fit two more players. I think that would put it at 6-7 players and one GM.


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## Ozmar (Sep 21, 2005)

I'll put my hat in as a potential DM, but with one stipulation: If I am DM, I'll use the Alternity rules. If someone else wants to be the DM, I'll be happy to play with the d20 rules instead.

Ozmar the Volunteer


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## Samnell (Sep 21, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> I'll put my hat in as a potential DM, but with one stipulation: If I am DM, I'll use the Alternity rules.




A-OK by me.


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 21, 2005)

Which ever is fine with me. I have ideas for both.


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## Samnell (Sep 21, 2005)

Should we maybe start a new thread for the Alternity-speak? Since it's not strictly d20 as advertised?


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 21, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> I'll put my hat in as a potential DM, but with one stipulation: If I am DM, I'll use the Alternity rules. If someone else wants to be the DM, I'll be happy to play with the d20 rules instead.



Alright, we have our GM. I'd much rather be a player.


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 21, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Should we maybe start a new thread for the Alternity-speak? Since it's not strictly d20 as advertised?



No, this one will do just fine. I would suggest a Rogues Gallery Thread though, so the GM has a tidy place to keep track of characters.


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## Ozmar (Sep 21, 2005)

Frukathka said:
			
		

> Alright, we have our GM. I'd much rather be a player.




OK. In that case, who is interested in playing? And what shall we do for rules vis-a-vis those players who do not have the system, are not familiar with the system, and/or are unable to obtain a copy of the system?

You could borrow mine, but you'll have to find my house first. 

Ozmar the Hermit


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## Samnell (Sep 21, 2005)

> OK. In that case, who is interested in playing?




Me! Me! Me! 

Went and dug my Alternity books out of the basement this afternoon. Thinking on a techie/gridpilot type.


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 21, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> OK. In that case, who is interested in playing?




I am double checking but all indicators look good. I have an idea for a Mindwalker if that is an acceptable option.


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 21, 2005)

Of course I'm in for playing.


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## Ozmar (Sep 21, 2005)

Quick thoughts: (For people familiar with the setting - I'm working on a "primer" for the rest of you.)

The campaign will not be set in the Verge.

We'll all be characters from the Stellar Nations who have joined the Galactic Concord.

The setting is a starship of some kind serving in the Galactic Concord. The PCs are the command crew of the ship. The adventures will be "episodic". Inspirations will be Star Trek, Babylon 5, Firefly, and Battlestar Galactica. Mission will be exploration, diplomacy, defense, search & rescue, peacekeeping, and similar missions.

I own all the Alternity books, and can dust them off for details.

The allowed races are the standards in the core book: Human, Fraal, Seshayan, T'sa, Mechalus, and Weren. No other alien races and no robots or artificial intelligences as PCs, please.

Cybernetics, mutations, psionics, etc... are all good as presented in the Alternity PHB. Let's stay away from the FX book.

Mindwalkers - ok. Gridpilots/techies - ok.

That's it for now. Must go and plot now...

Ozmar the Thinking DM

Oh, and Frukatha, since you own this thread, can you change the title... nevermind! I see you just did!


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## LogicsFate (Sep 21, 2005)

I'm still interested but know even less about Alternity


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## Samnell (Sep 22, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> We'll all be characters from the Stellar Nations who have joined the Galactic Concord.
> 
> The setting is a starship of some kind serving in the Galactic Concord. The PCs are the command crew of the ship. The adventures will be "episodic". Inspirations will be Star Trek, Babylon 5, Firefly, and Battlestar Galactica. Mission will be exploration, diplomacy, defense, search & rescue, peacekeeping, and similar missions.




Impertinent questions follow. 

Are we talking capital-class ship with a crew of dozens, hundreds, thousands? Or something smaller? Would be be exploring one of the other frontiers mentioned in the setting book (the Far Reach and Orion Frontier) or something entirely different?

Is the ship strictly a military vessel? Military with civilian science/whatever contingent? Civilian contractors working for the Concord, perhaps individually hired by a Concord-affiliated official for the mission?


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 22, 2005)

I like your ideas Ozmar. I suppose we're allowed to use the Star*Drive Arms & Equipment Guide?

For Ozmar:
[sblock]Character musings:
Human Diplomat (Entertainment Celebrity - Filthy Rich) 
She is well known in the entertainment industry as a recording artist. She has released on three vide-crystals and is an expert singer and dancer. She has lived up to and exceeded her parents expectations of her, them as known for entertainers in their day. 

Thoughts?[/sblock]


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## Ozmar (Sep 22, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Impertinent questions follow.
> 
> Are we talking capital-class ship with a crew of dozens, hundreds, thousands? Or something smaller? Would be be exploring one of the other frontiers mentioned in the setting book (the Far Reach and Orion Frontier) or something entirely different?
> 
> Is the ship strictly a military vessel? Military with civilian science/whatever contingent? Civilian contractors working for the Concord, perhaps individually hired by a Concord-affiliated official for the mission?




Not a big ship. I am thinking something more like a small vessel. Perhaps even a civilian vessel that was conscripted for Concord service? 

I think there should be a variety of missions, so it will not be primarily exploration. Note that you don't have to be in a "frontier region" to have unexplored planetary systems, or even lost colonies nearby. So although you may be primarily operating along the borders of VoidCorp and Insight, you may still find yourselves exploring a previously-undiscovered star system.

I am thinking primarily military, although the idea of civilian contractors is intriguing. And I guess it will depend on what characters ya'll want to play. Fer example, the diplomat idea that Frukathka suggested might need some work. Maybe I'll ask you to come up with some backstory to explain what your characters are doing on the ship?


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## Ozmar (Sep 22, 2005)

Frukathka said:
			
		

> I like your ideas Ozmar. I suppose we're allowed to use the Star*Drive Arms & Equipment Guide?
> 
> For Ozmar:
> [sblock]Character musings:
> ...




OK Frukathka, I'll bite. What do you suggest that this character would be doing on the Concord vessel? 

And yes, you can use the A&EG.


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 22, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> OK Frukathka, I'll bite. What do you suggest that this character would be doing on the Concord vessel?
> 
> And yes, you can use the A&EG.



Ozmar:
[sblock]Building up a bigger reputation base on the many world that she visits doing an ocassional free concert.[/sblock]


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## Ozmar (Sep 22, 2005)

Frukathka said:
			
		

> Ozmar:
> [sblock]Building up a bigger reputation base on the many world that she visits doing an ocassional free concert.[/sblock]




[sblock]So she's in the USO?[/sblock]


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 22, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> [sblock]So she's in the USO?[/sblock]



Ozmar:
[sblock]Oh hell, that is a freaking wonderful idea![/sblock]


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## Samnell (Sep 22, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Not a big ship. I am thinking something more like a small vessel. Perhaps even a civilian vessel that was conscripted for Concord service?




That could be interesting. We were just minding our own business and we got drafted! 



> I am thinking primarily military, although the idea of civilian contractors is intriguing. And I guess it will depend on what characters ya'll want to play. Fer example, the diplomat idea that Frukathka suggested might need some work. Maybe I'll ask you to come up with some backstory to explain what your characters are doing on the ship?




For Ozmar:
[sblock]
I'm picturing an Inseer-themed sort of mechanical/grid "genius!". Very high opinion of his skills that he's fairly able to back up (at least for a PC of his level). He was a genetic experiment (mutant, hyper intellect, unsure of drawbacks yet) of uncertain origin. Some Hatirans found him in suspended animation at an abandoned military facility left over from GW2.

They thawed him out and discovered to their horror that he was the product of genetic engineering. They weren't the type to punish him for the "sins" of his creators, but decided it was vital for his soul that he not glory in his unnatural birth. He was settled on a strict agricultural colony where hard, often tedious labor was the norm. They wanted to fill his mind with natural, proper things. 

He never knew enough to be curious, but spent childhood bored out of his skull. He didn't know what was missing (and wasn't allowed to) and ended up thinking it was a product of his horrible nature. Then he serendipitiously discovered computers. Not sure quite how yet, but he found everything that was missing in his life and promptly ran off, enthusiastically rejecting the heritage of his discoverers in favor of the complete opposite.

He's still running from his past to a degree. He's legally able to run his own life now and more or less settled into his new identity, but his relationship with authority and discipline is complicated. I can't see him joining the military outright, or necessarily being happy there, but there's also an element of attraction to it. He wants to be an out-and-out rebel innovator and gridpilot desperately. But at the same time, he was raised in that kind of regimented life. He's sometimes consciously fighting an automatic deference to authority and guilt over running away and what he's doing now. He doesn't always succeed, and often enough ends up settling for an at best arguable notion that he's doing things on his own terms. 

I'm not sure if this is making any sense at all.  Basically, the PC has a tension between who he wants to be (sort of a cyber-hippie information anarchist) and what he spent most of his life being (a technophobic, deferential Hatire farm boy). The Inseer side (religious, not necessarily nationality-wise) is outwardly dominant but it hasn't replaced all the old, ingrained habits. He's been consciously avoiding authority figures, but I can see him courting the kind of legal trouble that might get him stuck back in the midst of authority out of some subconscious baggage. Maybe he's serving out some kind of probation in lieu of prison? Or otherwise ended up dragooned into the job? I'm open to suggestions.

Since he ran away, he's been having recurring nightmares that may or may not have to do with suppressed memories of his year or two of life pre-stasis that he lacks conscious recollection of.[/sblock]


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## Ozmar (Sep 22, 2005)

I am seeing civilians here. Not sure how they get involved in the military. But, what if they came together as fellow crew on board a civilian privateer for a variety of reasons, perhaps under a captain/owner with military experience, and through various brushes with the law, they ended up plea-bargaining a stay on any criminal prosecution by agreeing to serve in the newly-formed Concord fleet? Maybe the Concord has some kind of privateer-sponsoring program to supplement their military fleet? I am thinking something along the lines of Firefly, but with some kind of over-head authority (ala Starfleet) that can send the ship on various missions....

I may not be making much sense. I'm a bit sleepy... 

Ozmar the Tired DM


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## Samnell (Sep 22, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> I am seeing civilians here. Not sure how they get involved in the military. But, what if they came together as fellow crew on board a civilian privateer for a variety of reasons, perhaps under a captain/owner with military experience, and through various brushes with the law, they ended up plea-bargaining a stay on any criminal prosecution by agreeing to serve in the newly-formed Concord fleet?




That makes sense to me. One of the recurring references to the Concord in the Star*Drive stuff is about how it was really thrown together and stuck with the leftovers of vanished stellar nations. An actual uniformed Concordan presence could work too, I think. If someone wants to play our "supervision". 

[sblock]As I'm thinking this guy through, I still can't see him as an official member of the military. It's certainly possible that that could change for him over time in the right circumstances. But I think he could work even up to being a civilian in a military environment...as long as he didn't come on board entirely willingly. The plea bargaining idea works for me. I can see him trying to hack the wrong datacore and getting caught. Something harmless enough that it's illegal, but he doesn't come across as a terrorist or something of that sort. His plea bargain/probation is a term of service that's supposed to be rehabilitory and constructive. He might take to it. Hard to say.[/sblock]


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## Ozmar (Sep 22, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> That makes sense to me. One of the recurring references to the Concord in the Star*Drive stuff is about how it was really thrown together and stuck with the leftovers of vanished stellar nations. An actual uniformed Concordan presence could work too, I think. If someone wants to play our "supervision".
> 
> [sblock]As I'm thinking this guy through, I still can't see him as an official member of the military. It's certainly possible that that could change for him over time in the right circumstances. But I think he could work even up to being a civilian in a military environment...as long as he didn't come on board entirely willingly. The plea bargaining idea works for me. I can see him trying to hack the wrong datacore and getting caught. Something harmless enough that it's illegal, but he doesn't come across as a terrorist or something of that sort. His plea bargain/probation is a term of service that's supposed to be rehabilitory and constructive. He might take to it. Hard to say.[/sblock]




Good ideas. These can probably work. If someone wants to play the Concord "Commander", then that will be great, otherwise I may create an NPC to command the ship. Any civilian PCs will have been forced (or may have joined willingly) for various reasons to join the ship. For example, former VoidCorp Employees may simply be ordered to follow their commander as part of the Treaty of Concord (recall that each stellar nation donated ships, planets and citizens to the new Concord). Someone from the Nariac Domain would put their personal interests under the goals of the Concord and would be likely to willingly help out. Others may have been "war criminals", or have been accused (right or wrong) of some crime and managed to avoid imprisonment due to a plea bargain.

Recall also that 26th century medical tech means that humans can live up to 250 years or more, so your characters might have been active in GW2, even though it ended about 25 years ago.


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## Hammerhead (Sep 22, 2005)

My idea for a character would be a Sesheyan ex-Voidcorp employee who was donated to the Galactic Concord and is quite happy to have his freedom. Likely a free agent, with some good perception, investigation, and combat-type skills.


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## Ozmar (Sep 22, 2005)

Sounds cool. (BTW - Do I know you Hammerhead? I saw you're in Minneapolis.)

Since VoidCorp did have to give up some employees, it would make sense that some of them are seshayans, and the Concord's sensibility in regards to its citizens is very different from VoidCorp's so you would be very likely to enjoy your new sense of freedom.

Ozmar the Seshayan Advocate


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## Samnell (Sep 22, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Recall also that 26th century medical tech means that humans can live up to 250 years or more, so your characters might have been active in GW2, even though it ended about 25 years ago.




Yeah. I just want to play a reasonably young (twentysomething) PC.


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## jkason (Sep 22, 2005)

Okay, I've only played Alternity once, and that was ages ago. I don't have the books, but I'm really liking the setup here, so I'm going to throw my hat in. If, of course, you'd be willing to help me with some of the mechanics.

I'm kind of having a fun idea for the "commander." Or, rather, for the guy who's officially in charge but really isn't. The way I see it, some full-of-himself Admiral decided that his low-ambition son, fresh out of officer's training, needed command experience. He had pull, but only enough to assign the boy to this ... nontraditional setup. 

Like I said, though, the son's not all that ambitious. He's interested in life (xenobiology / medicine, maybe? Not sure what kinds of healer classes there are in this system), not guns. He let his father bully him into military service, but he's about as interested in leading as he is in jumping into a vacuum without a spacesuit. While everyone expected there to be some sort of struggle for command, our boy pretty much showed up and made a deal: They run themselves more or less as they see fit. He's even willing to take orders along their pre-established chain of command (whatever it is). So long as they take missions when they come down from the top (thus maintaining their cover), he'll act as their legitimate face and file reports that cover for them. They get freer access to the system and out from under the scrutiny of the Concord. In exchange, the crew agree to indulge our boy's xenobio curiosity (letting him suggest missions / gather information / samples) and not turn _him_ in for dereliction of duty. 

They're not actively trying to sabotage the system, but they aren't too concerned with maintaining it, either. 

Anyway, it was a thought.

jason


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## Ozmar (Sep 22, 2005)

jkason said:
			
		

> Okay, I've only played Alternity once, and that was ages ago. I don't have the books, but I'm really liking the setup here, so I'm going to throw my hat in. If, of course, you'd be willing to help me with some of the mechanics.
> 
> I'm kind of having a fun idea for the "commander." Or, rather, for the guy who's officially in charge but really isn't. The way I see it, some full-of-himself Admiral decided that his low-ambition son, fresh out of officer's training, needed command experience. He had pull, but only enough to assign the boy to this ... nontraditional setup.
> 
> ...




Jeez, the game isn't even started, and you're already an inch away from mutiny and taking your ship off to the Verge! 

That sounds good. I'm working on and will be posting (soon) a "primer" on both the Star*Drive setting and on the Alternity system. And my plan will be for me to maintain active copies of everyone's char sheet, so helping those who do not have the books/rules will be easily accomplished.

Ozmar the Helpful GM


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## Samnell (Sep 22, 2005)

Ozmar, any specific chargen aside from what you've already posted about no robots and AIs?

Also have a regular rules question. I haven't played Alternity in about five years and reading through the books I'm not sure of something: Do the free broad skills from the species count against the limit on the number of broad skills you start with, as determined by intelligence?


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## Ozmar (Sep 22, 2005)

*Star*Drive Primer*

OK, here is a primer of the Star*Drive setting. Its a work in progress, and I'll edit the blank spots to fill them in over the next few days.

*Alternity / Star*Drive*

This game presupposes a familiarity with the Alternity Rules System and the Star*Drive setting, but doesn't require it.

I'll work with each player to finalize their character vis-a-vis rules to fit their character concepts. Understanding of the setting will be more important than understanding of the rules.

I'm willing to answer questions about the rules and setting, but can only post in the evenings/weekends, and I can't reproduce the entirety of each book (that would be impossible and of questionable legality).

Basically, here's the Reader's Digest version of the campaign setting, followed by a broad-brush outline of the rules system.

*Star*Drive:*
_(With great gratitude to David Eckelberry and Richard Baker, the authors of this setting.)_
It is the 26th century. (2501 in fact.) Humans have expanded out from Earth, encountered dozens of intelligent alien species, and colonized hundreds of inhabitable worlds. They have survived two Galactic Wars and formed 12 Stellar Nations. They have integrated five major alien races into their societies. The history of the galaxy is the history of the human race, which dominates all known civilization.

*Brief History:*
[sblock]
In 2032, the Internet evolved into a planet-wide Grid, allowing near limitless data storage, lifelike interactive virtual environments, and real-time visual communications. By the 26th century, every developed planetary system has its own Grid (sometimes more than one), but they are not connected in real-time across inter-stellar distances.

In 2047, an efficient fusion generator was invented, avoiding the prospect of global war over the remaining fossil fuel reserves. Technological development heralded an unprecedented era of peace. A new space race ensued, and the near planets in the Solar System began to be colonized. Human lifespan reached about 150 years. Cloning, biotechnology, cybertechnology and psionics begin to be discovered, improved, and utilized.

Megacorporations continued to grow in political, economic and even military power. In 2091, Microtel spawned VoidCorp, originally cartered for space exploration, and destined to be a major player in the 26th century.

In 2106 the mass reactor was invented, which remains the standard power/engine technology in the 26th century. It relies on the use of a nonbaryonic, exotic dark matter named "duodecim", and was a remarkable improvement over the fusion generator. The mass reactor enabled humanity to colonize the rest of the Solar System, and sparked new competition and small-scale, space-based wars.

In 2124, humanity finally met its silent neighbors, the fraal. These aliens had lost contact with their own civilization more than 10,000 years ago, and had settled on Earth, but were unable to make peaceful contact with humans, so they withdrew and lived apart, ever hiding from humanity. As humankind continued to expand across the globe, the fraal continued to retreat, finally leaving Earth for a colony on the Moon, and then hiding on other moons in the system. Finally, they decided it was time to attempt contact again, and in 2124, they revealed themselves. The contact was eventful, to say the least, but peaceful. Despite some major disruption among many nations, faiths, and communities, the fraal negotiated with the nations of earth (at the time, there were six major nations) and were accepted into society as a sovereign state, while individual fraal were free to become citizens of any human nation.

Fraal were (are) natural psionicists (mindwalkers) with a mastery of gravitic technology, such as grav-fusion cells and the gravity induction engine. The fusion of their technology with mass reactors created the only known means of traveling faster than light. The first stardrive was activated in 2160.

The stardrive operates by breaking space, dropping a starship into a previously-unknown dimension, dubbed "drivespace". Even by the 26th century, the physics are not completely understood (and the mystery has spawned the major religion of the Orlamu Theocracy). The larger the stardrive, the farther the jump, up to 50 light-years on the most powerful ships in the 26th century, but every trip takes precisely 121 hours (about 5 solar days). Electronic transmissions can also be passed through drivespace, but only spend 121 minutes in the other dimension. The precise duration of a drivespace jump remains one of its greatest mysteries.

The invention of the stardrive led to a new wave of exploration and colonization, as humanity was finally able to leave its home star system.

The Orlamu Foundation was established as a new religion that studied both the technological and the theological aspects of drivespace. The Foundation left Earth and moved its headquarters to the colony world, Prophethome.

VoidCorp created the first drivespace communications satellite in 2193, allowing quick communication between the colonies, and enabling humanity to create truly inter-stellar societies.

Insight was incorporated in 2198 as a subsidiary of VoidCorp, and tasked with developing an interstellar Grid. They failed to develop a truly interstellar Grid, although they did improve Grid technology, making it indispensible for every civilized government, business and individual. They also created virtual shadow technology, that allowed Grid users to extend their avatars to other Grids separated by light-years.

Stellar nations began to construct kilometer-long fortress-class warships. These super-vessels became indispensible in the arms race that continued to play a central role in international politics.

By 2241, Earth's alliances claimed more than 100 star systems. And of course, the distant colonies began to exert more independence, and various nations moved their capitals off Earth to more central locations. The Borealis Republic, the Rigunmor Star Consortium, Austrin-Ontis Unlimited and VoidCorp all became powerful stellar nations with non-Terran capitals.

In 2246, the Orlamu Theocracy discovered the weren, an alien society with no space-faring technology. The Orlamu quietly negotiated with the weren chiefs, claiming the planet as a natural preserve and making all werens citizens of the Orlamu Theocracy.

Earth tried to maintain its control by proclaiming the Terran Empire in 2250, but it was largely ignored by most citizens. Colonial powers obeyed grudgingly and reluctantly. Various nations were established and fell throughout the years. The Thuldan Colonial Authority sent waves of colonists to new homes, eventually establishing a powerful nation. The Nariac Domain gathered several systems under their control. The Hatire community (thought by others to be religious radicals) founded secret colonies in a desire to be left alone.

The Rigunmor Star Consortium encountered another alien race, the mechalus, which had just begun exploring their own star system. The mechalus were surprisingly eager to sue for peace and joined the Star Consortium as independent allies.

VoidCorp discovered the jungle world of Sheya and quickly made the primitive seshayans perpetual employees of the corporation-state.

In 2296, an independent explorer made contact with the t'sa, an alien species that had colonized several systems around their homeworld using sublight "sleeper ships". Several nations began to struggle to include them within their empires, but the t'sa resisted, and the conflict over the t'sa caused the relationship between the colonies and the Terran empire to deteriorate into open war. Thuldan declared independence in 2298, and many other colonies quickly followed suit. Thus began the First Galactic War. Within three years, all of the nations were dragged into open warfare. The Terran Empire was slowly defeated, and agreed to a settlement. The Treaty of Earth in 2312 officially ended the conflict with the formal recognition of 25 stellar nations and the Union of Sol.

Everyone could see a new war brewing, as various nations began to vie for power and control of more territory. Several smaller nations banded together to form the Orion League as a way of protecting themselves from their neighbors. Technological development proceded at a rapid pace and exploration continued to expand the frontiers of human influence. Far-off regions of space (including the Verge) were colonized during this period.

The mutant uprising of Tau Ceti in 2346 sparked the Second Galactic War. The Solar Union moved to quell the uprising and discovered that the Thuldan Empire had instigated it. The longtime opponents quickly resorted to open fighting, and alliances and defense treaties quickly dragged every other nation into the war. GW2 lasted more than a century, and was the most brutal and devastating war by any measure in humanity's long and bloody history.

After 100 years of bloodshed, it was clear that no nation would walk away and claim victory. In 2465, the leaders of the Orion League, the Rigunmor Star Consortium, and the Thuldan Empire met to negotiate a peace. It took years of negotiation and deal-making, but President Hale (Orion League) managed to keep it together and inspire the others to agree on a final settlement. The Treaty of Concord, signed in 2472, ended the war, and established the Galactic Concord.

The treaty divided human space into 12 distinct nations, and established the Galactic Concord as an independent nation of worlds, people, and resources donated from the war's twelve survivors. The Concord's duty and purpose is to preserve the peace, negotiate disputes between the nations, and oversee humanity and its befriended species in all space. The Concord's mission is to ensure humanity's survival by preventing any future interstellar wars.
[/sblock]

*Stellar Nations:*
[sblock]
*Austrin-Ontis Unlimited* - Rugged, Gun-loving Adventurers. They believe in personal autonomy, individual self-protection and reliance. They love their firearms and believe that violence is a crucible of character. They hold to a somewhat quaint notion of personal honor. Their ideal life is one of action and heroism. "An armed society is a polite society." Think stereotypical American cowboy, and you've got a good idea of their character. They believe that violence is a manifestation of change, discovery and progress. They recognize the inherent human need for violence and don't try to suppress it, but rather they channel it. They tend to be direct, honest folk. 
Game benefits: Choose Heavy Weapons or Modern Ranged Weapons. Any use of the chosen broad skill or its specialty skills receives a -1 step bonus.

*Borealis Republic* - Intellectual Clones. This nation was conceived as a return to notions of aristocracy and nobility, but has become an egalitarian society composed equally of naturally-born humans and clones. Half the population comes into being through a hospital cloning tank. Clones and naturals enjoy equal status under the law, and are equally respected in their culture. The life of a Borealan is a life of intellect, they value intellectual achievement and learning above all other pursuits. They are justly proud of their education system. After more than two decades of general education, Borealan youths select a College of Philosophy, which they join for life. Traditionally, they choose the college of their parents, and marry and live within the company of their college, but in the past generation, it has become more accepted to select other colleges. At present, 12 colleges exist. 
Game benefits: Increase Intelligence score by one point (max 15). Also have a moderate (+4) Obsessed flaw.

*Hatire Community* -  Spiritualist Luddites. The Brethren of the Hatire Community disdains the reverence for technological advancement prized by so many other humans. They believe that spiritual advancement is more important to life than mankind's tools. Others accuse them of racism and condemn them as Luddites, and it is true that they have an abiding suspicion of new technology, and particularly abhor technology (such as cybernetics and biotechnology) that alters the human body. They revere the Cosimir, a noncorporeal intelligence that they discovered in the ruins of an alien civilization. They are determined prosyltizers, and intent on spreading the word of their faith to all corners of the galaxy. Their proseltyzation during GW2 and their fearsome mind knights added to their reputation as intollerant fanatics, but they consider this to be far from the truth. They embrace both the actuality and potentiality of human experience, and are redefining themselves as crusaders of peace in the wake of the great war. 
Game benefits: Faith perk for free. If you buy the faith perk again, you start with a base -d8 situation die. (Instead of the normal -d4.)

*Insight * - Gridpilots, Hackers, Artists. Insight is the smallest and youngest Stellar Nation. They broke away from VoidCorp only 40 years ago. They are composed of poets, explorers, and artists who couldn't stand to live under the yoke of VoidCorp. They are masters of the Grid - the division of Insight was in charge of VoidCorp's Grid Technology Development - and it was this technological advantage that enabled them to break away from VoidCorp's control. Many (if not most) Inseers live their lives on the Grid, some never even leaving that environment, and have developed a religion based on their understanding of this transcendent communications medium. The Insightful believe the Grid to be the final expression of intelligence. 
Game benefits: -1 step bonus to all computer activies, and a -1 step bonus on all Grid action checks. +1 step penalty on all real-world action checks.

*Nariac Domain* - Communist, Socialists. The Nariac Domain was established to create an egalitarian society. They despise inequalities brought about by race, species, gender, or social class. As a result, they look beyond themselves to the society, keeping the whole community foremost in their thoughts. The idea of self as an independent individual is alien and absurd. Certainly society is composed of individuals, and individual rights and freedoms are maintained in the Domain, but a Nariac consider himself to be a member of a thriving community first, and looks to his individuality only as a way to contribute to that community. Just as the Domain provides everyone with a livelihood, employment and a place to live, so the worker-citizen contibutes his skill and labor for the betterment of the whole. Individual property ownership does not exist - all goods are owned by the Domain, and workers simply register the use of objects and other possessions. Nariacs respect and value their system while quietly questioning the integrity and motives of their leadership. Cybertechnology makes this utopian socialism possible: its invasive presence-and the utter lack of privacy in the nation-is accepted, but sometimes troublesome even for its citizens. Paranoia keeps most of the people compliant-the nation has many enemies: Orion, VoidCorp, other nations that would seek to undermine the Domain. The Nariacs must be constantly vigilant. Religion is frowned on in the Domain. 
Game benefits: one free item of cyber gear worth $5000 or less, and a free implanted security monitor that reports their movements to the Domain. This free item does not count against the heroe's cyber tolerance score. If you take the surgery specialty skill, you get the cybernetic surgery skill rank benefit for free.

*Orion League* - Freedom and Diversity. "Categorizing an Orion is like traping a wild weren," and "the Orion League defies attempts at definition." Tolerance and diversity illuminate Orion space. The League almost seems ready to sacrifice its own unity in favor of preserving the individuality of its peoples. This diversity keeps their society in a constant state of turmoil. Individual systems have a great deal of autonomy. But in times of crisis, they pull together against outside forces. The Orions are a free society, valuing their freedoms and diverse contributions above conformity and unanimity. Personal freedoms are taken for granted, and they are often surprised by the restrictions on other citizens in their nations. Freedom of religion, speech and personal property and movement are paramount. 
Game benefits: add 1 point to Personality, to a max of 15. Gain -1 step bonus on Culture broad skill or any of its specialties.

*Orlamu Theocracy* - Religious Drivespace Technicians. Drivespace research, stardrive development and the Orlamist religion are the principle focuses of this nation. Much of this population devotes itself to understanding drivespace, which they call the Divine Unconscious. Their investigations place scientific inquiry before religious dogma, and their religiou faith spurs their intellectual curiosity. Their life is an acceptance of contradiction. They do not find their scientific rationalism and religious beliefs conflicting. The search for truth requires realism and a trust in the divine. Their mission is to scientifically explore the divine. The Orlamu hold a great reverence for drivespace, including a blessed class of people known as Starborne - those who were born in drivespace itself. The burning desire to discover fills the Orlamu life and soul. The church and theocratic fovernment are accepted as a matter of course. 
Game benefits: -1 step bonus on any Physical Science or Navigation skill. Orlamu mindwalkers reduce cost of all broad and specialty skills by 1 point, and gain a -2 step bonus on the use of the navcognition skill.

*Rigunmor Star Consortium* - Traders, Scoundrels, Con Artists. Businessmen who value profit above all else. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Profit are inalienable rights of all sentients. The Rigunmors accept a philosophy of life that few understand. Their society is based on harnessing the one constant of human nature: avarice. They believe they can deal with each other in simple honesty, because they are honest about the fact that everyone wants personal gain out of human interactions. Of course, not all people are honest, and many Rigunmors are subtle and manipulative. Many are willing to use any trick, any scheme, to walk away with the better part of a deal. They have a deserved reputation as swindlers and con artists. 
Game benefits: -1 step bonus on Deception and Interaction broad and specialty skills. And they pay 1 point less on Interaction-bargain skill. Finally, they get the Filthy Rich perk for free, or they can opt to select 6 bonus skill points instead.

*StarMech Collective* - Hedonistic Engineers with Robots. StarMech engineers conceive brilliant plans, and then let the robots do the work. Most citizens have at least one personal robot, and robot laborers drive the mechanics of the civilization. StarMech culture lives and breathes the technological advancements of the day. They embrace technology, using robots and other inventions to produce an almost unprecedented level of leisure for their citizens. Idleness and unemployment is common, as there are more people than there is work that needs to be done, and many citizens are content to enjoy the fruits of robotic labor. They are given to religious affiliation and superstition 
Game benefits: -1 step bonus to Technical Science broad or specialty skills. You may take the Oblivious flaw and gain double the normal skill points.

*Thuldan Empire* - Militant Imperialists. The Thuldans are proud and patriotic. They are arrogant and self-confident. In every war they have been in, even GW2, their empire has expanded. They have tough skins, strong arms, and coarse behavior. Their first two decades are filled with stenuous physical and military training. From an early age they are taught the importance of following orders and the chain of command. Most youths dream of joining the Legion, and Legionnaires are the heroes of their society. Widespread genetic manipulation and centuries-long breeding have toughened the Thuldan physique. 
Game benefits: you can have a max of 15 in Strength and Constitution (but still have the normal 60 points). If you are a mutant, you reduce your number of drawback points by one.

*Union of Sol * - Preservers of Earth Culture and Biodiversity. Arrogant nationalists at the center of all human achievement. Humanity has not gone so far as to forget its birthplace. With nearly 60 billion people on Earth, (and the other 100 planets in the core systems being equally congested) Solars are accustomed to a crowded, urban lifestyle. Solars are the sole caretakers of humanity's 4000 years of pre-space history, and have become radical environmentalists. They go to extremes to preserve Earth's biodiversity and native cultures (and to a lesser extent they preserve the biospheres of their colonial worlds). Communities of individuals dedicate their lives to recreating and preserving all known civilizations and cultures from Earth's vast history. Most of these people work to incorporate the essential elements of their culture within a modern technological framework. Thus an imperial Japanese village may be ruled by a lord served by sword-bearing samurai, but they are still Grid-connected and cook with modern devices. Solars show great respect for native life forms, but rarely tolerate mutants or genetically altered humans. 
Game benefits: you start with 62 points for your ability scores (instead of the normal 60). You still have the normal human maximum of 14 in any ability score.

*VoidCorp * - Corporate Slaves. VoidCorp is a galactic corporation and a stellar nation. Its citizens are employees, and its head of government is its CEO (whose identity is a corporate secret). Structure and order are the halmarks of civilization, and are the most sure means to obtain profit and advancement. The system is very Machiavellian and successful. Survival of the fittest is sound business strategy. Every citizen holds a coporate rank from birth, expressed as an Employee Identification Number. VoidCorp does not permit retirement-Employees must work until death. VoidCorp has outlawed the practice of religion. All seshayans that have not escaped to other nations are employees (many would say "slaves") of the corporate state. 
Game benefits: Free Business broad skill and 1 rank in business-corporate specialty skill. -1 step bonus on Business broad and specialty skills. Also, you permanently fill in the left box on your achievement track (thus, it takes one less point to advance a level, and you gain one less skill point with each level advancement).

*The Galactic Concord* - Idealist Peacemakers. The newest nation, the Galactic Concord was established to be mankind's hope for a peaceful future. The Concord has been described as humanity's jury, a moral compass designed to keep the other nations in line. Most who willingly join the Concord have a strong sense of right and wrong. They see their nation as one born with a moral purpose and a well-defined mission for the benefit of all humanity (and the alien races who have joined humanity). Concordans often take great risks to do the right thing, but must always be mindful of their mission to maintain galactic peace, whatever the cost. They embody the finest qualities of humanity: honor, selflessness, and a certain realistic attitude. 
Game benefits: +1 to one of your resistance modifiers (Str, Dex, Will or Int)
[/sblock]

*Aliens:*
[sblock]
*Fraal * - Telepathic aliens from an enigmatic and ancient race. They are the most closely integrated alien race in human societies, but remain aloof and unknowable by most humans.

*Weren * - Large, strong, warlike aliens. They come from a clannish, primitive culture that reveres honor and strength, and have emigrated and integrated into galactic society with a wide degree of success.

*Mechalus * - Cybernetic, peace-loving humanoids. The mechalus have integrated cybertechnology to a degree unsurpassed by other races.

*Seshayan * - Winged primitive aliens, excel in stealth and darkness. Enslaved by VoidCorp, the stellar nation claims all seshayan everywhere as its "employees", but many have escaped to become citizens of other nations.

*T'sa* - Hyper-active reptilian alien technicians. Extremely curious and jittery.

*Other species* - there are others alien species, but they are found in very small minorities, and are not available for PCs. The five major alien races have integrated into all levels of human society and into all stellar nations. Individuals can be found in all walks of life.[/sblock]

That's it for now... I'll add more details soon, and follow-up with a similar overview on the Alternity rules system. Just enough to help you design your characters. Edit: I nixed the idea of an overview of the rules. Everyone seems to have the books, and the fast-play rules are available online, and you can order PDFs of the books as well.

Ozmar the Busy GM


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## Ozmar (Sep 22, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Ozmar, any specific chargen aside from what you've already posted about no robots and AIs?
> 
> Also have a regular rules question. I haven't played Alternity in about five years and reading through the books I'm not sure of something: Do the free broad skills from the species count against the limit on the number of broad skills you start with, as determined by intelligence?




I'll have to look that up tonight, but my gut memory check says "No". I don't think they count against your total. Neither do the bonuses that you get from the various stellar nations if you are a human character.

And aside from no robots, AI, or FX book stuff, I think I'm open to anything. If you stick to the Alternity PHB, the A&EG and the Star*Drive setting, then I'm sure you can't go wrong. Dataware is also a good source, particularly for anyone who wants to be a Gridpilot.

Ozmar the GM


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## Samnell (Sep 22, 2005)

jkason said:
			
		

> I'm kind of having a fun idea for the "commander." Or, rather, for the guy who's officially in charge but really isn't. The way I see it, some full-of-himself Admiral decided that his low-ambition son, fresh out of officer's training, needed command experience. He had pull, but only enough to assign the boy to this ... nontraditional setup.




That would confuse the hell out of my guy. 

He's military...but he's not a crazy anal-retentive martinet? WTF?!

Neat.


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## Samnell (Sep 22, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> I'll have to look that up tonight, but my gut memory check says "No". I don't think they count against your total. Neither do the bonuses that you get from the various stellar nations if you are a human character.




Much appreciated.



> And aside from no robots, AI, or FX book stuff, I think I'm open to anything. If you stick to the Alternity PHB, the A&EG and the Star*Drive setting, then I'm sure you can't go wrong. Dataware is also a good source, particularly for anyone who wants to be a Gridpilot.




I lost my copy of Dataware somewhere in the last year or so. Guess it's time for a trip to RPGNow. Incidentally, they appear to have the whole Star*Drive line if the bookless are interested: http://www.rpgnow.com/default.php?cPath=1_17_313&

What level of PCs are we making?


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## Ozmar (Sep 22, 2005)

Level 1.

Yep, I just noticed that as well. I'm putting together a post of links.

Ozmar the Grid Shadow


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## Ozmar (Sep 22, 2005)

*Exploring the Grid: Alternity & Star*Drive*

OK, I did a little digging to see what is "out there" for Alternity and Star*Drive resources. There is not much, but I did find a few items of interest. Most sites haven't been updated in 6+ years - there's a lot of "geocities" web pages. I am including anything that looks slightly promising, with the best stuff at the top. Some of these links will be useful for players, and others I am including for myself to check out in more detail later. This post  on my blog contains the same information.

You appear to be able to get just about any Alternity book as a PDF for under $5 at RPGNow.com. They're reputable, so I recommend it. The only book I question is the Player's Handbook, which seems to only be available in the "Limited Edition Preview" version. As far as I know, that version has a bunch of "errors" that don't agree with the published PHB, so I don't recommend it. The other books, though, such as the Star*Drive campaign setting, are all good, so check 'em out.

If you prefer hard copies, your best bet these days is probably eBay. 

Here is a list of all the published Alternity books, with covers and descriptions. This might be useful if you want some help finding some of these out-of-print books, or just want to look at the pretty covers.

Here is a link to an Alternity campaign called VoidRunner. It is not Star*Drive, but it has some nice overviews on the standard Alternity aliens, which might be of interest. It includes pictures of some of the aliens, so you know what they look like. Fraal, Weren, T'sa, Seshayan. & Mechalus.

The Alternity Info Page has some intro to how the game works. As well as an intro to Star*Drive.

Apparently, Alternity is still going on strong in the fan world. Here is a link to AlternityRPG.net. 

Here is a Star*Drive site (Tequilla Starrise) which appears to be pretty fancy and still active (unlike many of the other links, some of which are more than 6 years old...) Various character record sheets and other helpful sheets can be found here. 

Scott Metz has an excellent collection of RPG material, including links to an overview of Alternity and some extra stuff like alternate rules, enhancements and character sheets. 

Here is something called the Weren homepage. It has a name generator and some vocabulary. (There have also been one or more articles on Weren society in Dragon magazine... 

Wrarx's Alternity stuff has some new alien races... 

An untested (by me) Alternity character generator and starship generator can be found here.  

(And finally, here's a good-looking Firefly site if you're interested in checking it out. I highly recommend picking up a DVD of this series and watching it before seeing the upcoming movie. It sounds like Firefly is going to be a close model to how this campaign is shaping up.) 

Ozmar the Gridrunner


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## Samnell (Sep 22, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Apparently, Alternity is still going on strong in the fan world. Here is a link to AlternityRPG.net.




This one has a chargen I'm trying out, which supports Star*Drive nationality benefits, though not mutations per se. It seems to be fakeable, though. Ability mutations can be entered manually.


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## Samnell (Sep 22, 2005)

*Partial PC, First Draft*

I've got a cold and I'm on medication, so anything here could be out of whack. It's a work in progress. The chargen program I was fooling with proved more limited than anticipated.

[sblock]
Lucas Logan Karoczek
Aka “Lucas Tyler” (assumed name)
Aka “Dataswimmer” (grid name)

Species: Human Engineered Mutant
Gender: Male
Height: 1.7m (5’8”)
Weight: 50kg (110 lbs)
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue

Career: Tech Op
Level: 1
Profession: Gridpilot
Last Resorts: 1
Last Resort Cost: 3

*Attributes*
_Motivation: Deeper Meaning_
Lucas isn't sure who or what he really is or should be. He's an Inseer! Really! You have to believe him! Even though he's not entirely sure himself.
_Moral Attitude: Anti-Authority_
Lucas thinks he got royally screwed last time he followed orders. If he's going to go along, it has to be on his terms.
_Trait: Curious_
Information born free aside, Lucas desperately needs to know things and figure things out.
_Trait: Egotistical_
A mask for his inner confusion.

*Abilities*/Untrained Res. Mod.	
Strength 7/3		0		
Dexterity 12/6		+1 step		
Constitution 10/5      -
Intelligence 17/7	+2 steps
Will 9/4                   0
Personality 8/4		-

*Action Check Score*
Marginal 16+
Ordinary 15
Good 7
Amazing 3
Actions per Round: 2
Die: +d0

*Combat Movement Rates*
Spring 20
Run 12
Walk 4
Easy Swim 2
Swim 4

*Durability*
Stun 10
Wound 10
Mortal 5
Fatigue 5

*Skills* [separated by key ability, total points spent 80]

Athletics 7/3/1 +d4 – free

Vehicle Operation 12/6/3 +d4 – free

Stamina 10/5/2 +d4 – free
_Endurance 1_ 11/5/2 – cost 4

Computer Science 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 6
	*_Hacking 3_ 20/10/5 – cost 15
	*_Programming 3_ 20/10/5 – cost 12
Knowledge 17/8/4 +d4 – free
	*_Computer Operation 3_ 20/10/5 – cost 6
Security 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 5
	*_Security Devices 1_ 18/9/4 – cost 2
System Operation 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 4
Technical Science 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 4
	*_Juryrig 1_ 18/9/4 – cost 2
	*_Repair 2_ 19/9/4 – cost 5

Awareness 9/4/2 +d4 – free
Street Smart 9/4/2 +d4 – cost 5

Ineraction 8/4/2 +d4 – free

Cybergear training – cost 10

*Perks & Flaws*
_Faith_-Insight. Lucas is a serious convert to the Inseer religion and he gets this free for being originally of Hatire rearing. I'm not sure if he's serious enough to really warrant the perk, though. Likewise he has had bad experiences with religion that might put a damper on the fervor, namely being stuck on an agricultural backwater doing exhausting physical labor under the hot (for him) sun from dawn until dusk every day to keep him from using his "sinful proclivities".

*Mutations* - Engineered
_Hyper Intelligence_
Lucas's brain is amazingly efficient and overdeveloped. Int +3
_Minor Physical Change_
Lucas's skin is a flat, chalky white. Large veins show through it easily. Short of full concealment, his altered genetics are obvious. +2 penalty to all Personality skills and any other skills used to interact with others.
_Moderate Environmental Sensitivity, Hot_
Lucas's body operates at well above normal human temperatures. As a result he's warm to hot where others would be comfortable and truly hot temperatures cause him to overheat. He sunburns easily. +3 penalty to all skill and action checks in hot temperatures.

*Cybertech*
Marginal Nanocomputer [1], Subdermal NIJack [1] (will upgrade to wireless if he can afford it)

*Cybertolerance* 5/3/5

*Signature Equipment:* Marginal Gridcaster, Marginal Nanocomputer, Ordinary Shadow Form Program, Ordinary Antivirus Program, Marginal Break-in Program [self-made].

*Appearance*
If not for his skin tone, Lucas would be a near-stereotypical farm boy of medium build. He's just a bit short and a bit too introverted to pull it off. His blonde hair is slightly long and permanently sun-bleached. He avoids eye contact with authority figures and is usually uncomfortable in their presence, unless talking about his specialities. Then he becomes animated, speaking quickly with great confidence and often throwing hair back out of his eyes.

His mutant skin and heat sensitivity work at contrary ends. Lucas isn't comfortable showing off his skin and prefers to keep it covered, but wearing heavy clothes leaves him quickly overheating. His normal compromise is a skintight bodysuit that keeps him covered and draws away the sweat, with loose clothing on top of it as needed. He prefers synthetic clothes to the exclusion of natural fibers as a result of being forced for years to wear ill-fitting, rough homespun clothing on the farm.

*Allegiance:* Concord
Lucas doesn't like it all that much, but he's legally obligated to work with the Concord in lieu of a lengthy prison sentence for getting caught breaking into a banking datacore that was way out of his league.

Authority: 4 (+2 Tech Op, +2 Allegiance)
Wealth: 5 (+2 Tech Op, +1 Gridpilot [used entry for Hacker], +1 Allegiance) $2,500/month
Fame: 1 (+1 Tech Op, -1 Gridpilot, +1 Allegiance)

[/sblock]

That's what I have so far. I'm open to suggestions for revision and boneheaded rules errors that need fixing. 

EDIT: Added social status and allegiance.


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## Ozmar (Sep 22, 2005)

Sounds cool. I'll look 'im over in more detail tonight. From a stats view point, is his background from the Concord, or from some other stellar nation? I assume he's a citizen of the Concord now? What do you think?

Ozmar the Curious


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## jkason (Sep 22, 2005)

Okay, between the two character generating programs, I think I can put together a character, though it may need modifying. Two questions:

1. Do people in military service for the Concord have to be Concordians? I was thinking the Austrin-Ontis Unlimited might be interesting. It would explain the character's father's "you have to be military to be important" philosophy (guns = power). 

2. I'm thinking about some sort of sensory cybernetic enhancement (Dad bought it so the kid would be a better shot, but the kid's using it to help with his ability to find and observe alien life). The dos char-gen has cybertech, but I don't see anything like it. Is that available in this setting? 

thanks,

jason


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## Samnell (Sep 22, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Sounds cool. I'll look 'im over in more detail tonight. From a stats view point, is his background from the Concord, or from some other stellar nation? I assume he's a citizen of the Concord now? What do you think?




[sblock]He was raised Hatire, much to his continual dismay. But I don't see him retaining that citizenship. He probably claims Insight citizenship, but isn't legally so. For a mutant runaway from Hatire, the Concord is a logical enough recourse. He certainly isn't going to the Solars for solace. 

So sure, works for me.

EDIT: Reading the stuff on Allegiance in the GMG, sounds like our present situation (working for the Concord, willingly or not) would be a textbook case of a Concord allegiance. [/sblock]


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## Samnell (Sep 22, 2005)

jkason said:
			
		

> 2. I'm thinking about some sort of sensory cybernetic enhancement (Dad bought it so the kid would be a better shot, but the kid's using it to help with his ability to find and observe alien life). The dos char-gen has cybertech, but I don't see anything like it. Is that available in this setting?




Star*Drive has reasonably extensive cybernetics rules. You can get a computer in your brain, replace limbs, boost strength, get gun mounts, watches, etc.

EDIT: I see you want sensory enhancements. There are a quite a few eye options, if I remember right.

All cyberoptics require a nanocomputer (computer in the brain). The optics can be in an eye socket, or elsewhere. Base model is normal vision plus a digital camera. Good quality brings extended vision (300x zoom). Amazing (most expensive) Gives 500x and allows shifts between normal, night, and thermal vision.

How much cybergear you can host depends on your Constitution. Also, all cybergear that requires a nanocomputer takes a 10 point skill expenditure to learn how to use.


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## NSpicer (Sep 22, 2005)

> Apparently, Alternity is still going on strong in the fan world. Here is a link to AlternityRPG.net.
> 
> Here is a Star*Drive site (Tequilla Starrise) which appears to be pretty fancy and still active (unlike many of the other links, some of which are more than 6 years old...) Various character record sheets and other helpful sheets can be found here.




Hello everyone.  Just dropping a quick note.  Someone crossposted your game thread over at A.net.  Just wanted to say good luck with the Star*Drive game.  I'm one of the regulars at both AlternityRPG.net and Tequilla Starrise and contributed a few fan-created products to help keep the setting going over the years.  It's great to see a group forming at ENWorld to continue gaming with the campaign setting, and using the original Alternity ruleset no-less!



> 1. Do people in military service for the Concord have to be Concordians? I was thinking the Austrin-Ontis Unlimited might be interesting. It would explain the character's father's "you have to be military to be important" philosophy (guns = power)...
> 
> 2. I'm thinking about some sort of sensory cybernetic enhancement (Dad bought it so the kid would be a better shot, but the kid's using it to help with his ability to find and observe alien life).




At the onset of the Star*Drive campaign setting, the Concord is only just 30+ years old.  In sci-fi terms, with longer than usual lifespans for virtually all of humanity, that isn't enough time for even a single generation to have really passed.  And, given that the Concord is formed through the donations of territory, resources, and local citizenry from the other stellar nations, many members of the Concord haven't yet had time to take on the standard traits...retaining their original stellar nation background.  Most Star*Drive GM's just indicate that they're recent immigrants to the Concord and leave their original stellar nation benefits intact.  Other heroes who have always lived within the Concord, receive the standard GC stellar nation benefit instead.  So an Austrin living and serving in the Concord should be feasible.

One element that won't get much mileage, however, is the notion of an Austrin (or his father) springing for cybertech to enhance their ability with guns.  Part of Star*Drive's background actually had the Austrins fighting a grueling century-long war against the cyber-soldiers of the Nariac Domain.  As such, virtually all Austrins abhor cybertech.  They view it as an unnatural subversion of humanity and maintain strict laws against it.  This direction from a campaign setting design standpoint helps to maintain the game balance between Austrins (who come with a natural affinity for guns of all kinds) and Nariacs (who come standard with at least some type of cybernetic enhancement).

Just FYI,
--Neil


----------



## NSpicer (Sep 22, 2005)

> I haven't played Alternity in about five years and reading through the books I'm not sure of something: Do the free broad skills from the species count against the limit on the number of broad skills you start with, as determined by intelligence?



The answer to this is definitely "no"...the free broad skills for each species does NOT count against your maximum number of starting broad skills.  Also, just as FYI, if you're using the table in the Alternity Player's Handbook for defining starting skill points based on Intelligence, you might be interested to know that the original game designers for Alternity offered up an optional rule that they felt more adequately assisted with character generation and advancement.  If they had ever released an Alternity 2.0, these rules would have been included as canon.

Starting skill points for every Alternity hero = (INT ability score x 3) + 30.
Humans still receive their extra 5 starting skill points on top of that.  Aliens and mutants do not...

Maximum starting broad skills for every Alternity hero = 6 + (INT resistance modifier).
If a hero's INT resistance mod is negative instead of positive, it actually reduces the amount of starting broad skills they can have.

Skill costs for ranks higher than rank 1 = list-price.
This allows Alternity heroes to advance in skill ranks more rapidly and diversify their skills as they level-up.  The original rules from the PHB indicate each rank costs the same as list-price + the current rank.  That progression proved too slow in later playtesting.

Additional FYI,
--Neil

P.S.  These optional rules can be found published at both AlternityRPG.net and Tequila Starrise, if you're interested.  You can also find a copy of the Fast-Play Rules (a free downloadable PDF created by WotC during Alternity's hey-day) on those sites.  That alone should get everyone up to speed very quickly on the basics of character creation and how skill checks (including combat) works.


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## Ozmar (Sep 22, 2005)

jkason said:
			
		

> Okay, between the two character generating programs, I think I can put together a character, though it may need modifying. Two questions:
> 
> 1. Do people in military service for the Concord have to be Concordians? I was thinking the Austrin-Ontis Unlimited might be interesting. It would explain the character's father's "you have to be military to be important" philosophy (guns = power).
> 
> ...




Quick replies:

You do not need to be from the Concord. You may have been raised in another stellar nation and emigrated, or otherwise found yourself in the service of the Concord's mission. You could be from the Concord, or from any other Stellar Nation.

Cybernetics are available, using the standard rules in the PHB (as far as I know, they're the only rules) and I'm pretty sure that there must be enhancements such as what you describe. I'll have to research to find 'em.

Ozmar the Quick GM


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## Ozmar (Sep 23, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> [sblock]He was raised Hatire, much to his continual dismay. But I don't see him retaining that citizenship. He probably claims Insight citizenship, but isn't legally so. For a mutant runaway from Hatire, the Concord is a logical enough recourse. He certainly isn't going to the Solars for solace.
> 
> So sure, works for me.
> 
> EDIT: Reading the stuff on Allegiance in the GMG, sounds like our present situation (working for the Concord, willingly or not) would be a textbook case of a Concord allegiance. [/sblock]




That's cool. There are specific game-related benefits for human characters based on the nation of their origin. Do you want to claim the Hatire benefit or the Concord benefit? (It appears that you took the Hatire one? The Faith perk for free? The Concord benefit is +1 to one of your resistance modifiers.)

Ozmar the Curious


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## Ozmar (Sep 23, 2005)

NSpicer said:
			
		

> These optional rules can be found published at both AlternityRPG.net and Tequila Starrise, if you're interested.  You can also find a copy of the Fast-Play Rules (a free downloadable PDF created by WotC during Alternity's hey-day) on those sites.  That alone should get everyone up to speed very quickly on the basics of character creation and how skill checks (including combat) works.




Guys, let's use Neil's (NSpicer) updates and recommendations unless I specifically state otherwise. I think he's got some good insight and I value his contributions.

So for the record:

Samnell's character should definitely be gaining the Hatire benefits. Other characters can choose the Concord's bene, but will usually be from another stellar nation and gain their benes.

jkason's father could have helped him get cybernetics, but be aware that this would be a very unusual decision, and as such, there probably should be a good background reason. (In any nation, there are hundreds of billions of people, so exceptions to every rule exist.)

And these optional rules/corrections will be used in this campaign:

1. Starting skill points for every Alternity hero = (INT ability score x 3) + 30.
Humans still receive their extra 5 starting skill points on top of that. Aliens and mutants do not...

2. Maximum starting broad skills for every Alternity hero = 6 + (INT resistance modifier).
If a hero's INT resistance mod is negative instead of positive, it actually reduces the amount of starting broad skills they can have.

3. Skill costs for ranks higher than rank 1 = list-price.
This allows Alternity heroes to advance in skill ranks more rapidly and diversify their skills as they level-up. The original rules from the PHB indicate each rank costs the same as list-price + the current rank. That progression proved too slow in later playtesting.

And thanks, NSpicer, for your input! 

Ozmar the Grateful GM


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## Ozmar (Sep 23, 2005)

OK, I think I have enough info on the Star*Drive setting, now. I'll work on an Alternity primer, but I am not sure how much I'll put together, because there are free quick-play rules linked above (and really, ya'll should splurge and spend $5 to buy the PDF if you really want to know the rules.  )

Gotta go read and refresh my memory on this game. (And put the kid to bed.)

G'night!
Ozmar the Sleepy


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## Samnell (Sep 23, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Samnell's character should definitely be gaining the Hatire benefits. Other characters can choose the Concord's bene, but will usually be from another stellar nation and gain their benes.




I'll understand if you take away the perk because I'm not playing it too well. The whole concept rests fairly heavily on him being Hatire-reared, but he's been working hard to put it behind him. Then again, it could be another tension in his persona.



> And these optional rules/corrections will be used in this campaign:
> 
> 1. Starting skill points for every Alternity hero = (INT ability score x 3) + 30.
> Humans still receive their extra 5 starting skill points on top of that. Aliens and mutants do not...




I get one more skill point! 



> 2. Maximum starting broad skills for every Alternity hero = 6 + (INT resistance modifier).
> If a hero's INT resistance mod is negative instead of positive, it actually reduces the amount of starting broad skills they can have.




10 for me. I probably have the wrong mod in the sheet too, but I'll fix it in draft 2.



> 3. Skill costs for ranks higher than rank 1 = list-price.
> This allows Alternity heroes to advance in skill ranks more rapidly and diversify their skills as they level-up. The original rules from the PHB indicate each rank costs the same as list-price + the current rank. That progression proved too slow in later playtesting.




That may very well give me a lot of points back.

Second draft coming.


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 23, 2005)

Quick Q: with the skill house rule we are using how do I tally up the Entertainer package from the Star*Drive Campaign Setting Book (page 240)?


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 23, 2005)

So who all is playing now? What?

Personally I am looking at a Mindwalker (Espion/Telepath) with a focus on communications. But am kinda curious as to whether that would step on anyones toes?


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## Samnell (Sep 23, 2005)

*PC, Draft 2*

Does not yet include all gear, but otherwise should be complete and in compliance with the house rules. I regained two skill points from the new way of figuring costs and one from the new way of generating total points. Added in the freebie native language and spent the other three on Galactic Standard. 

Ozmar, how do you want us to determine starting funds? I've assumed we get the signature gear for our profession, but beyond that the mechanic seems to be to roll on Table P30 (p.129) and multiply by 100. Did you want to trust us to roll, roll for us, assume maximum, something else?

[sblock]
Lucas Logan Karoczek
Aka “Lucas Tyler” (assumed name)
Aka “Dataswimmer” (grid name)

Species: Human Engineered Mutant
Gender: Male
Height: 1.7m (5’8”)
Weight: 50kg (110 lbs)
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Age: 21 (biological), unknown (chronological)

Career: Tech Op
Level: 1
Profession: Gridpilot
Last Resorts: 1
Last Resort Cost: 3

*Attributes*
_Motivation: Deeper Meaning_
Lucas isn't sure who or what he really is or should be. He's an Inseer! Really! You have to believe him! Even though he's not entirely sure himself.
_Moral Attitude: Anti-Authority_
Lucas thinks he got royally screwed last time he followed orders. If he's going to go along, it has to be on his terms.
_Trait: Curious_
Information born free aside, Lucas desperately needs to know things and figure things out.
_Trait: Egotistical_
A mask for his inner confusion.

*Abilities*/Untrained Res. Mod.	
Strength 7/3		0		
Dexterity 12/6		+1 step		
Constitution 10/5      -
Intelligence 17/7	+4 steps
Will 9/4                   0
Personality 8/4		-

*Action Check Score*
Marginal 16+
Ordinary 15
Good 7
Amazing 3
Actions per Round: 2
Die: +d0

*Combat Movement Rates*
Spring 20
Run 12
Walk 4
Easy Swim 2
Swim 4

*Durability*
Stun 10
Wound 10
Mortal 5
Fatigue 5

*Skills* [separated by key ability, total points spent 81]

Athletics 7/3/1 +d4 – free

Vehicle Operation 12/6/3 +d4 – free

Stamina 10/5/2 +d4 – free
*_Endurance 1_ 11/5/2 – cost 4

Computer Science 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 6
*_Hacking 3_ 20/10/5 – cost 12
*_Programming 3_ 20/10/5 – cost 9
Knowledge 17/8/4 +d4 – free
*_Computer Operation 3_ 20/10/5 – cost 6
*_Language: Hatire 3_ 20/10/5 - free (native language)
*_Language: Galactic Standard 3_ - cost 3
*_Hatire Knowledge 3_ 20/10/5 - free (native area) Star*Drive p.233
*_Insight Knowledge 1_ 18/9/4 - cost 1
Security 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 5
*_Security Devices 1_ 18/9/4 – cost 2
System Operation 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 4
Technical Science 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 4
*_Juryrig 1_ 18/9/4 – cost 2
*_Repair 3_ 20/10/5 – cost 6

Awareness 9/4/2 +d4 – free
Street Smart 9/4/2 +d4 – cost 5
*_Grid Savvy_ 10/5/2 - cost 2 [from Dataware]

Ineraction 8/4/2 +d4 – free

Cybergear training – cost 10

*Perks & Flaws*
_Faith_-Insightful. Lucas is a serious convert to the Inseer religion and he gets this free for being originally of Hatire rearing. I'm not sure if he's serious enough to really warrant the perk, though. Likewise he has had bad experiences with religion that might put a damper on the fervor, namely being stuck on an agricultural backwater doing exhausting physical labor under the hot (for him) sun from dawn until dusk every day to keep him from using his "sinful proclivities".

*Mutations* - Engineered
_Hyper Intelligence_
Lucas's brain is amazingly efficient and overdeveloped. Int +3
_Minor Physical Change_
Lucas's skin is a flat, chalky white. Large veins show through it easily. Short of full concealment, his altered genetics are obvious. +2 penalty to all Personality skills and any other skills used to interact with others.
_Moderate Environmental Sensitivity, Hot_
Lucas's body operates at well above normal human temperatures. As a result he's warm to hot where others would be comfortable and truly hot temperatures cause him to overheat. He sunburns easily. +3 penalty to all skill and action checks in hot temperatures.

*Cybertech*
Marginal Nanocomputer [1]
Wireless NIJack [1] ($1000)
Subderman Comm [1] ($500)
Good Biowatch [0] ($100)

*Cybertolerance* 5/3/5

*Signature Equipment:* Marginal Gridcaster, Marginal Nanocomputer, Ordinary Shadow Form Program, Ordinary Antivirus Program, Marginal Break-in Program [self-made].

*Other Equipment:* 
Ordinary Datascan Program ($200)
Ordinary Shadow Form 2 Program ($2000)
Ordinary Toolkit ($100)
Athletic shoes ($150)
1 set casual dress ($50)

*Appearance*
If not for his skin tone, Lucas would be a near-stereotypical farm boy of medium build. He's just a bit short and a bit too introverted to pull it off. His blonde hair is slightly long and permanently sun-bleached. He avoids eye contact with authority figures and is usually uncomfortable in their presence, unless talking about his specialities. Then he becomes animated, speaking quickly with great confidence and often throwing hair back out of his eyes.

His mutant skin and heat sensitivity work at contrary ends. Lucas isn't comfortable showing off his skin and prefers to keep it covered, but wearing heavy clothes leaves him quickly overheating. His normal compromise is a skintight bodysuit that keeps him covered and draws away the sweat, with loose clothing on top of it as needed. He prefers synthetic clothes to the exclusion of natural fibers as a result of being forced for years to wear ill-fitting, rough homespun clothing on the farm.

*Allegiance:* Concord
Lucas doesn't like it all that much, but he's legally obligated to work with the Concord in lieu of a lengthy prison sentence for getting caught breaking into a banking datacore that was way out of his league.

Authority: 4 (+2 Tech Op, +2 Allegiance)
Wealth: 5 (+2 Tech Op, +1 Gridpilot [used entry for Hacker], +1 Allegiance) $2,500/month
Fame: 1 (+1 Tech Op, -1 Gridpilot, +1 Allegiance)

[/sblock]

EDIT: Should be finished now, with all the gear in and (finally!) correct skill point expenditure.

EDIT: Can't leave well enough alone, just added in his age.


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## Samnell (Sep 23, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> So who all is playing now? What?
> 
> Personally I am looking at a Mindwalker (Espion/Telepath) with a focus on communications. But am kinda curious as to whether that would step on anyones toes?




I'm playing a mutant gridpilot/general tech guy with no psionics and no people skills whatsoever. My toes are not imperiled.


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## jkason (Sep 23, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> So who all is playing now? What?
> 
> Personally I am looking at a Mindwalker (Espion/Telepath) with a focus on communications. But am kinda curious as to whether that would step on anyones toes?




I'm putting together a biologist/med-tech with secondary combat/diplomatic skills, so I don't see any toe problems, either.

jason


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## Ozmar (Sep 23, 2005)

Frukathka said:
			
		

> Quick Q: with the skill house rule we are using how do I tally up the Entertainer package from the Star*Drive Campaign Setting Book (page 240)?




Well... skill packages don't give you any discount, they are just a pre-packaged group of skills using the regular cost. The regular cost is 30 points, and there are 4 skills with 2 ranks, and the house rule removes the "extra point cost" for each rank that you already have in a skill, so it looks like you would save 4 points, so it should probably cost only 26 points.

But lets break it down to check...

Diplomat skill package: Entertainer

Creativity.........cost 4
Deception.........cost 4
_bluff_.........cost 2
Entertainment....cost 3
_act _ 2.......cost 1 x 2 = 2
_dance _ 2....cost 1 x 2 = 2
_sing _ 2......cost 1 x 2 = 2
_musical instrument_...cost 1
Interaction.........cost 3 (free for humans)
_charm_.........cost 2
_seduce _ 2....cost 2 x 2 = 4

Total Cost = 26

Yep, 26 points. Looks right.

Ozmar the Careful


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## Ozmar (Sep 23, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Ozmar, how do you want us to determine starting funds? I've assumed we get the signature gear for our profession, but beyond that the mechanic seems to be to roll on Table P30 (p.129) and multiply by 100. Did you want to trust us to roll, roll for us, assume maximum, something else?




Assume max is fine.

Combat Spec = 3000
Diplomat = 6000
Free Agent = 4000
Tech Op = 4000
Mindwalker = 2000

If you have the Filthy Rich perk or Dirt Poor flaw, you'll have to make a perk check. I think www.invisiblecastle.com can be used for that.

The Concord will supply your ship with the necessary gear. And of course you'll start with "signature" equipment as normal. These will be your starting personal funds.

Ozmar the Accountant


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 23, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Assume max is fine.
> 
> Combat Spec = 3000
> Diplomat = 60,000
> ...




I hope you mean 6,000 for Diplomat, or I might need to change my profession.


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## Ozmar (Sep 23, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> I hope you mean 6,000 for Diplomat, or I might need to change my profession.




Uhm... yeah. I can multiply.   

I'll edit it.


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## Hammerhead (Sep 23, 2005)

I am playing a Sesheyan investigator/bodyguard freed by Voidcorp...and I'm not sure Sesheyans even have toes, at least as we know them. 

Ozmar, I might know you, but it's unlikely. I go the University of Minnesota and get my gaming fix from the club there. Know anyone who goes to that?


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## Ozmar (Sep 23, 2005)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> Ozmar, I might know you, but it's unlikely. I go the University of Minnesota and get my gaming fix from the club there. Know anyone who goes to that?



Nope. Its a big city, with a big gaming scene. 


Sounds cool on the Seshayan. Looks like we have...

Hammerhead - Seshayan investigator/bodyguard 
jkason - a biologist/med-tech with secondary combat/diplomatic skills
Samnell - Hatire mutant gridpilot
Frukatha - Human Diplomat (Entertainment Celebrity - Filthy Rich)
Prof Yeti - Mindwalker (Espion/Telepath)

That's a quorum as far as I'm concerned. Other players are welcome to join, with a max of 8 players, but we have enough to game.

Some questions: Hammerhead's seshayan is ex-VoidCorp and now a Condcordan citizen. Samnell is a Hatire expatriat. jkason is presumably human? So what nation do you want to be from? Frukatha, I also am curious about which nation you want to be from?

jkason, are you interested in being the nominal commander of the vessel? The other characters do not seem suitable. No big deal if you want to remain civilian - I'll create a military NPC to command the ship.

Prof Yeti - what species? Human or the obvious choice for a mindwalker, or something else?

Chao!
Ozmar the Brain Stormer


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 23, 2005)

I am still kinda up in the air between a Human from the Union of Sol, and the archetypical Fraal. Though I am kinda leaning towards the Human.

Now I just have to put all my notes together.


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## Samnell (Sep 23, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> I am still kinda up in the air between a Human from the Union of Sol, and the archetypical Fraal. Though I am kinda leaning towards the Human.




A solar human could be neat. Certainly lots of potential RP with my mutant.


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## Samnell (Sep 23, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Entertainment....cost 3
> _act _ 2.......cost 1 x 2 = 2




Cost of Act for a Diplomat...listprice-1=1. Cost per subsequent rank...1. I'm a dork. I was charging myself full price for additional ranks, totally forgetting about my profession discount. I'll go edit to fix now on Draft2.

Sam the Medicated and Math-Inhibited.


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## jkason (Sep 23, 2005)

*Van(guard) Curran, biologist and military poseur*

If everyone's okay with the scenario I mentioned in the initial concept, I'm more than cool with being the Concord-sponsored leader. I figure the day to day on the ship runs a little more communally, but whenever there's official visitors and such, Van takes the lead for appearance's sake. 

Anyway, here's what I've pieced together with what I gleaned from the quick start, the primer, and jumping between the two char gen programs found at the links. The Austrin / cyberware problem became moot once I saw the Thuldan Empire. "Militant" is exactly what Van's father was. You did say the Concord is put together with members of the other nations, yes? I figure Dad and Van are two of those "donated assets," but they're originally from the empire. And since they have a cultural affinity for genetic engineering, I used a minor mutation rather than the cybertech. Basically the same effect: Dad was going for one thing, but got something else. 

Most of the rest of the background is mixed in with the stats, explaining the choices and the like. I know I'm going to have to fix stuff, but hopefully this will work as a starting point. Broke it up into sections, with the elements I'm surest about first, and the more questionable elements near the end.

Basic Stats:[sblock]
Hero's Name:     Van(guard) Curran
Player:          Jason
Setting:         Star Drive (Progress Level 7)
Gamemaster:      Ozmar
Species:         Mutant Human (Thulda)
Gender:          Male
Profession:      Tech Op
Career:          Biologist
Level:           1
Moral Attitude:  _Conformist_ - Van's never had the strength to stand up to his father, or much of anyone in a position of authority. His deal with the rag tag crew is partly about gaining that independence, but also about getting their acceptance quickly, so even there he's giving ground to fit in. 

Motivation:      _Yearn to Learn_ - Perhaps partly as a way to find out why his own augmentations didn't take as they should, Van's always trying to learn more about the biological advantages and disadvantages of other people / races / creatures. As access to the kind of study he wants has always been limited by his father's choices, Van's desire to learn these things has become somewhat insatiable.

Character:       _Humorous_ - Van was constantly thrown in with the big kids (physically augmented bruisers). His father wanted to toughen him up. Van mostly wanted to survive. Since he couldn't beat them in a fight, he learned to make them laugh, instead.
_Talkative_ - Van's always wanting to share either his latest joke or his latest finding with anyone who'll listen.

Last Resorts:    2 (starting, maximum) _ _

ABILITY      Score  Untrained   Res.Mod.
Strength        7       3          -         Damage Adjustment 0
Dexterity      11       5         +1 step 
Constitution   11       5
Intelligence   13       6         +2 steps
Will            7       3          -      
Personality    11       5

Actions per round: 2

ACTION CHECK SCORES:    Marginal 14+  Ordinary 13  Good 6  Amazing 3
  Action Check Modifier: +d0

COMBAT MOVEMENT RATES
Sprint:    18
Run:       12
Walk:       4
Easy Swim:  2
Swim:       4

DURABILITY
Stun     11   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Wound    11   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Mortal    6   _ _ _ _ _ _
Fatigue   6   _ _ _ _ _ _

[/sblock]

Skills/Perks/Flaws (skill point costs / benefits in square brackets): [sblock]

Perks:  
   Photo Memory [3] - It's unclear if this was a lesser element of his augmentation that took or not, but Van has an uncanny recall for information he's read / things he's seen. It's proven invaluable given his life path: he's had to learn most of his scientific skills quickly and on the sly (dad was always pulling him out of classes or taking books from him). Being able to see it once and remember is the only way he's gotten as far as he has. Incidentally, it also helped him through his military training, as he could do that studying much more quickly and accurately (with the side benefit of giving him more time to study biology / xenology)

Flaws: 
   Divided Loyalty [4] - Van's trying to balance the crew's desires / interests, his own, and his official allegience to the Concord (and more directly, his father). The balancing act can become quite precarious at times, especially given the volatile authoritarian his father is and the more cavalier attitudes of much of the crew.


STRENGTH SKILLS (7)
  Armor_Operation [7]                     7/ 3/ 1
  Athletics [free]                        7/ 3/ 1


DEXTERITY SKILLS (11)
  Ranged_Weapons_Modern [6]              11/ 5/ 2
  Vehicle_Operation [free]               11/ 5/ 2

CONSTITUTION SKILLS (11)
  Stamina [free]                         11/ 5/ 2

INTELLIGENCE SKILLS (13)
  Knowledge [free]                       13/ 6/ 3 *
    Computer_operations [1]    Rank  1   14/ 7/ 3 *
    Deduce  [2]                Rank  1   14/ 7/ 3 *
    First_aid  [2]             Rank  1   14/ 7/ 3
    Language (Thuldan) [free]  Rank  3   14/ 7/ 3
    Language (Galac. Std.) [2] Rank  2   14/ 7/ 3
  Life_Science [6]                       13/ 6/ 3 *
    Biology [2]                Rank  1   14/ 7/ 3 *
    Xenology [3]               Rank  1   14/ 7/ 3 *
  Medical_Science [6]                    13/ 6/ 3
  Physical_Science [6]                   13/ 6/ 3
    Chemistry [2]              Rank  1   14/ 7/ 3 *
  Tactics [5]                            13/ 6/ 3

WILL SKILLS (7)
  Awareness  [free]                       7/ 3/ 1
  Investigate [6]                         7/ 3/ 1 *
    Research  [2]              Rank  1    8/ 4/ 2

PERSONALITY SKILLS (11)
  Culture [5]                            11/ 5/ 2
    Diplomacy [3]              Rank  1   12/ 6/ 3
    First_encounter [3]        Rank  1   12/ 6/ 3
  Interaction [free]                     11/ 5/ 2[/sblock]


Now we get into the stuff I'm not so sure of. 

Mutation (engineered):[sblock]The DOS program let me select a range of mutation points and drawback points. I picked 2 mutation points (that's what the program required to give me the option for thermal vision), then it let me select 0 as an option on drawbacks. Thuldans get reduced drawback points, but I wasn't sure what standard drawbacks would be. Let me know if I need to take a drawback (light sensitivity would seem pretty logical, I'd think).

Good mutations:
_Thermal_Vision_ (-3 on penalties in darkness, even if total) - Van was supposed to be born with a full physical genetic upgrade: enhanced strength, reflexes, senses, durability. The whole nine yards. His father (then General, on the road to Admiral, Phineous Curran) paid a grotesque sum for it. Imagine his outrage when he got a son who, with the exception of a broadened visual spectrum, had no noticeable enhancements. The genetech who performed the upgrade didn't have much of a career after that. Didn't live much longer, either; horrible how those "freak accidents" can take a person out.[/sblock] 


Equipment and Weapons (costs in brackets): [sblock]I'm also fuzzy on the exact uses of some of the stuff here. Basically, I picked what sounded good, and if it's actually over the top or not generally useful or whatever, I can eliminate it. I wasn't sure what constituted "signature equipment," so I'm fairly certain I overspent, just not by how much. 


Attacks: 
  Unarmed [untrained]:    3/ 1/ 0   d4s/d4+1s/d4+2s
                                     unarmed combat modifier +d4
  Weapons:
    Name                           Type  Damage [O/G/A]

    Pistol_laser [1000]   11/ 5/ 2   En/O  d4+1w/d6+1w/d4m

Defenses:
  Armor:
    Name                         Type  LI / HI / En

    Cerametal_armor [2000]7/ 3/ 1   O   d6+1/d8+1/d6



EQUIPMENT (I'm not sure how encumberance works, but I went ahead and listed mass): 

Sunglasses [50]
Holster [25]
Fatigues [50]
Jumpsuit [100] Mass 1
Uniform, service dress [300] mass 2.5
Data Slate, Good [750] mass .3
Trauma Pack II [400] mass 2
Life support pack [500] mass 3
Rx Antivenom x3 [225]
Ear Plugs [10]
Handcuffs [50] mass 1
Sensor gauntlet [725] mass 2
Emergency beacon [200] mass 10
Rations (1 wk.) [25] mass 2
Bedroll [25] mass 4
Biodetector [250] mass 2

Boots [?] 
Backpack [?] (The DOS chargen lists both of these as available items, but no prices. The other chargen doesn't list them as an item, so I don't know a price here)[/sblock]


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## Ozmar (Sep 23, 2005)

jkason - Looks like a good start. I'll be checking the mechanics as I get the chance, and we'll clean it up before play. Generally, I am not too worried about it. The character looks like a strong choice for commander, and that's good, b/c I wouldn't want an NPC to be calling "all the shots" during missions. Better if the PCs are in control of the tactical situation.

How did you come to be in command of a Concord vessel? Were you drafted into the Concord military? Did you volunteer? How does your father feel about it? Is he on board with the Concord ideal, or would he prefer to be Thuldan? 

I think your ship will be a recommissioned privateer that was impounded from a nefarious smuggler - one of the other PCs might actually have been on that smuggler's crew, but plea-bargained for his/her freedom? In any case, the crew is largely a bunch of criminals or people with variously colorful backgrounds who have been pressed into service, and are coming together to serve on your crew for the first time on your maiden voyage. The first mission will involve transporting a Concord ambassador to a colony world, and assisting him in evaluating that world for admission into the Galactic Concord.

Ozmar the Plot Weaver


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## jkason (Sep 23, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> How did you come to be in command of a Concord vessel? Were you drafted into the Concord military? Did you volunteer? How does your father feel about it? Is he on board with the Concord ideal, or would he prefer to be Thuldan?




Ah, sorry. Meant to include a lot of that stuff, but got distracted with all the little bits in the stats. 

Anyway, My thought is that Phineous (the father) was a major presence in the Thuldan military (The Legion?). He used his pull to get the obviously-not-enhanced Van into officer training, but it was becoming increasingly unlikely the boy could avoid washing out, and even more unlikely he'd ever get any kind of command or prestige in the Legionaires. 

So, when the Concord came begging for more military donations, Phineous orchestrated a deal. He'd join their ranks, bringing his reputation and stature and military experience, provided his son got a command out of the deal. He's hoping Van might finally come into his own, and perhaps his son's exploits will stop reflecting badly on Phineous' stellar career.

jason


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## Ozmar (Sep 23, 2005)

So Van is now in the Concord military, commanding a ship, with plenty of Thuldan training, but no actual experience?

I like it. 

The crew complement is 9. These are my initial thoughts, subject to modification once I have a clearer understanding of the Concord naval structure. Also, some of these NPC roles are open to any additional PCs who wish to join.

1. Captain Van Curran
2. First Mate (Seshayan - Hammerhead, or Mindwalker - Prof Yeti)
3. Pilot - Samnell (your character can fly a ship, right?  )
4. Pilot's mate / Navigator - NPC
5. Chief Engineer - NPC
6. Engineer's mate - NPC
7. Gunner / crewman - NPC
8. Mindwalker or a seshayan crewman (basically, whoever doesn't want the First Mate position - we either have a dedicated mindwalker as part of the official crew, or the seshayan is "demoted"  )
9. Entertainer - Frukatha (part of Concord's "Outreach and Morale Initiative Group" - OMIG)

And finally, I am considering that the ship may be a character: it may have an AI capable of controlling remote drones. That further automates some of the ship's procedures, allowing you to operate on minimal crew, and opens some interesting storylines. (Note: The AI is not available for a PC.)

Thoughts? Comments? Opines?

Ozmar the Commodore


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 23, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> 1. Captain Van Curran
> 2. First Mate (Seshayan - Hammerhead, or Mindwalker - Prof Yeti)
> 3. Pilot - Samnell (your character can fly a ship, right?  )
> 4. Pilot's mate / Navigator - NPC
> ...




First off I like the idea of an AI ship. My original game had one and it helped out a lot (worked well when the GM needed something).   

I don't know if I have the qualifications to be a first officer? It is looking like I could make a pretty good Communications Officer, though. So depending what Hammerhead has planned I can easily go either way.  

And I have decided to go with the Union of Sol Human. The Fraal was tempting but just didn't let me do what I wanted.


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## Ozmar (Sep 23, 2005)

Well, I kind of like the idea of an official Mindwalker as a ship position. Will you have any medical skills? (Since there is no ship's doctor yet.) And I like the idea of putting the seshayan as second in command - even if he doesn't have any related skills. Maybe he was the beneficiary of a Concord Affirmative Action officer program? 

Ozmar the Equal Opportunity GM


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## Ozmar (Sep 23, 2005)

Oh, and Union of Sol is cool: Will you choose to adopt a specific earth-culture to incorporate into your character's life? That could be fun.


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## Samnell (Sep 23, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> So Van is now in the Concord military, commanding a ship, with plenty of Thuldan training, but no actual experience?




Me too. A renegade space fascist who's not a space fascist is just too cool.



> 3. Pilot - Samnell (your character can fly a ship, right?  )




Uh, he can?  I have the vehicle operation broad skill. He wouldn't be a very good pilot, but he would know how to do it. Considering the mechanics of the stardrive, I think pilot is a decent role for his persona. He only has to work for a few hours every five days. He does have the skills to juryrig and do repairs in addition. 



> And finally, I am considering that the ship may be a character: it may have an AI capable of controlling remote drones. That further automates some of the ship's procedures, allowing you to operate on minimal crew, and opens some interesting storylines. (Note: The AI is not available for a PC.)




I like that a lot. I'd certainly like some typical military types around for RP friction purposes with Lucas, but the ship's AI is cool and probably makes a lot of sense on a vessel being crewed by known unreliables.

EDIT: Spelling.


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## Samnell (Sep 23, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> I don't know if I have the qualifications to be a first officer? It is looking like I could make a pretty good Communications Officer, though. So depending what Hammerhead has planned I can easily go either way.




Don't let it bother you. My guy is unqualified to be a pilot, or just barely qualified, anyway. He knows what button to push to make the ship go.


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 24, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Well, I kind of like the idea of an official Mindwalker as a ship position. Will you have any medical skills? (Since there is no ship's doctor yet.) And I like the idea of putting the seshayan as second in command - even if he doesn't have any related skills. Maybe he was the beneficiary of a Concord Affirmative Action officer program?





I can do the "official" Mindwalker thing no problem. But I call the line at the outfits like Troi wore in the 1st season. (I just don't have the legs for it.  ) He doesn't have any medical skills, though (the Psi skills are way expensive).     But as of right now I do have System Operations (Broad) and Communications skills. And I'm good with the seshayan as #2.



			
				Ozmar said:
			
		

> Oh, and Union of Sol is cool: Will you choose to adopt a specific earth-culture to incorporate into your character's life? That could be fun.




Groovy....I hadn't decided on a specific culture yet, though. But I am open to suggestions.

Also we might be better (minus commander man) at being Away-Team material. (I call dibs on anything but the red shirt.  ) Trust me if I have to draw a gun we are all in a lot of trouble. (I'm not joking  )


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## Samnell (Sep 24, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Groovy....I hadn't decided on a specific culture yet, though. But I am open to suggestions.




Do Cavalier England! Picture the Three Musketeers, but with more ruffs and lace. 

Feudal Japan might be easier on the ego, though. Or 1920s American. Put him in a trench coat and a fedora. Traditional Southeast Asian? Viking? Sioux, ca. 1876? A Ghost Dancer? A Boxer (the Chinese group of Rebellion fame, not the Mike Tyson type)? A hippie?



> Also we might be better (minus commander man) at being Away-Team material. (I call dibs on anything but the red shirt.  ) Trust me if I have to draw a gun we are all in a lot of trouble. (I'm not joking  )




Lucas's Dex is high enough that he can probably miss his foot, but I'd say the broad sides of barns are safe from him as wel.


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## jkason (Sep 24, 2005)

Van has some basic first aid / medical skills, and I was planning on bumping them up as we go and he builds his biologist experience. So maybe he can fill the med niche like Lucas as pilot. We are supposed to be "rag tag," right? 

jason


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## Ozmar (Sep 24, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> I can do the "official" Mindwalker thing no problem. But I call the line at the outfits like Troi wore in the 1st season. (I just don't have the legs for it.  ) He doesn't have any medical skills, though (the Psi skills are way expensive).     But as of right now I do have System Operations (Broad) and Communications skills. And I'm good with the seshayan as #2.




I'll leave uniform decisions to your commander!   



			
				Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Groovy....I hadn't decided on a specific culture yet, though. But I am open to suggestions.




The two that come immediately to mind are medieval japan (aka Samurai) and norse vikings. Not sure why... Or what you'd do with them as a mindwalker. 

Edit: I love the idea of a hippie mindwalker. What an opportunity to RP a stereotype to the max! 



			
				Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Also we might be better (minus commander man) at being Away-Team material. (I call dibs on anything but the red shirt.  ) Trust me if I have to draw a gun we are all in a lot of trouble. (I'm not joking  )




The crew is small enough that an "away team" is half the ship! That's on purpose so your PCs are always the center of the action.

Ozmar the Planner


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## Samnell (Sep 24, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> I'll leave uniform decisions to your commander!




Good luck getting Lucas into a uniform. 



> Edit: I love the idea of a hippie mindwalker. What an opportunity to RP a stereotype to the max!




You know, I tossed it in as a throwaway but I admit there's an odd synergy. Even if not played for laughs.


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## Samnell (Sep 24, 2005)

jkason said:
			
		

> We are supposed to be "rag tag," right?




There's a certain appeal to our being well out of our depth, you know? The we're screwed-ness of the whole thing would make triumph that much more meaningful.


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 24, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> There's a certain appeal to our being well out of our depth, you know? The we're screwed-ness of the whole thing would make triumph that much more meaningful.




Isn't that the basic premise of the movie Serenity (and the show that spawned it)?


----------



## Hammerhead (Sep 24, 2005)

Not really. The crew of the Serenity is incredibly competent; most of them are the best in their field. They're rag-tag because they're poor and lacking in wealth and influence.


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 24, 2005)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> Not really. The crew of the Serenity is incredibly competent; most of them are the best in their field. They're rag-tag because they're poor and lacking in wealth and influence.




Oh....so does that mean we are like the poor version? (I want to be Jayne when I grow up.)


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## Samnell (Sep 24, 2005)

> Oh....so does that mean we are like the poor version? (I want to be Jayne when I grow up.)




We're the hapless jacknapes who think we're competent and will probably get ourselves killed. The only thing we should be asking is what the ambassador did to the Concord to get assigned to us. We're jokes, but he must be majorly evil. 

You can't take the sky from us...unless you have guns or something...or turn off our cable...or tickle us...


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## Ozmar (Sep 24, 2005)

I didn't think the Serenity crew are "the best in their field", but they certainly are skillful and competent (well, most of them are). Hmmm... I guess the more I think about it, they do pull off some amazing stunts, don't they?

Anyway, your crew is certainly shaping up to be... colorful. But I am not intending to play the campaign solely for laughs. (Although the tone will depend largely on you guys, of course.) I guess I just want to warn you not to be too complacent. Space (particularly with me as a GM) can be a very deadly and unforgiving space. Of course you're "only" level 1, but you will learn, and even a level 1 Alternity hero is (or can be) a competent hero.

So consider this a fair warning of my intentions. The campaign will be at times dramatic, horrific, suspenseful, humorous, intriguing, and dangerous. I hope it will also always be fun.

Ozmar the GM


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## Ozmar (Sep 24, 2005)

Samnell - would your character make a better engineer than a pilot? How about navigator? Before I write up the NPCs to fill out the roster, we can juggle around PC positions so they at least have some skill in their assigned roles. 

Ozmar the XO


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## jkason (Sep 24, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Good luck getting Lucas into a uniform.




Heck, most of the time (In transit, and whenever else he can get away with it) I intend to have Van walking around in casual fatigues (his general response is "What? Fatigues are totally military"). He hates wearing a uniform as much as the rebellious crew, and it stays in the closet when he's not having to make some kind of official appearance. 

And on the ambassador front, the ambassador could be really good at his job, but this assigment could be Van's dad's fault. He's still got it in his head he's going to get a prestigious military son, so I figure he periodically pulls strings that get Van assigned stuff he really has no business being assigned. 

Yeah, Van's dad is kind of all sorts of troublesome plot hooks waiting to happen. I may have just handed Ozmar the key to our doom.   

jason


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 24, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> I didn't think the Serenity crew are "the best in their field", but they certainly are skillful and competent (well, most of them are). Hmmm... I guess the more I think about it, they do pull off some amazing stunts, don't they?
> 
> Anyway, your crew is certainly shaping up to be... colorful. But I am not intending to play the campaign solely for laughs. (Although the tone will depend largely on you guys, of course.) I guess I just want to warn you not to be too complacent. Space (particularly with me as a GM) can be a very deadly and unforgiving space. Of course you're "only" level 1, but you will learn, and even a level 1 Alternity hero is (or can be) a competent hero.
> 
> So consider this a fair warning of my intentions. The campaign will be at times dramatic, horrific, suspenseful, humorous, intriguing, and dangerous. I hope it will also always be fun.




And one day we too will be able to hold the title of "the best in our field", but for today (i.e. being 1st Level) I think we have some pretty good stuff.....now all we have to do is survive.

A little laughs, a little crying, a bit of vengeance, and a general sense of mayhem. That is what makes life (and roleplaying) fun.   

Warning received!


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 24, 2005)

jkason said:
			
		

> Heck, most of the time (In transit, and whenever else he can get away with it) I intend to have Van walking around in casual fatigues.




I am thinking the Mindwalker will be making much use of a jumpsuit, myself. Nice, simple, and easy to maintainng (and good for that unintended decompression).


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## Ozmar (Sep 24, 2005)

Good plan on that jumpsuit thing.

I am working up the rest of the crew now - outlines of their character at least. I'll be looking for more details on your characters (including names) soon. 

And I think you're going to be assigned a modified Geneva Trailblazer as your first command. Its got decent cargo capacity, good armament, and good sensors. And its about the right size. It will be fitted with a 5-LY starfall stardrive.

More details to follow as I can (wife is riding me to finish installing the kitchen cabinets - go figure...)

Ozmar the Whipped


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 24, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Good plan on that jumpsuit thing.
> 
> I am working up the rest of the crew now - outlines of their character at least. I'll be looking for more details on your characters (including names) soon.
> 
> ...




Trust me it is a practical desicion based on past Star*Drive campaigns.  

Groovy.....I have nothing else planned for this weekend, so all my energy will go into finishing the character as quickly as possible.

Okay???

Cool.


----------



## Samnell (Sep 24, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Samnell - would your character make a better engineer than a pilot? How about navigator? Before I write up the NPCs to fill out the roster, we can juggle around PC positions so they at least have some skill in their assigned roles.




Yes and no. I can move some skill points around, certainly.



> Skills [separated by key ability, total points spent 81]
> 
> Athletics 7/3/1 +d4 – free
> 
> ...




As you can see, he has the repair and juryrig skills that a good engineer should have, but no ranks in any system operation specialty skill. He spent some time earning his keep on a freighter that he originally stowed away on, so I could certainly skim some points off Grid Savvy and toss them into a more ship-friendly skill. I'm pretty flexible on it. I can play up the fresh off the farm aspect (well, about five years off) and take out street smart entirely (getting back 7 points) and tossing 'em into Engineering (which I can afford a lot of) or piloting (where I can afford a little).

I could also buy a flaw (I've considered several) and get the points that way. I could see infamy (from his criminal record), poor looks (as an expansion of his mutation drawback, I found a picture of the major veins in the face and he's not going to be all that appealing and he'll be sweating all the time and so forth) or both.

As my background for him is developing, he spent a few years with this freighter doing odd jobs and that can justify any of the piloting or system operation. I'd lean more towards the engineer angle, but if you want I can wrangle up the points to do both. Let me know.

EDIT: Got nothing else to do, so I'm going to try a few things and post 'em up as Draft 3.


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## Samnell (Sep 24, 2005)

jkason said:
			
		

> Heck, most of the time (In transit, and whenever else he can get away with it) I intend to have Van walking around in casual fatigues (his general response is "What? Fatigues are totally military"). He hates wearing a uniform as much as the rebellious crew, and it stays in the closet when he's not having to make some kind of official appearance.




Fatigues are still way too military for Lucas at this point in his development.


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## Samnell (Sep 24, 2005)

*Lucas Tyler, Draft3*

This is with a reworking that adds some flaws and moves some points around to make him slightly more useful than a screen door on a spaceship. I dropped the Street Smart and specialty skill and added two flaws, giving me enough skill points to buy 1 rank of space vehicle operation, 3 ranks of engineering, and 1 rank of technical knowledge.

Stats-wise, I think he works out as a chief engineer (he's as good as a first level PC can get) and a pilot's mate/apprentice pilot or something to that effect. He has the huge Int that would probably let him pull off most other stations with the broad skill too. Let me know how he looks.

EDIT: Decided the whole poor looks thing took the heat issue further than I wanted to and got a bit ickier than intended. So I dropped the flaw out (kind of overlaps with the mutation anyway) and snipped the specialty skill for piloting. He's an ace engineer, though. This left me with one stray skill point that I put into Insight knowledge for flavor.

[sblock]
Lucas Logan Karoczek
Aka “Lucas Tyler” (assumed name)
Aka “Dataswimmer” (grid name)

Species: Human Engineered Mutant
Gender: Male
Height: 1.7m (5’8”)
Weight: 50kg (110 lbs)
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Age: 21 (biological), unknown (chronological)

Career: Tech Op
Level: 1
Profession: Gridpilot
Last Resorts: 1
Last Resort Cost: 3

*Attributes*
_Motivation: Deeper Meaning_
Lucas isn't sure who or what he really is or should be. He's an Inseer! Really! You have to believe him! Even though he's not entirely sure himself.
_Moral Attitude: Anti-Authority_
Lucas thinks he got royally screwed last time he followed orders. If he's going to go along, it has to be on his terms.
_Trait: Curious_
Information born free aside, Lucas desperately needs to know things and figure things out.
_Trait: Egotistical_
A mask for his inner confusion.

*Abilities*/Untrained Res. Mod.	
Strength 7/3		0		
Dexterity 12/6		+1 step		
Constitution 10/5      -
Intelligence 17/7	+4 steps
Will 9/4                   0
Personality 8/4		-

*Action Check Score*
Marginal 16+
Ordinary 15
Good 7
Amazing 3
Actions per Round: 2
Die: +d0

*Combat Movement Rates*
Spring 20
Run 12
Walk 4
Easy Swim 2
Swim 4

*Durability*
Stun 10
Wound 10
Mortal 5
Fatigue 5

*Skills* [separated by key ability, total points spent 86]

Athletics 7/3/1 +d4 – free

Vehicle Operation 12/6/3 +d4 – free

Stamina 10/5/2 +d4 – free
*_Endurance 1_ 11/5/2 – cost 4

Computer Science 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 6
*_Hacking 3_ 20/10/5 – cost 12
*_Programming 3_ 20/10/5 – cost 9
Knowledge 17/8/4 +d4 – free
*_Computer Operation 3_ 20/10/5 – cost 6
*_Language: Hatire 3_ 20/10/5 - free (native language)
*_Language: Galactic Standard 3_ - cost 3
*_Hatire Knowledge 3_ 20/10/5 - free (native area) Star*Drive p.233
*_Insight Knowledge 2_ 19/9/4 - cost 2
Security 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 5
*_Security Devices 1_ 18/9/4 – cost 2
System Operation 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 4
*_Engineering 3_ 20/10/5 - cost 6
Technical Science 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 4
*_Juryrig 1_ 18/9/4 – cost 2
*_Repair 3_ 20/10/5 – cost 6
*_Technical Knowledge 1_ 18/9/4 - cost 2

Awareness 9/4/2 +d4 – free

Ineraction 8/4/2 +d4 – free

Cybergear training – cost 10

*Perks & Flaws*
_Faith_-Insightful. Lucas is a serious convert to the Inseer religion and he gets this free for being originally of Hatire rearing. I'm not sure if he's serious enough to really warrant the perk, though. Likewise he has had bad experiences with religion that might put a damper on the fervor, namely being stuck on an agricultural backwater doing exhausting physical labor under the hot (for him) sun from dawn until dusk every day to keep him from using his "sinful proclivities".
_Infamy_-Criminal record. Lucas is a convicted criminal for his hacking into the auxiliary datacore of a Galactic Bank branch well off the beaten path. His conviction caused a minor media splash due to the high-profile target. +2 skill points

*Mutations* - Engineered
_Hyper Intelligence_
Lucas's brain is amazingly efficient and overdeveloped. Int +3
_Minor Physical Change_
Lucas's skin is a flat, chalky white. Large veins show through it easily. Short of full concealment, his altered genetics are obvious. +2 penalty to all Personality skills and any other skills used to interact with others.
_Moderate Environmental Sensitivity, Hot_
Lucas's body operates at well above normal human temperatures. As a result he's warm to hot where others would be comfortable and truly hot temperatures cause him to overheat. He sunburns easily. +3 penalty to all skill and action checks in hot temperatures.

*Cybertech*
Marginal Nanocomputer [1]
Wireless NIJack [1] ($1000)
Subderman Comm [1] ($500)
Good Biowatch [0] ($100)

*Cybertolerance* 5/3/5
Remaining: 2/3/5

*Signature Equipment:* Marginal Gridcaster, Marginal Nanocomputer, Ordinary Shadow Form Program, Ordinary Antivirus Program, Marginal Break-in Program [self-made].

*Other Equipment:* 
Ordinary Datascan Program ($200)
Ordinary Shadow Form 2 Program ($2000)
Ordinary Toolkit ($100)
Athletic shoes ($150)
1 set casual dress ($50)

*Appearance*
If not for his skin tone, Lucas would be a near-stereotypical farm boy of medium build. He's just a bit short and a bit too introverted to pull it off. His blonde hair is slightly long and permanently sun-bleached. He avoids eye contact with authority figures and is usually uncomfortable in their presence, unless talking about his specialities. Then he becomes animated, speaking quickly with great confidence and often throwing hair back out of his eyes.

His mutant skin and heat sensitivity work at contrary ends. Lucas isn't comfortable showing off his skin and prefers to keep it covered, but wearing heavy clothes leaves him quickly overheating. His normal compromise is a skintight bodysuit that keeps him covered and draws away the sweat, with loose clothing on top of it as needed. He prefers synthetic clothes to the exclusion of natural fibers as a result of being forced for years to wear ill-fitting, rough homespun clothing on the farm.

*Allegiance:* Concord
Lucas doesn't like it all that much, but he's legally obligated to work with the Concord in lieu of a lengthy prison sentence for getting caught breaking into a banking datacore that was way out of his league.

Authority: 2 (+2 Tech Op, +2 Allegiance, -2 Infamy)
Wealth: 5 (+2 Tech Op, +1 Gridpilot [used entry for Hacker], +1 Allegiance) $2,500/month
Fame: 0 (+1 Tech Op, -1 Gridpilot, +1 Allegiance, -1 Infamy)
[/sblock]


----------



## jkason (Sep 24, 2005)

Likewise, I can re-configure Van a little to get some better medical stats. I'm vaguely certain that expensive armor isn't signature (I still don't know what signature equipment is, actually. Is that Alternity or Star Drive specific?), so I could drop armor operation and put a few levels in surgery and / or treatment. And it's probably more likely Van could sneak in med training in a military academy than actual xenobiology, so to start with I could trade off the levels in that if need be and add them in later (doesn't change the concept, since he's still fascinated by it, just means he hasn't had a chance to interact much with it at this point, which works from a character perspective). 

I'm not sure exactly how the med stuff works in-game (I'm used to fantasy RPGs where you just say a few obscure words and announce "all better."  ), so let me know what kind of things you'd really need in a medical person, and I'll see what I can do.

I figure maybe during crew assignment, Van took a counselor rather than a doctor. A non-traditional choice for a small crew, but it gives him an excuse to practice his biomed, so he took the opportunity and just didn't mention it in his letters home. 

jason


----------



## Prof Yeti (Sep 24, 2005)

I have a question and it shows just how long its been since I last played Alternity. But would a non-human get the game benefit for hailing from a Stellar Nation? (ie. a Fraal from the Orlamu Theocracy) Or are they strictly for the Human characters?


----------



## Samnell (Sep 24, 2005)

jkason said:
			
		

> Likewise, I can re-configure Van a little to get some better medical stats. I'm vaguely certain that expensive armor isn't signature (I still don't know what signature equipment is, actually. Is that Alternity or Star Drive specific?), so I could drop armor operation and put a few levels in surgery and / or treatment.




Signature equipment is the gear that you get for free for having a certain career. Lucas is a gridpilot, so he gets his nanocomputer and gridcaster for free. Neither is top-of-the-line, but they let him do what he's supposed to do. A soldier would get some kind of sidearm, that kind of thing.

This gear can be prohibitively expensive for starting PCs, but the rationale is that you shouldn't have to start out saving up for the bare basics, just like you wouldn't make a starting wizard pay to scribe all 15 cantrips into his spellbook. The Alternity PHB has lists.


----------



## Samnell (Sep 24, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> I have a question and it shows just how long its been since I last played Alternity. But would a non-human get the game benefit for hailing from a Stellar Nation? (ie. a Fraal from the Orlamu Theocracy) Or are they strictly for the Human characters?




I think they're meant to be human-only, but I'm not sure on it.


----------



## Prof Yeti (Sep 24, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Signature equipment is the gear that you get for free for having a certain career. Lucas is a gridpilot, so he gets his nanocomputer and gridcaster for free. Neither is top-of-the-line, but they let him do what he's supposed to do. A soldier would get some kind of sidearm, that kind of thing.
> 
> This gear can be prohibitively expensive for starting PCs, but the rationale is that you shouldn't have to start out saving up for the bare basics, just like you wouldn't make a starting wizard pay to scribe all 15 cantrips into his spellbook. The Alternity PHB has lists.




Except for the Mindwalker careers. They were left out of the Players book.

But I agree the use of signature equipment is a great idea.


----------



## Prof Yeti (Sep 24, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> I think they're meant to be human-only, but I'm not sure on it.




Just as I received the email I found where it states it in the back of the Star*Drive book.   People really have to work hard for answers sometimes.


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## Samnell (Sep 24, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Just as I received the email I found where it states it in the back of the Star*Drive book.   People really have to work hard for answers sometimes.




You mean I was neck-deep in reading entrails and the answer was in the book all along? Gah!


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 24, 2005)

Sorry about the dleay to posting here. I've been having wireless problems. T let you know I'llbe playing a female human mutant Diplomat Entertainer. I'll use this spot to post her details later tonight.


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 24, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> You mean I was neck-deep in reading entrails and the answer was in the book all along? Gah!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Ozmar (Sep 24, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Trust me it is a practical desicion based on past Star*Drive campaigns.




Yup. Sudden decompression sucks.

Ozmar the Punny


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## Ozmar (Sep 24, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> I have a question and it shows just how long its been since I last played Alternity. But would a non-human get the game benefit for hailing from a Stellar Nation? (ie. a Fraal from the Orlamu Theocracy) Or are they strictly for the Human characters?




Human only.

Ozmar the Human


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## Ozmar (Sep 24, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Whoa!....It looks like I am going to be mutant-less human all by myself. May have to look into that again. (Would have to change my stellar nation though.) How do you figure mutations (Good/Bad)?




Don't be too sure... if you count NPCs that is...

The NPC crew is looking like this:

Jak Friday - (female) Human from Orion, either engineer or pilot depending on which Samnell wants to be (and it sounds like he's going for engineer)
"Jayne" (working name) - Human from Austrin-Ontis, combat specialist, gunner, and all-around handy guy
an Orlamist human as another engineer or navigator
the Ambassador will be human
and a mechalus Inseer pilot, navigator or engineer
and of course the AI of the ship itself

So the crew will be primarily human, one of them will be a mutunt, and I think there's only two aliens on board?

I'm back from a day of laboring in the home, and still have some more labors ahead, but hope to be able to sneak away and work up some ideas this evening.

Ozmar the Creative


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## Samnell (Sep 24, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Jak Friday - (female) Human from Orion, either engineer or pilot depending on which Samnell wants to be (and it sounds like he's going for engineer)




Engineer, yeah. Just saw space vehicle operation can't be used untrained, and I don't have the points to stretch.


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## Samnell (Sep 25, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Yup. Sudden decompression sucks.




Especially if one made a choice on RP grounds not to have a PC come equipped with a jumpsuit.


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 25, 2005)

*Question for Ozmar*

I was wondering if there was any way I could make use of the Divided Loyalty and the Criminal Record flaws from the Dark*Matter setting? If not that is fine as I was just curious, but they would fit perfectly in the characters background.


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## Ozmar (Sep 25, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> I was wondering if there was any way I could make use of the Divided Loyalty and the Criminal Record flaws from the Dark*Matter setting? If not that is fine as I was just curious, but they would fit perfectly in the characters background.




Hmmm... I think I'd have to see how they are going to fit in the background. My concern is that these flaws seem to fit the tone of a Dark*Matter campaign much more than the tone I intend for this Star*Drive campaign.

Divided Loyalty may be a possibility - I'd like to see the background and see.

Criminal Record is less likely, because I am trying to see how that would work with you being in a trusted position as a mindwalker on a Concord vessel. I'm not saying it can't work, mind you, but it will take some creativity. 

Remember, (and this goes for all of you) for a flaw to earn you any skill points, it actually has to be, well, a flaw. To use an obvious example, a character without psionic powers cannot benefit from the "Mental Block" flaw. In the above case of Criminal Record, if your character got into this organization through a plea bargain that waived his criminal sentence, then I am not sure whether that record is actually a flaw any longer.

I don't know what you are thinking for background, but what if you did something like this: (and again, I'm going to be showing my Firefly inspiration here) what if your character had committed or been accused of a terrible crime, and as a result, you were taken by authorities and then became the subject of a psionic-based experiment designed to bring your mindwalking powers under government control? Maybe you were trained or drugged to become a "sleeper" mindwalking assassin or spy or something. Maybe later the clandestine program was shut down by a well-meaning politician, and its subjects were freed to be re-integrated into society. And you were assigned to this mission as part of that re-integration plan. Maybe your character needs some kind of control collar or drugs to maintain his sanity? Or maybe the captain is given knowledge of how to control you "just in case"? Something like that sounds like it would be a flaw, and would create a situation where, in my opinion, you could gain points from the Criminal Background flaw.

So think about that and work up your background proposal, and then I'll decide.

Thanks!
Ozmar the Reserved


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 25, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Hmmm... I think I'd have to see how they are going to fit in the background. My concern is that these flaws seem to fit the tone of a Dark*Matter campaign much more than the tone I intend for this Star*Drive campaign.
> 
> Divided Loyalty may be a possibility - I'd like to see the background and see.
> 
> Criminal Record is less likely, because I am trying to see how that would work with you being in a trusted position as a mindwalker on a Concord vessel. I'm not saying it can't work, mind you, but it will take some creativity.




Actually I think they were more from a lack of sleep and to much medication (I hate summer colds!  ) 

Ozmar[sblock] Actually I was thinking this morning that I didn't like where I was taking the character, so I am in the process of a rewrite. I would still like to try for the Divided Loyalty flaw, but both for my rewrite and the comments I agree the 'Record' is more balanced and better suited to Dark*Matter.

Voren Dane - Very Basic Premise 
The character is a Mind Knight (though low-level one) of the Da'Shan Order. They are loosely based on the Jedi (though not quite as straight laced, but close.) The character was loaned out to the Concord from the Order, but still has strong ties with them. So he is in the middle looking for which way is up. (The Concord semi-trusts but wants to learn more of the Order, and in turn the Order is seeking knowledge and understanding of the Concord.) Eventually I figure one or the other is going to ask for something the other won't like, and boom (we have RP dynamite).  [/sblock]


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## Samnell (Sep 25, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Actually I think they were more from a lack of sleep and to much medication (I hate summer colds!  )




At least I'm not the only one making a PC under the influence.  Wish it were still summer here.


----------



## Angel Tarragon (Sep 25, 2005)

Again, sorry for the delay, but I have been busy with RL obligations. I'll try to finish up my character and have her posted tonight, if not than I'll have her posted no later than tomorrow evening.


----------



## Prof Yeti (Sep 25, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> At least I'm not the only one making a PC under the influence.  Wish it were still summer here.




I like the pretty colors, but it cuts into my weekends by making way too sleepy.

Trust me if I could switch I would.  I have lived in Texas my whole life and never felt any love for the summers. (Especially since we just had a record-breaking heat wave just before Rita.) I am much better suited for cold climates.


----------



## Samnell (Sep 25, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Trust me if I could switch I would.  I have lived in Texas my whole life and never felt any love for the summers. (Especially since we just had a record-breaking heat wave just before Rita.) I am much better suited for cold climates.




Believe me, the novelty of freezing your extremities off for months on end gets old fast.


----------



## Hammerhead (Sep 25, 2005)

Cold is good. Hot is bad.

I have a question...how would a vacuum-sealed jumpsuit or whatever work for a Sesheyan...I mean, they have wings. Can they wear that?


----------



## Prof Yeti (Sep 25, 2005)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> Cold is good. Hot is bad.
> 
> I have a question...how would a vacuum-sealed jumpsuit or whatever work for a Sesheyan...I mean, they have wings. Can they wear that?




I agree....though I also have to agree with Samnell. After a while any weather pattern would get a little much. 

Not sure about Sesheyan....that is going to take a ruling from the big cheese, I think.


----------



## jkason (Sep 25, 2005)

*Van, draft 2*

Okay, I think I have things sorted out here. Fiddled around wih the skills, upping the medical component. I figure Van took the med tech program to sneak in more biology training. 

There's only one thing really nonstandard here. I swapped out the signature microcomputer for the scientist profession and replaced it with a laser pistol. The costs are the same, and I figured it was a reasonable trade off professionally given his miltary background (and once again plays up his divided self - losing scientific equipment to the military requirements of his position). Let me know if that's a problem, or if anything else needs changing.


```
Hero's Name:     Van(guard) Curran
Player:          Jason
Setting:         Star Drive (Progress Level 7)
Gamemaster:      Ozmar
Species:         Mutant Human (Thulda)
Gender:          Male
Profession:      Tech Op
Career:          Biologist
Level:           1
Moral Attitude:  [i]Conformist[/i]
Motivation:      [i]Yearn to Learn[/i]
Character:       [i]Humorous[/i]
                 [i]Talkative[/i]

Last Resorts:    2 (starting, maximum) _ _

ABILITY      Score  Untrained   Res.Mod.
Strength        7       3          -         Damage Adjustment 0
Dexterity      11       5         +1 step 
Constitution   11       5
Intelligence   13       6         +2 steps
Will            7       3          -      
Personality    11       5

Actions per round: 2

ACTION CHECK SCORES:    Marginal 14+  Ordinary 13  Good 6  Amazing 3
  Action Check Modifier: +d0

COMBAT MOVEMENT RATES
Sprint:    18
Run:       12
Walk:       4
Easy Swim:  2
Swim:       4

DURABILITY
Stun     11   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Wound    11   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Mortal    6   _ _ _ _ _ _
Fatigue   6   _ _ _ _ _ _

Perks:  
   Photo Memory [3] 
Flaws: 
   Divided Loyalty [4] (Father/Concord/Rebellious Crew)

Skill points with Perk / Flaw adjustments: 70 (cost in brackets)

STRENGTH SKILLS (7)
  Athletics [free]                        7/ 3/ 1


DEXTERITY SKILLS (11)
  Ranged_Weapons_Modern [6]              11/ 5/ 2
  Vehicle_Operation [free]               11/ 5/ 2

CONSTITUTION SKILLS (11)
  Stamina [free]                         11/ 5/ 2

INTELLIGENCE SKILLS (13)
  Knowledge [free]                       13/ 6/ 3 
    Computer_operations [1]    Rank  1   14/ 7/ 3 
    Deduce  [2]                Rank  1   14/ 7/ 3 
    Language (Thuldan) [free]  Rank  3   16/ 8/ 4
    Language (Galac. Std.) [2] Rank  2   15/ 7/ 3
  Life_Science [6]                       13/ 6/ 3 
    Biology [2]                Rank  1   14/ 7/ 3 
    Zoology [2]                Rank  1   14/ 7/ 3
  Medical_Science [6]                    13/ 6/ 3
    Surgery [10]               Rank  2   15/ 7/ 3
    Treatment [4]              Rank  1   14/ 7/ 3
  Physical_Science [6]                   13/ 6/ 3
    Chemistry [2]              Rank  1   14/ 7/ 3 
  Tactics [5]                            13/ 6/ 3

WILL SKILLS (7)
  Awareness  [free]                       7/ 3/ 1
  Investigate [6]                         7/ 3/ 1 
    Research  [2]              Rank  1    8/ 4/ 2

PERSONALITY SKILLS (11)
  Culture [5]                            11/ 5/ 2
    Diplomacy [3]              Rank  1   12/ 6/ 3
  Interaction [free]                     11/ 5/ 2

Good mutations:
  Thermal_Vision (-3 on penalties in darkness, even if total)

WEAPONS & ARMOR (costs in brackets): 

Attacks: 
  Unarmed (untrained):    3/ 1/ 0   d4s/d4+1s/d4+2s
                                     unarmed combat modifier +d4
  Weapons:
    Name                           Type  Damage [O/G/A]

    Pistol_laser [free]   11/ 5/ 2   En/O  d4+1w/d6+1w/d4m

Defenses:
  Armor:
    Name                         Type  LI / HI / En

    CF Shortcoat [750]  7/ 3/ 1   O     d4/  d4/d6-2 

SIGNATURE: Sensor gauntlet, laser pistol, instrument pack (biology)

EQUIPMENT:

Standard set (always on):
Sunglasses [50]
Bioholster [150] (with pistol)
Fatigues [50]
Boots [100] mass 1
comm gear [175]
Medical gauntlet [1250] mass 2
Watch [50]
Utility harness [25]
Ear Plugs [10]
Handcuffs [50] mass 1
Goggles, protective, [25] mass 3
Sensor gauntlet [free]
Weapon biokey [75]

Off-ship missions:
Backpack [100] mass 1
Trauma pack 1 [200] mass 1
Instrument pack (biology) [free] mass 15

Special (situational):
Jumpsuit [100] Mass 1
Uniform, service dress [300] mass 2.5
Emergency beacon [200] mass 10
Rations (1 wk.) [25] mass 2
Bedroll [25] mass 4

remain: 290
```


----------



## Samnell (Sep 25, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> I agree....though I also have to agree with Samnell. After a while any weather pattern would get a little much.




I don't know about that, I think I could get to like a Mediterranean or Pacific Northwest kind of climate, and those are less variable than what I have now. The less snow I see, the better.


----------



## Prof Yeti (Sep 25, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> I don't know about that, I think I could get to like a Mediterranean or Pacific Northwest kind of climate, and those are less variable than what I have now. The less snow I see, the better.




Can't really comment on either, since I have no first hand experience. But you might be better off with the Mediterranean, since the whole north thing seems to lend to the snow you don't want.   But there is always Arizona (they say it is a dry heat), but since I don't go for heat any way it is off my personal list. :\


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## Samnell (Sep 25, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Can't really comment on either, since I have no first hand experience. But you might be better off with the Mediterranean, since the whole north thing seems to lend to the snow you don't want.   But there is always Arizona (they say it is a dry heat), but since I don't go for heat any way it is off my personal list. :\




Nowhere's perfect.


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## Ozmar (Sep 26, 2005)

Weather: that's why I like my midwestern climate. If you don't like the weather, wait a few weeks, it will change. And we get cold, snowy winters, and hot sticky summers, windy autumns, and rainy springs. There's a lot of variety. I thin I'd get bored if it was the same (even nice) all the time.

Anywho... about Seshayan in an e-suit. I believe (and this will be my ruling unless there is something in a book somewhere that contradicts this) that e-suits designed for seshayans do not let them use their wings. They have to wrap them up to wear the e-suit. Probably the fact that e-suits are usually used in zero-g or no atmosphere envrionments led to their designers not being too concerned about making allowances for the wings. A seshayan might equip their e-suit with some kind of propulsion, but cannot use their wings in a standard issue e-suit.

Ozmar the Midwestern GM


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 26, 2005)

Ozmar - Well here goes the first draft for your perusal. 

(It's only sblocked to save space. So anybody feel free to look and critique. I try and find the rough stuff but I still miss stuff.  )

Mindwalker[sblock]
Name: Gabriel Dane
Species: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 156
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Blue

Profession: Mindwalker
Level: 1
Career: Espion/ Telepath (Mind Knight)
Last Resort Points: 2
Last Resort Cost: 2
Allegiance: Concorde (Solar Union - Japan)

Attributes
Motivation: Yearn to Learn
~ Gabriel seeks to master the mysteries and secrets of the psionic arts.
Morale Attitude: Honorable
~ Gabriel’ word is his bond and an extension of his own personal code of dignity, integrity, and pride.
Character Traits: Mysterious
~ Gabriel exudes an aura of secrets, a side effect of being a private person.
Character Traits: Calm
~ A stoic figure, Gabriel rarely shows any extreme emotion.

Attribute – Score – Untrained – Res. Mod.
Strength – 		8 (4 - +0)
Dexterity – 		8 (4 - +0)
Constitution – 		10 (5 - +0)
Intelligence – 		12 (6 - +1)
Willpower – 		12 (6 - +1)
Personality – 		12 (6 - +1)

Actions Per Round – 2
Action Check Score
Marginal: 12+
Ordinary: 11
Good: 5
Amazing: 2 
Die: +d0

Durability – 
Stun: 10
Wound: 10
Mortal: 5
Fatigue: 5


Combat Movement Rates – 
Sprint: 16
Run: 10
Walk: 4
Easy Swim: 2 
Swim: 4

Skills [separated by key ability, Skill Pts. by Int – 71/ Total Pts. Spent + Perk Pts. 74]
Athletics 				             8/4/2 	(Free)

Stamina 				             10/5/2 	(Free)

Vehicle Op 				8/4/2 	(Free)

Knowledge 				12/6/3 	(Free)
~ Computer Operations 1			13/6/3 	(1)
~ Deduce 1				13/6/3	(2)
~ First Aid 1				13/6/3	(2)
~ Psionics 1				13/6/3	(1)
~ Language – Galactic Standard 3		15/7/3	(Free)
~ Language – Fraal 3 			15/7/3	(3)
System Operations			             12/6/3	(4)
~ Communications 1			13/6/3	(3) 
ESP					12/6/3 	(5)
~ Empathy 1				13/6/3	(1)
~ Mind Reading 1			             13/6/3	(3)
~ Navcognition 1				13/6/3	(3) 
~ Sensitivity 1				13/6/3	(2)
Awareness 				12/6/3	(Free)
~ Intuition 1				13/6/3	(3)
~ Perception 1				13/6/3	(2)
Resolve 					12/6/3	(5)
Telekinesis				12/6/3 	(6)
~ Kinetic Shield 1			             13/6/3 	(2)
~ Levitate 1				13/6/3 	(2)
~ Pyrokinetics 1				13/6/3	(4)
Interaction 				12/6/3 	(Free)
Telepathy  				12/6/3	(5)
~ Contact 1				13/6/3	(3)
~ Mind Blast 1				13/6/3	(4)
~ Mind Shield 1				13/6/3	(2) 
~ Suggestion 1 				13/6/3	(3)
~ Tire 1					13/6/3	(3)

Perks – 
Good Looks (+3)
Psionic Awareness (+3)

Flaws – 
Code of Honor (-3) [Da’Shan Order]
Divided Loyalty (-4) [Da’Shan Order vs. Concorde]
Powerful Enemy (-2) [VoidCorp] (They still want their “Asset” returned.)

Signature Equipment: None Listed for any Mindwalker Career
Equipment – Waiting for Starting Funds Verification

Allegiance: Concorde
While unsure exactly why he is stationed aboard a starship Gabriel welcomes the challenge. The chance to experience and test his abilities outside the walls of the Order is something that he couldn’t refuse.

Authority: 3 (+1 Mindwalker, +2 Allegiance) +2 Penalty [Career Equivalent (Bonus)]
Wealth: 4 (+3 Mindwalker, +1 Allegiance) $2,000/month [Career Equivalent (Bonus)]
Fame: 3 (+2 Mindwalker, +1 Allegiance) +2 Penalty [Career Equivalent (Bonus)]

Appearance – Gabriel Dane is a Human male of average height and weight, 5’10” and 156 lbs. His build is best described as slight, or wiry. His features are somewhat sharp but well proportioned, giving him an appearance that is both pleasing and intense. His hair is black almost to the point of looking blue, which he wears long almost reaching his shoulder blades. Gabriel also wears a goatee that is meticulously groomed. But the most striking feature is his eyes, a dark blue, which seem equally adept at conveying comfort and menace. 

He normally wears an outfit consisting of a jumpsuit, soft boots, and a cassock. His outfits are normally loose but not baggy, to maximize comfort without affecting his movement. The outfit is normally a uniform black. Though the cassock changes color for a variety of events.

Personality – 
If there were just one word to describe Voren Dane, it would be “Driven”. He is known as a friendly and jovial person, that is easy to get along with and a font of knowledge just for the asking, and sometimes even if you don’t. But if he has a task at hand to focus on he does just that no matter the obstacles set before him. 

Background – 
Gabriel was born on the planet Earth, or more specifically the city of New Tokyo, almost 20 years ago. Not knowing his father, and his unknown mother (both expatriates from VoidCorp) dying during childbirth, he was brought up within the Da’Shan Orders monastery. But despite the hardship of his birth he flourished within the walls growing up as most children are hoped to do. He made friends, played both nice and at times mischievously, and with his charisma and willingness to help other quickly became a favorite within the monasteries orphanage.

But his carefree days would come to an end shortly after his 12th birthday. It was at this time that the Order tested him and the other children his age for psionic ability. Almost immediately after discovering his potential he was invited to learn with the other Da’Shan. His assigned mentor, Rufus Grey-Wolf, would become like a father to him. Night and day Elder Grey-Wolf taught the boy who with single-minded determination soaked up every lesson he could. Gabriel continued this over the next 6 years honing his craft and learning all he could of what his teacher had to offer. But only when he had mastered the basics of the craft, did the Elders confer the rank of Adept upon Gabriel.

Though in the summer of his 18th year Gabriel’s life would change most drastically. While spending some time alone meditating he was approached by a small group of men speaking loudly to Elder Grey-Wolf. Of every thing being said three things stood out as if a clarion call. First that Gabriel’ parents had been “runaway assets” of the stellar nation known as VoidCorp. Next he learned that his parent’s names had been Thomas and Elizabeth Dane. After that Gabriel learned that they wanted to return the remaining asset to the corporation for reassignment. No sooner had he let this information sink in than the men would take the encounter down a very dangerous road.

With their argument apparently not having the effect desired the strangers began pulling weapons of a multitude of types. They had sought to force the issue in their favor but instead Gabriel and Grey-Wolf show them the power of the Da’Shan. In a matter of seconds the VoidCorp employees were engulfed in two closely centered flash fire coalescing out of thin air. The fight that followed would be short and brutal, even more so by the fact that it would see Elder Gray-Wolf fall. Quickly upon hearing of the treachery the master of the Da’Shan Order called Gabriel before him. 

Gabriel was told that the VoidCorp are not the types to give up easily and would come again. While the Elder could defend themselves for the safety of the children he would need to leave the monastery. But the master explained that he had an idea that may prove suitable. The master quickly outlined his idea. The Concorde had communicated their interest in learning more of the Da’Shan and their special abilities. So to satisfy them Gabriel would act as the Orders representative with the Concorde. And while VoidCorp has little respect for the Order they would have second thoughts of trying to force the Concorde to acquiesce. 

A few days later Gabriel would find himself stepping thru the doors of a Concorde Indoctrination Center. 
[/sblock]


----------



## Samnell (Sep 26, 2005)

*Lucas Tyler, Final Draft?*

Just consolidating with BG notes and so forth.

[sblock]
Lucas Logan Karoczek
Aka “Lucas Tyler” (assumed name)
Aka “Dataswimmer” (grid name)

Species: Human Engineered Mutant
Gender: Male
Height: 1.7m (5’8”)
Weight: 50kg (110 lbs)
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Age: 21 (biological), unknown (chronological)

Career: Tech Op
Level: 1
Profession: Gridpilot
Last Resorts: 1
Last Resort Cost: 3

*Attributes*
_Motivation: Deeper Meaning_
Lucas isn't sure who or what he really is or should be. He's an Inseer! Really! You have to believe him! Even though he's not entirely sure himself.
_Moral Attitude: Anti-Authority_
Lucas thinks he got royally screwed last time he followed orders. If he's going to go along, it has to be on his terms.
_Trait: Curious_
Information born free aside, Lucas desperately needs to know things and figure things out.
_Trait: Egotistical_
A mask for his inner confusion.

*Abilities*/Untrained Res. Mod.	
Strength 7/3		0		
Dexterity 12/6		+1 step		
Constitution 10/5      -
Intelligence 17/7	+4 steps
Will 9/4                   0
Personality 8/4		-

*Action Check Score*
Marginal 16+
Ordinary 15
Good 7
Amazing 3
Actions per Round: 2
Die: +d0

*Combat Movement Rates*
Spring 20
Run 12
Walk 4
Easy Swim 2
Swim 4

*Durability*
Stun 10
Wound 10
Mortal 5
Fatigue 5

*Skills* [separated by key ability, total points spent 86]

Athletics 7/3/1 +d4 – free

Vehicle Operation 12/6/3 +d4 – free

Stamina 10/5/2 +d4 – free
*_Endurance 1_ 11/5/2 – cost 4

Computer Science 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 6
*_Hacking 3_ 20/10/5 – cost 12
*_Programming 3_ 20/10/5 – cost 9
Knowledge 17/8/4 +d4 – free
*_Computer Operation 3_ 20/10/5 – cost 6
*_Language: Hatire 3_ 20/10/5 - free (native language)
*_Language: Galactic Standard 3_ - cost 3
*_Hatire Knowledge 3_ 20/10/5 - free (native area) Star*Drive p.233
*_Insight Knowledge 2_ 19/9/4 - cost 2
Security 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 5
*_Security Devices 1_ 18/9/4 – cost 2
System Operation 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 4
*_Engineering 3_ 20/10/5 - cost 6
Technical Science 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 4
*_Juryrig 1_ 18/9/4 – cost 2
*_Repair 3_ 20/10/5 – cost 6
*_Technical Knowledge 1_ 18/9/4 - cost 2

Awareness 9/4/2 +d4 – free

Ineraction 8/4/2 +d4 – free

Cybergear training – cost 10

*Perks & Flaws*
_Faith_-Insightful. Lucas is a serious convert to the Inseer religion and he gets this free for being originally of Hatire rearing. I'm not sure if he's serious enough to really warrant the perk, though. Likewise he has had bad experiences with religion that might put a damper on the fervor, namely being stuck on an agricultural backwater doing exhausting physical labor under the hot (for him) sun from dawn until dusk every day to keep him from using his "sinful proclivities".
_Infamy_-Criminal record. Lucas is a convicted criminal for his hacking into the auxiliary datacore of a Galactic Bank branch well off the beaten path. His conviction caused a minor media splash due to the high-profile target. +2 skill points

*Mutations* - Engineered
_Hyper Intelligence_
Lucas's brain is amazingly efficient and overdeveloped. Int +3
_Minor Physical Change_
Lucas's skin is a flat, chalky white. Large veins show through it easily. Short of full concealment, his altered genetics are obvious. +2 penalty to all Personality skills and any other skills used to interact with others.
_Moderate Environmental Sensitivity, Hot_
Lucas's body operates at well above normal human temperatures. As a result he's warm to hot where others would be comfortable and truly hot temperatures cause him to overheat. He sunburns easily. +3 penalty to all skill and action checks in hot temperatures.

*Cybertech*
Marginal Nanocomputer [1]
Wireless NIJack [1] ($1000)
Subderman Comm [1] ($500)
Good Biowatch [0] ($100)

*Cybertolerance* 5/3/5
Remaining: 2/3/5

*Signature Equipment:* Marginal Gridcaster, Marginal Nanocomputer, Ordinary Shadow Form Program, Ordinary Antivirus Program, Marginal Break-in Program [self-made].

*Other Equipment:* 
Ordinary Datascan Program ($200)
Ordinary Shadow Form 2 Program ($2000)
Ordinary Toolkit ($100)
Athletic shoes ($150)
1 set casual dress ($50)

*Appearance*
If not for his skin tone, Lucas would be a near-stereotypical farm boy of medium build. He's just a bit short and a bit too introverted to pull it off. His blonde hair is slightly long and permanently sun-bleached. He avoids eye contact with authority figures and is usually uncomfortable in their presence, unless talking about his specialities. Then he becomes animated, speaking quickly with great confidence and often throwing hair back out of his eyes.

His mutant skin and heat sensitivity work at contrary ends. Lucas isn't comfortable showing off his skin and prefers to keep it covered, but wearing heavy clothes leaves him quickly overheating. His normal compromise is a skintight bodysuit that keeps him covered and draws away the sweat, with loose clothing on top of it as needed. He prefers synthetic clothes to the exclusion of natural fibers as a result of being forced for years to wear ill-fitting, rough homespun clothing on the farm.

*Allegiance:* Concord
Lucas doesn't like it all that much, but he's legally obligated to work with the Concord in lieu of a lengthy prison sentence for getting caught breaking into a banking datacore that was way out of his league.

Authority: 2 (+2 Tech Op, +2 Allegiance, -2 Infamy)
Wealth: 5 (+2 Tech Op, +1 Gridpilot [used entry for Hacker], +1 Allegiance) $2,500/month
Fame: 0 (+1 Tech Op, -1 Gridpilot, +1 Allegiance, -1 Infamy)

*Background*
A Hatire survey team discovered the year-old Lucas in a stasis pod on the fringe of Open Space near to the Community's border with the Thuldan Empire. The planet where they found him was a burnt-out wreck and the facility housing him little more than an enclosed ruin. Nothing could be learned from its shattered datacore about who or what he was, why he was there, or who had created him. Medical scans quickly determined his humanity, at least in the broadest sense. But they likewise confirmed him as a mutant.

A debate erupted over whether to destroy the "aberrant tissue sample" or hold it for future investigation, with a minority arguing that the mutations had been inflicted on the child and while less than human and an abomination in the eyes of Cosimir, he could not be blamed for his disability and with help could live a spiritually upright life. Seismic disruptions forced the surveyors to relocate his pod to their ship and once he'd been moved, they decided to seek higher authority on the issue.

Several starfalls later, Lucas was handed over to an expert medical team for a full evaluation, which only confirmed the long catalog of his perversions. But religious authorities ruled that if a proper home could be found for the boy, one which would raise him in the Hatire faith and be ever on guard against his corrupt and corrupting nature, potential for reform existed. One of the surveyors, a faithful man named Peter Karoczek stepped forward.

Peter took the boy, who he named after his grandfather, to an agricultural preserve deep in Hatire space. On Trinos, the faithful lived and worked on the smallest of three continents. Excepting a lone spaceport and medical facilities, they did their best to avoid all technology beyond that of approximately 18th-century Earth.

Peter married and established a homestead more than a day's walk from the spaceport over hard terrain and set about raising his cursed son. He kept vigilant ever against Lucas indulging his warped mind, strictly punishing daydreaming and any sign of sloth. He hoped by working Lucas's body to exhaustion, the boy would have no energy left for unnatural thoughts. 

As Lucas grew, the task of filling his mind with work and prayer became increasingly difficult.  Try as he might, in almost every spare moment Lucas found his mind drifting to useless speculations. For the better part of seventeen years, he fought a slowly losing battle for his own soul. Prayer, fasting, beatings, nothing helped it for long. The forces within him struggled constantly between horror at the thoughts he had and their dangerously seductive appeal.

While plowing a new field just before his eighteenth birthday, the troubled adolescent struck metal. Digging up the obstruction to the furrow, Lucas discovered a metal sphere that popped open in his hands to reveal a complicated, damaged, technological interior. He'd only heard about such things. He wanted nothing to do with it, but with such an oddity in his hands, Lucas could not resist his compulsions any longer.

For more than a week, Lucas came out at night in secret to poke and prod within the sphere's technological interior and it dominated his every waking thought. He knew he damned himself with every musing, but fell completely out of control. He at last decided that he must leave before he was discovered, or he would be stopped. He wanted to be stopped, but simultaneously couldn't allow it.

Lucas stowed away on a Borealis freighter that brought a load of medical supplies to Trinos and through pure luck wasn't discovered until it had already made starfall. The captain very nearly turned right around and shipped him back home, but agreed to keep him on as a deckhand until they came around to Trinos again in six months.

For those six months, Lucas threw him into the workings of the ship. His unleashed intellect could not be satiated and his constant barrage of questions refused to abate as he discovered more and more things that he never knew of, or knew of only from fiery condemnations. When the time came for a return to Hatire space, the freighter did not get the planned resupply contract and thus accepted a long haul to StarMech space.

On the fringes of Rigunmor space, while the freighter hitched a ride with a Concord dreadnaught, Lucas discovered the grid. He knew intellectually of computer networking and learned how to operate the machines, but meeting his first gridpilot was an intellectual and spiritual revelation. Here at last was something so vast and incredible that it filled the gap left by the growing discovery that everything he had believed was wrong. His new mentor, Bitstream, convinced him to make the most important decision of his life: to experience the grid directly. 

When the freighter and the dreadnaught parted ways at Delight, Lucas laid down on an operating table and had a nanocomputer and a wireless NIJack installed. He spent the remainder of his life savings on a gridcaster and spent most of a month learning the ways of the grid with the help of a few Insight expatriots.

Lucas wandered, taking jobs as ship's engineer on a few short haul trips and then spending his earnings in sojourns planetside or on stations, honing his skills and cobbling together his own break-in program. When he had a working prototype, he loaded it up and sent his shadow against the auxiliary datacore of a branch of the Galactic Bank. To his complete surprise, he was arrested within hours and not long thereafter news stories broke about the dangerous mutant terrorist trying to subvert the Galactic economy, ably captured by Concord security. The furor died down relatively quickly, without much of a story beyond his arrest and capture, but the damage to his reputation was done.

Lucas's sentencing took into account his prior clean record and guilty plea, but neither of these themselves much ameliorated the seriousness of his crime. He was given the choice between serving a term of probation on a Concord vessel, where he would turn his skills to lawful use, and five years in prison. Lucas didn't need a lot of time to consider his options.

[/sblock]


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 26, 2005)

Samnell, I am curious to know where you come up with the figures for Authority , Wealth and Fame. I can't seem to find those in my books as well as what wealth means by way of $/month.


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## Samnell (Sep 26, 2005)

Frukathka said:
			
		

> Samnell, I am curious to know where you come up with the figures for Authority , Wealth and Fame. I can't seem to find those in my books as well as what wealth means by way of $/month.




The modifiers are in the GMG, page 106. You add up your base from profession, modifiers for career, certain perks and flaws, an allegiance, and get your final totals off Table G25.

Then you can hop over to the facing page for Table G26, which tells you what the numbers mean. That's where I got $/month.

Lucas clocks in with a 5 in wealth, so he draws pay at about the same level an executive assistant would...provided the Concord is paying him a dime at the moment. But the odds of people taking him seriously in an administrative sense are miniscule with his authority of 2. He's a total unknown fame-wise. So if he tries to pull the "Don't you know who you're talking?" to card, the proper answer is probably "No."


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 26, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Lucas clocks in with a 5 in wealth, so he draws pay at about the same level an executive assistant would...provided the Concord is paying him a dime at the moment. But the odds of people taking him seriously in an administrative sense are miniscule with his authority of 2. He's a total unknown fame-wise. So if he tries to pull the "Don't you know who you're talking?" to card, the proper answer is probably "No."




Yeah Gabriel has a 3/4/3 though I don't know what my career equivalent would be. But then I am pretty okay with his numbers as they are right now. I figure they can always be adjusted thru some liberal RP during the game  .


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## Samnell (Sep 27, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Yeah Gabriel has a 3/4/3 though I don't know what my career equivalent would be. But then I am pretty okay with his numbers as they are right now. I figure they can always be adjusted thru some liberal RP during the game  .




It's a hard life, but we've got almost nowhere to go but up. Or rock bottom.


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 27, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> It's a hard life, but we've got almost nowhere to go but up. Or rock bottom.




Personally I am voting for up.


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## Hammerhead (Sep 27, 2005)

[sblock]
Name: Dra'Ked, or KX-59230
Species: Sesheyan
Career: Free Agent
Profession: Investigator
Stellar Nation: VOIDCORP

Strength: 9
Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 9
Intelligence: 10
Will: 11
Personality: 9

Moral Attitude: Selfish
Motivation: Staying Alive
Character: Amoral, Mysterious

Actions Per Round: 2
Action Check Score: Marginal 14+ Ordinary 13 Good 6 Amazing 3

Strength Skills:
None

Dexterity Skills:
Acrobatics
-Defensive Martial Arts 1
-Dodge 1
-Flight 1
Ranged Weapons, Modern
-Pistol 1
Stealth

Constitution Skills:
Stamina
-Endurance 1

Intelligence Skills:
Knowledge
-Deduce 1
-Language: Galactic Standard 3
-Language: Sesheyan 2
Security
-Protection Protocols 1

Will Skills:
Awareness
-Intuition 1
-Perception 1
Investigate
-Interrogate 1
-Search 1

Personality Skills:
Interaction

Perks:
Danger Sense
Lightning Reflexes
Tough as Nails

Flaws:
Powerful Enemy 1 (Chief Financial Officer QX-54665)
Competitive 2


Appearance: Dra'Ken is a sesheyan of medium build that moves with an easy grace and a balanced step. Compared to most sesheyans, he seems far more comfortable on ground than in flight. Dra'Ken has dark green skin and wears little clothing except for a black trenchcoat with CF armoring. He also wears protective wrap-around goggles to protect him from the light.

Background: KX-59230 lived the despairing life of the low-level VOIDCORP employee with no hope of advancing his quality of life. KX-59230 was recruited as a bodyguard for a middling manager who was killed shortly after KX-59230's promotion. Realizing that many of the clues indicated him to be the murderer, KX escaped from police surveillance and tracked down the killer himself. Not only did this clear his name, but also attracted the eye of the man who had hired the assassin himself, QX-54665, known by his human name as Quentin Silkes, a CFO for the corporation. KX-59230 began work as a bodyguard, investigator, and all-around legbreaker for the ambitious corporate officer. 

At the creation of the Concord, many employees of VOIDCORP were desperate to be chosen, and various task forces identified those best fitted to join the Galactic Concord as free citizens. KX-59230 was not among them, despite his desperate efforts to join. 

Silkes, on the other hand, was desperate to have a spy within the newly created government, and it can be far too easy for a sesheyan to disappear and another to take his place, especially with the backing of a powerful multi-billion credit faction. KX-59230 searched for a suitable replacement, settling on JH-59203, another sesheyan, but one with the simultaneous good fortune to be chosen for the Concord and the poor fortune to have an employee ID one digit inversion away from KX-59230's. After killing him, it was a simple matter for Skiles to correct the paperwork error and send his bodyguard instead.

Upon joining the Concord, KX-59230 took the name Dra'Ken, which means Dark Hunter in the language of his species. Dra'Ken quickly grew accustomed to the freedom offered to him by the Concord, and quickly ended his reports to Quentin Skiles and seized his new chance at life. 

However, the lessons of VOIDCORP are still imprinted upon Dra'Ken's soul. He remains cynical and watchful towards his comrades, wary of the possible cabals, plots, ambitions, and machinations that are the bread and butter life of a VOIDCORP employee. Dra'Ken is utterly without mercy or compassion should someone conflict with his goals, and tends to view situations through the lens of what he or his commander wants, not necessarily what is right or wrong. Dra'Ken remains tight-lipped about his former life as a VOIDCORP employee. Still, the Dark Hunter is loyal to his captain, the rest of the crew, and the Concord.
[/sblock]


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## Ozmar (Sep 27, 2005)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> Basic draft for now...sorry for posting so late, but the university took away my internet connection for most of today.




Those fiends! 

Cool. Looks good. I am working up some of the background details, and should be revving up to begin shortly. I expect to be working out background and char details with each of ya this week, and probably start the adventures this weekend or next week. That's just a guess on the time frame to give ya'll an idea. Things'll come as they come, what with RL interfering and all. 

Ozmar the Estimating GM


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## Samnell (Sep 27, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Cool. Looks good. I am working up some of the background details, and should be revving up to begin shortly. I expect to be working out background and char details with each of ya this week, and probably start the adventures this weekend or next week.




Ready and willing, Fearless Leader.


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 27, 2005)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> [sblock]
> Name: Dra'Ked, or KX-59230
> Species: Sesheyan
> Career: Free Agent
> ...




Who-hoo! I am standing behind this guy. He has guns!   When I run out of Psi Points I am little more that a talkative door holder.


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 27, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Those fiends!
> 
> Cool. Looks good. I am working up some of the background details, and should be revving up to begin shortly. I expect to be working out background and char details with each of ya this week, and probably start the adventures this weekend or next week. That's just a guess on the time frame to give ya'll an idea. Things'll come as they come, what with RL interfering and all.
> 
> Ozmar the Estimating GM




Oh...Boss...I have another question! Any idea what our starting equipment might look like? (Figuring the Concorde wouldn't send us out in our skivvies.) Our is it just what we can afford? (Can I use a Data Slate as a shield to get a defensive bonus?  )

On another note I am really getting psyched. I have even gotten some of my FtF group interested in some Alternity.


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## Ozmar (Sep 27, 2005)

Your character will start with their personal and signature equipment- basically their signature equipment plus whatever you can afford. The Concord will be supplying your ship with all the equipment you need, so no worries.

For example, the ship will have a small arms locker containing enough guns and explosives to equip the whole crew. There will be enough jump and esuits for everyone. There will be food and supplies. There will be computer programs on the mainframe (distributed by the AI). There will be communications equipment and one computer gauntlet. There will probably be a land or air vehicle for use planetside. There will probably be one or two powered suits for emergency use. There will be medical supplies.

But each of you will have a personal allowance (mass wise) of equipment that you can bring on board. And of course you can smuggle whatever you want to try to bring on board. I believe one or two of the NPC crew have brought small animals (pets) on board, for example.

Ozmar the Provisioner


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 27, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Your character will start with their personal and signature equipment- basically their signature equipment plus whatever you can afford. The Concord will be supplying your ship with all the equipment you need, so no worries.
> 
> For example, the ship will have a small arms locker containing enough guns and explosives to equip the whole crew. There will be enough jump and esuits for everyone. There will be food and supplies. There will be computer programs on the mainframe (distributed by the AI). There will be communications equipment and one computer gauntlet. There will probably be a land or air vehicle for use planetside. There will probably be one or two powered suits for emergency use. There will be medical supplies.
> 
> ...




Would that also include some CF Softsuits? (Fingers Crossed) 

Unfortunately though the Mindwalker careers don't come with Signature Equipment. But basically we just have to pick up what we just can't live without/fits our characters. Groovy! I will finalize my list in the next day or so.


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## Samnell (Sep 27, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Who-hoo! I am standing behind this guy. He has guns!   When I run out of Psi Points I am little more that a talkative door holder.




There's always room for someone to distribute bullet enemas to selected badguys.


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## Samnell (Sep 27, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> For example, the ship will have a small arms locker containing enough guns and explosives to equip the whole crew.




It's a friendly fire hull breach waiting to happen! We're all armed to the teeth and two of us actually know what end of the gun to point where. 



> There will be food and supplies. There will be computer programs on the mainframe (distributed by the AI).




AI: What are you doing Lucas?
Lucas: Nothing. Why do you ask?
AI: It appears you're pirating programs, Lucas.
Lucas: It's too complicated to explain right now.
AI: We make starrise in 2.5 hours, Lucas.
Lucas: I know.
AI: The odds of you successfully disabling my communications and erasing my memory of this conversation, despite your formidable intellectual gifts, are negligible considering your lack of experience with AI programming, Lucas.
Lucas: All right. I'm putting it back. See?



> There will be communications equipment and one computer gauntlet.




Good thing I brought my own. 



> But each of you will have a personal allowance (mass wise) of equipment that you can bring on board. And of course you can smuggle whatever you want to try to bring on board. I believe one or two of the NPC crew have brought small animals (pets) on board, for example.




I think I just heard the sound of ~5 players rushing to their books to see how many points the "allergic to pet dander" flaw is worth.


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## Samnell (Sep 27, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Unfortunately though the Mindwalker careers don't come with Signature Equipment.




None of the S*D careers comes with signature gear, strangely. Many of them have direct analogs in the PHB that are easy enough to copy, but no love for Mindwalkers.

Then again, what does a mindwalker absolutely need to do his job? BRAINS! Sweet, tasty, BRAINS!


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## Angel Tarragon (Sep 27, 2005)

Just about done with my character. The only parts of it that need to be fleshed out are the skills, appearance and background. Just a quick Q Ozmar: Would it be alright if Liriani had her own personal Skycar?


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## Branding Opportunity (Sep 27, 2005)

Please also consider me as an alternate.  I loved Alternity the moment I laid eyes on those matching Player and Gamemaster books.  I don't have any of the Star*Drive material, but could get that stuff online if need be.


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## Ozmar (Sep 27, 2005)

Frukathka said:
			
		

> Just about done with my character. The only parts of it that need to be fleshed out are the skills, appearance and background. Just a quick Q Ozmar: Would it be alright if Liriani had her own personal Skycar?




Yes. Do you want to bring in on the ship? I think there's room in the cargo hold. Of course, that would replace the other vehicle that they had planned to put in the hold. But I am imagining that Liriani's presence is the result of a high-level administrator pulling some strings, so she'll probably be able to get her way on a number of details on the ship's layout and design.

For example, crew quarters may need to be adjusted. The base plan for this vessel has a captain's cabin, and an officer's quarters, and then a crew bunk for the remaining 7 crew. But I am thinking that Liriani will want her own quarters, and that the ambassador will likewise insist on his own accomodations. Then there is the question of the mixed gender and species crew bunking in the same room...

Details to be worked out...

Ozmar the Central Planner


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## Ozmar (Sep 27, 2005)

Branding Opportunity said:
			
		

> Please also consider me as an alternate.  I loved Alternity the moment I laid eyes on those matching Player and Gamemaster books.  I don't have any of the Star*Drive material, but could get that stuff online if need be.




B.O. - Put together a character submission if you wish. For this crew, the following NPCs can be replaced by a PC if you wish to fill their role. We can also use a doctor, or just another generic crewman/gunner/combat spec. Or propose another position if you wish.

1. Pilot (currently a mechalus female named Ebon)
2. Navigator (currently an orlamist male named Thomas Caine)
3. Engineer's Mate (currently a rigunmor female named Jak Friday)
4. Gunner (currently an austrin-ontis male named Duke Lincoln)

-Ozmar the GM


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## Ozmar (Sep 27, 2005)

Not counting Branding Opportunity's potential contribution, here is the crew roster as I currently understand it:

1. Captain Van Curran - (player: jkason)
2. First Mate Dra'Ked - (player: Hammerhead)
3. Pilot Ebon - (NPC)
4. Navigator Thomas Caine - (NPC)
5. Chief Engineer Lucas Tyler - (player: Samnell)
6. Engineer's Mate Jak Friday - (NPC)
7. Gunner Duke Lincoln - (NPC)
8. Mindwalker Gabriel Dane - (player: Prof Yeti)
9. Entertainer Liriani - (player: Frukatha)
10. Ambassador Quentin Sikes - (NPC)

-Ozmar the HR Representative


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## Branding Opportunity (Sep 27, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> B.O. - Put together a character submission if you wish. For this crew, the following NPCs can be replaced by a PC if you wish to fill their role. We can also use a doctor, or just another generic crewman/gunner/combat spec. Or propose another position if you wish.



Thanks Ozmar.  If possible, could I play a secondary character (such as the doctor or the ambassador) that only gets involved every once in a while?  My plate is a bit full at the moment, but I would love a chance to read along and contribute from time to time.


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## Samnell (Sep 27, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Then there is the question of the mixed gender and species crew bunking in the same room...




We're all trained professionals here.


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 27, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> We're all trained professionals here.





I concur.


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## Ozmar (Sep 27, 2005)

Branding Opportunity said:
			
		

> Thanks Ozmar.  If possible, could I play a secondary character (such as the doctor or the ambassador) that only gets involved every once in a while?  My plate is a bit full at the moment, but I would love a chance to read along and contribute from time to time.




Sure, as long as you don't mind me NPCing 'im whenever appropriate or necessary. Pitch me some ideas and we'll see what I think.

Ozmar the Accomodating


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## Ozmar (Sep 27, 2005)

Hammerhead,

I don't think I've seen much about Dra'Ked's background, so I have some suggestions. What if he was assigned to Concord service by VoidCorp? I am thinking that a VoidCorp exec (your powerful enemy) will attempt to assign you to this ship's crew as his agent, but the Concord ambassador insists that your VoidCorp citizenry be abolished and that you become a Concordan. The exec agrees to this demand, but lets you know that this is just for appearances, and that he expects you to still report to him. But of course, once you realize that you are out of VoidCorp's yoke, you take to your new freedom and refuse to help the exec, thus earning him as a powerful enemy.

What do you think of this plan?


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## Samnell (Sep 27, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> For example, crew quarters may need to be adjusted. The base plan for this vessel has a captain's cabin, and an officer's quarters, and then a crew bunk for the remaining 7 crew. But I am thinking that Liriani will want her own quarters, and that the ambassador will likewise insist on his own accomodations.




Just so I can get a head start on thinking through how Lucas is dealing with the situation, let me see if I'm picturing this right.

The captain's cabin would be a full, enclosed space. Probably has its own head and so forth. The crew bunk is more or less a single room with bunk beds on/in the walls. The officer quarters would be somewhere in between.

So enclosed rooms, but smaller than the captain's quarters? Shared mess and sanitary facilities?


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## Ozmar (Sep 27, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Just so I can get a head start on thinking through how Lucas is dealing with the situation, let me see if I'm picturing this right.
> 
> The captain's cabin would be a full, enclosed space. Probably has its own head and so forth. The crew bunk is more or less a single room with bunk beds on/in the walls. The officer quarters would be somewhere in between.
> 
> So enclosed rooms, but smaller than the captain's quarters? Shared mess and sanitary facilities?




Correct. The ship's basic layout can be found in the Starships book, if you have a copy.

The captain's stateroom consists of two adjoining chambers. The officer's quarters is one room. Across the hall is the crew quarters, which consists of a long room with seven bunks. The officer and captain have their own mess, and the crew have another, which is shared with the galley.

I am thinking that one or more cargo areas may be converted to additional quarters for the Entertainer and the Ambassador.

Ozmar the Interior Designer


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## Ozmar (Sep 27, 2005)

Frukatha, can you change the title of this post to "The Peacemakers - Alternity, Star*Drive" and close the Recruiting? Thanks!

I have edited the second post  to contain game details and will be opening a Rogue's Gallery  and IC thread  shortly.

Once we work out a few more questions on backgrounds, I am ready to get going on the game!

Ozmar the Excited Gamer


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## Samnell (Sep 27, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Correct. The ship's basic layout can be found in the Starships book, if you have a copy.




I do. Let's take a look.



> ]The captain's stateroom consists of two adjoining chambers. The officer's quarters is one room. Across the hall is the crew quarters, which consists of a long room with seven bunks. The officer and captain have their own mess, and the crew have another, which is shared with the galley.




Ah, this makes sense now. I was reading officers' quarters (quarters for multiple officers) where I should have been reading [first] officer's quarters. So our captain and seshayan XO have their own rooms, and the rest of us get tossed in the bunks with the plebian NPCs. Lucas is going to hate that.  He'll probably try sleeping in the engine room or something. Maybe at the engineering station in the back.



> I am thinking that one or more cargo areas may be converted to additional quarters for the Entertainer and the Ambassador.




Durability would be about the same, and does our mission really include hauling lots of cargo? Sounds like a good idea to me.


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## Ozmar (Sep 27, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Ah, this makes sense now. I was reading officers' quarters (quarters for multiple officers) where I should have been reading [first] officer's quarters. So our captain and seshayan XO have their own rooms, and the rest of us get tossed in the bunks with the plebian NPCs. Lucas is going to hate that.  He'll probably try sleeping in the engine room or something. Maybe at the engineering station in the back.




Funny. That's what Friday had in mind. She was going to toss a hammock in back and sleep there. Is Lucas allergic to cats? 



			
				Samnell said:
			
		

> Durability would be about the same, and does our mission really include hauling lots of cargo? Sounds like a good idea to me.




Your mission is somewhat open-ended, and so you'll need to reserve cargo capacity, just in case.


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## Ozmar (Sep 27, 2005)

BTW - I think I'm about to kick off the IC thread, unless there are any objections. I thought about resolving some questions in here, but maybe some of them can be done by getting the game rolling?

Ozmar the Eager


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## Samnell (Sep 27, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Funny. That's what Friday had in mind. She was going to toss a hammock in back and sleep there. Is Lucas allergic to cats?




No, but he's not keen on dressing/undressing in the presence of others either. He has unresolved issues about flashing more skin than strictly necessary. If she wants the engine room, he'll sleep in the engineering station, room 19.

EDIT: Second thought, engineering station could in theory be a trafficked area and that frustrates his whole purpose. Lucas'll opt for the Life Support room (15) as both more out of the way and comfortingly around machinery. Also puts him closer to main engineering...which is confusingly on the other side of the ship from the designated engineering station.



> Your mission is somewhat open-ended, and so you'll need to reserve cargo capacity, just in case.




That's true. But per spec we have two points of cargo and we could swap one of them for some kind of VIP quarters.

When we don't use the cargo bay for mission-specific needs, we could always haul some cargo on the side.


----------



## Samnell (Sep 27, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> BTW - I think I'm about to kick off the IC thread, unless there are any objections. I thought about resolving some questions in here, but maybe some of them can be done by getting the game rolling?




A-OK by me.


----------



## Prof Yeti (Sep 27, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Second thought, engineering station could in theory be a trafficked area and that frustrates his whole purpose. Lucas'll opt for the Life Support room (15) as both more out of the way and comfortingly around machinery. Also puts him closer to main engineering...which is confusingly on the other side of the ship from the designated engineering station.




Yeah the only reason I can see for the opposite side of the ship thing is so one hit wouldn't take out both sections.

But on another note Gabriel is fine with just the quarter quarter. But I think the 4 moderate passenger cabins might be good. That way if we need more there would still be two available.




			
				Samnell said:
			
		

> That's true. But per spec we have two points of cargo and we could swap one of them for some kind of VIP quarters.
> 
> When we don't use the cargo bay for mission-specific needs, we could always haul some cargo on the side.




Either that or downgrade to Light Neutronite Armor. That would give us 3 Durability back for some of the systems lost. (Just a thought)


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 27, 2005)

jkason...

Vanguard Curran

His father pushed him into the military. Why does he allow his father to dominate his life? I see he is a "Conformist", so does that mean that he generally just goes along with the flow, allowing others to dictate his major life decisions? It sounds like his father is a very controlling person, so perhaps this is a part of it.

I think that Vanguard has three brothers. He's actually the twin of his brother, Vigilant, and his older two brothers (Stalwart and Steadfast) are also twins. His other brothers also benefit from physical mutations. Vanguard was literally the "runt". All four brothers were driven into the military by their father, and the other three mostly like it fine that way. One of the elder two is a Legionnaire, and the other three (including Van) have joined Star Force. All have risen to positions of command, but only Van required the level of influence that Admiral Phineous Curran (father is an Admiral in the Legion) was able to bear on the Concord military brass in order to get him his command. Van went to officer training school, but would have flunked out had not Admiral Dad pulled some strings. A Concord Administrator (Jocelyn Kara) personally signed off on his graduation and arranged for his first command, a retrofitted Geneva Trailblazer commissioned the CSS Pacific. (I'm basing this on the fact that he has no ranks in leadership.)

Ozmar the Brainstormin' GM


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## Ozmar (Sep 27, 2005)

Thermal_Vision (-3 on penalties in darkness, even if total)...

Since the captain has thermal vision, and the XO is seshayan, are you going to operate with the ship in near darkness? You could leave the lights on very low and let the crew deal with wearing night goggles or something...

Ozmar the Night-Stalker


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## jkason (Sep 27, 2005)

Van's non-confrontational by nature (another disappointment, since the genetic engineering was supposed to breed aggression). Add that to the fact that most of the people in his formative years (especially his father, but since I've got them to muck with now, his brothers, too) were both confrontational and bigger than him (and not remotely afraid to kick his butt if they didn't get their way), Van wound up developing a very accomodating personality. Anyone playing alpha dog will usually get Van to do what they're asking (for now, at least. I figure it's a good RP opportunity to develop Van's growth into his own person). Of course, when there are conflicting alpha dogs trying to get what they want ... well, that's why I thought Divided Loyalty was a particularly appropriate flaw. 

The additional family stuff all sounds fine to me. I'm assuming Vigilant and Vanguard are fraternal twins, though, since they got different ends of the gene treatment stick?

And on the question of lighting on the ship, I think that one's going to depend on the interaction of Dra'Ked and the rest of the crew. If he's insistent that the lights be low, Van obviously has no difficulty functioning in that environment. If, however, the rest of the crew puts up a big enough stink, Van's likely to let the larger group trump and go with regular lighting. I'm actually assuming the latter, which is why he has the sunglasses and goggles. He doesn't have an actual light sensitivity (not in a rules sense), but I figure he finds full light kind of indulgent given that he doesn't need it to see well, and he's pretty protective of his eyes, since they're the only real physical asset he has. 

jason


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 27, 2005)

jkason said:
			
		

> The additional family stuff all sounds fine to me. I'm assuming Vigilant and Vanguard are fraternal twins, though, since they got different ends of the gene treatment stick?




Yep. But Stalwart and Steadfast are identical.

Ozmar the Geneologist


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 27, 2005)

And we're off!

Game has begun. Go here  to get in on the action.

Ozmar the Active GM


----------



## Samnell (Sep 27, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> The officer in command is Lt.(jg) Thomas Caine, an Orlamist who has been assigned to the ship as navigator. He's spent most of his time working with CECCE to install the navigation programs, but occasionally stops in to look at the engines and see how things are going.




Am I correctly reading the implication that Caine remains Lucas's superior officer? Trying to figure out where he fits on the totem pole. Presumably the engineer's mate answers to Lucas.

Also, what would Lucas's actual present rank be? He doesn't care in itself, but it could be useful at a later date.


----------



## Prof Yeti (Sep 27, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> And we're off!
> 
> Game has begun. Go here  to get in on the action.
> 
> Ozmar the Active GM




Quick question - According to the book you start with enough clothes to let you go a week or two between washing. And the average casual outfit costs 50 Cr. So if I wanted to upgrade to an outfit that was worth 100 Cr. could I just pay the difference?


----------



## Prof Yeti (Sep 28, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> And we're off!
> 
> Game has begun. Go here  to get in on the action.
> 
> Ozmar the Active GM




Groovy I just posted my first session. Whoo hoo!


----------



## Samnell (Sep 28, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Groovy I just posted my first session. Whoo hoo!




Me too. Let's kick this baby into gear!


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 28, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Am I correctly reading the implication that Caine remains Lucas's superior officer? Trying to figure out where he fits on the totem pole. Presumably the engineer's mate answers to Lucas.
> 
> Also, what would Lucas's actual present rank be? He doesn't care in itself, but it could be useful at a later date.




Star Force Rank:

1. Captain Van Curran
2. Commander Dra'Ked 
3. Lt. Commander Gabriel Dane 
4. Lieutenant Ebon 
5. Lieutenant, J.G. Thomas Caine 
6. Chief Petty Officer Lucas Tyler 
7. Petty Officer Jak Friday 
8. Spaceman Duke Lincoln 
9. Miss Liriani - (no military rank)

Ozmar the Sector Admiral


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 28, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Quick question - According to the book you start with enough clothes to let you go a week or two between washing. And the average casual outfit costs 50 Cr. So if I wanted to upgrade to an outfit that was worth 100 Cr. could I just pay the difference?




Yep. No problem.


----------



## Samnell (Sep 28, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Star Force Rank:
> 
> 1. Captain Van Curran
> 2. Commander Dra'Ked
> ...




Man, Lucas is going to be miserable. Everyone on board except Friday and her cat can order him around.


----------



## Prof Yeti (Sep 28, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Yep. No problem.




Groovy I will amend and final post to the RG. (Though still subject to change if anyone finds where I may have screwed up the math. I went to a liberal arts university and studied communications and theatre. What are they thinking?  )



			
				Samnell said:
			
		

> Man, Lucas is going to be miserable. Everyone on board except Friday and her cat can order him around.




That's okay Gabriel is a 90-day wonder. He will probably salute the cat the first few times they pass.   Plus Lucas gets to go on the cool away missions. You can't beat a brain sucking alien for excitment.


----------



## Samnell (Sep 28, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Groovy I will amend and final post to the RG. (Though still subject to change if anyone finds where I may have screwed up the math. I went to a liberal arts university and studied communications and theatre. What are they thinking?  )




I'm was trained to teach high school history and english. I have no grounds to call anybody on math.



> That's okay Gabriel is a 90-day wonder. He will probably salute the cat the first few times they pass.




Everything Lucas was worried about. Excellent. 



> Plus Lucas gets to go on the cool away missions. You can't beat a brain sucking alien for excitment.




"I feel much better now. You must meet these wonderful aliens. They want to be friends."


----------



## Prof Yeti (Sep 28, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> I'm was trained to teach high school history and english. I have no grounds to call anybody on math.
> 
> Everything Lucas was worried about. Excellent.
> 
> "I feel much better now. You must meet these wonderful aliens. They want to be friends."




Yeah my FtF group includes programmers and engineers, but I am the only ones who can take notes everyone can read.  

But just think you could teach him how to be the good kind of officer. (The kind that doesn't get you killed recklessly.)

"They say they are just looking for food. What could be the problem with that?"


----------



## Samnell (Sep 28, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Yeah my FtF group includes programmers and engineers, but I am the only ones who can take notes everyone can read.




My scrawl is famously incomprehensible.



> But just think you could teach him how to be the good kind of officer. (The kind that doesn't get you killed recklessly.)




There's an off chance. Lucas considers himself present under duress, even though he chose this over prison. But no telling how the levers will get pulled on his baggage with authority. He's got a whole weird complex about it.

Or he could just reinforce Neidermeyer-esque behavior by being a walking example of insubordination.


----------



## Hammerhead (Sep 28, 2005)

Dra'Ken has his own room on the ship? Sweet. That's got to breed some resentment.

Dra'Ken is far more used to walking in the light with a set of goggles on than flying around in the darkness.


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 28, 2005)

Hammerhead, good background. Me likes it. But its "Quentin Sikes", not Silkes or Skiles.  You seem to want to change his name as the history evolves?   

Omzar the Gamemister


----------



## Angel Tarragon (Sep 28, 2005)

Character done and posted in Rogues Gallery.


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 28, 2005)

Frukathka said:
			
		

> Character done and posted in Rogues Gallery.




Wow! She's got quite a career behind her already. So how does she get mixed up with this motley crew? Hmmm... think think think...

Ozmar the Pondering


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 28, 2005)

Liriani:

I'm thinking... agent? or Personal assistant? How do you feel about this: An emancipated Robot: Citizen Johnny-5. Humanoid model. With flight capability. Very posh. And smart. Kind of like c-3po with a jet pack.

On the ship:
You'll definitely need your own personal quarters, as well as a place in the cargo bay for your skycar or some kind of personal transport. CJ-5 can pilot your car to chauffer you from place to place. We'll begin making the modifications immediately.

Welcome aboard, ma'am! (I wonder if the crew will want your autograph?)

-Ozmar the Fan


----------



## Angel Tarragon (Sep 28, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> I'm thinking... agent? or Personal assistant? How do you feel about this: An emancipated Robot: Citizen Johnny-5. Humanoid model. With flight capability. Very posh. And smart. Kind of like c-3po with a jet pack.



FYI: Her name is Liriani Lopez, not Torres. The general public knows her as Laera Lopez. I like the emancipated robot idea. Liriani will treat him as one of the regulars, as if he were a fre willed sentient organism.




			
				Ozmar said:
			
		

> On the ship:
> You'll definitely need your own personal quarters, as well as a place in the cargo bay for your skycar or some kind of personal transport.



Definetely.




			
				Ozmar said:
			
		

> CJ-5 can pilot your car to chauffer you from place to place. We'll begin making the modifications immediately.



That's fine. Although I did her ranks in Aircraft piloting for a reason though. I guess it'll come in handy should CJ5 malfunction or something.


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 28, 2005)

Frukathka said:
			
		

> FYI: Her name is Liriani Lopez, not Torres. The general public knows her as Laera Lopez. I like the emancipated robot idea. Liriani will treat him as one of the regulars, as if he were a fre willed sentient organism.




Oh yeah... I must have Firefly on the brain...

I'll just go correct that...

Ozmar the Error-Free GM


----------



## Samnell (Sep 28, 2005)

Say Ozmar, got a question.

Does the AI have some kind of honorary rank or standing that gives it authority to order people around? Could we be held responsible for refusing its orders?


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 28, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Say Ozmar, got a question.
> 
> Does the AI have some kind of honorary rank or standing that gives it authority to order people around? Could we be held responsible for refusing its orders?




Officially it has no rank. Or rather, it has the lowest rank on board. However, one of its roles is to communicate orders from one officer to another, so it may speak with the authority of the captain at times. Also, it controls the security systems on the ship, and so it has been programmed to restrict access to areas for certain crewmembers, regardless of their orders. Finally, it is not supposed to obey any illegal commands from its crew.

Generally, the lower-ranking members assume that when it requests their assistance, it is speaking with the Captain's authority.

Although it also controls three remotes. But those are offline at the moment...


----------



## Angel Tarragon (Sep 28, 2005)

Where, oh where, has our GM gone?


----------



## Hammerhead (Sep 28, 2005)

Yeah, we haven't seen him in like...an hour and a half.


----------



## Angel Tarragon (Sep 28, 2005)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> Yeah, we haven't seen him in like...an hour and a half.



Well, I'm waiting for him to get back to me about that skill check.


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 29, 2005)

Frukathka said:
			
		

> Where, oh where, has our GM gone?




Man... I leave for two hours.  I went to get some saw blades and then cut a cabinet and installed a sink. Also bought beer, ice cream, fed the tot and distracted her with a cartoon. Now I'm back!

Ozmar the Homedaddy


----------



## Angel Tarragon (Sep 29, 2005)

Any luck checking out those skill check rules Ozmar? I've long forgotten how it works.


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 29, 2005)

Yeah, I'm re-learning myself. I think I got it figured out. This game has a simple core, but its wonderfully complex in the details. Which it has to be, since it is a scifi game, and a good scifi game has to handle a lot of interactions of various technologies.

Ozmar the Philosophical


----------



## Angel Tarragon (Sep 29, 2005)

Hey, Oz, is there a chance to get some floorplans of the ship online or ist it in one of the books? I added the floorplans to the RG thread, this should help players get their bearings while on the ship.

EDIT: Never mind I found it.


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 29, 2005)

Frukathka said:
			
		

> Hey, Oz, is there a chance to get some floorplans of the ship online or ist it in one of the books?
> EDIT: Never mind I found it.




Yes, as you found it, p. 77 in Starships. If I can figure out how to get it online, that would be cool.

The visual mods: add a door in room 16 that leads to the hallway. Room 3 is split in two with a second door to the hall. And room 10 has been converted to a holoprojection bay which is serving as the quarters for the entertainer.

Ozmar the Fix-it-up Chappie


----------



## jkason (Sep 29, 2005)

*ship shape*

Ah. Thanks for the map. My head never does layouts well with just words. 

So, since Van effectively has two rooms, and one leads right out to the the bridge, I suppose that room could act as a ready room / office, while the larger one acts as his main quarters. Cool beans. 

jason


----------



## jkason (Sep 29, 2005)

Van received detailed reports on all the crew, yes? I figure that includes pretty much the "background" section of the various PC characters, but what about the NPCs? 

Look at me, abusing captain's priveledge already. I'm hopeless.


----------



## Samnell (Sep 29, 2005)

jkason said:
			
		

> Look at me, abusing captain's priveledge already. I'm hopeless.






Dunno if you want to wait on Ozmar or not, but so far as I know Lucas isn't planning anything for the immediate future beyond talking with Friday. So unless he's got a tribe of nude space amazons laying in wait in the corridor for Van, or a hull breach sucks Lucas out into space, we shouldn't have too much trouble running into one another.


----------



## jkason (Sep 29, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Dunno if you want to wait on Ozmar or not, but so far as I know Lucas isn't planning anything for the immediate future beyond talking with Friday. So unless he's got a tribe of nude space amazons laying in wait in the corridor for Van, or a hull breach sucks Lucas out into space, we shouldn't have too much trouble running into one another.




Heh. That was my thinking. Well, except I was expecting maybe evil robot drones of death unleashed from the kitchen instead of the amazons. But, hey, hazards and all. I was stalling a bit to see if Jak's info was such that it might color the interaction, but I can play around that. I'll do an IC post here in a minute. 

jason


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 30, 2005)

jkason said:
			
		

> Van received detailed reports on all the crew, yes? I figure that includes pretty much the "background" section of the various PC characters, but what about the NPCs?
> 
> Look at me, abusing captain's priveledge already. I'm hopeless.




Yes, indeed. I was only waiting for you to access their files.

Jak Friday:

[sblock]
Species: Human
Nation of Origin: Rigunmor
Star Force Rank: 

Gender: Female
Age: 60 (estimated)
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 120
Appearance: Blue eyes, dark brown/black hair, mixed caucasian/asian features, cybernetic left arm

History: Unknown planet of birth. Unknown parents. Jak Friday was a civilian smuggler during border conflicts after the end of GW2, operating primarily in and around VoidCorp space. She took part in a local uprising, earning a distinguished service record as a fighter pilot. After the rebellion, she emigrated to the Rigunmor Star Consortium. She was serving as a civilian engineer on board the luxuy cruise liner Princess of the Stars, which suffered a catastrophic engine failure. Over 90% of the crew and passengers (over 35,000 people) were lost. [Edit: Many famous and wealthy people died in the accident, which was well publicized across Rigunmor and possibly into other nations.] Jak Friday was indicted on charges of conspiracy and terrorism. Widespread media speculation indicated she must be a VoidCorp spy, but she was cleared of all charges. Public opinion believed that she had evaded justice. 

Extremely unpopular in her own country, she petitioned to join the Galactic Concord. She was accepted and trained in the Star Force, eventually earning her own command, the CSS Deuces Wild. This ship was lost on an exploratory mission in the Verge. It was thought to be lost with all hands, but Friday resurfaced over a year later. During her court-martial, she was deemed mentally unfit for command and suffering from mild hallucinations. She was remanded and sentenced to psychological healing, and returned to duty as engineer on board the CSS Pacific at the request of Administrator Jocelyn Kara.

Notable Commendations: none

Disciplinary Actions: demoted due to loss of CSS Deuces Wild with all hands.

Skill Assessment:
Competent ranking in small arms, air and space vehicle operation, drivespace and system navigation, all ship's system operations (including communications, defenses, engineering, sensors and weapons) and technical sciences.

Training: Command training, pilot training, engineer training, systems training, personal combat training, general training.

Criminal skills: illicit business and hacking

Psychological Profile: Introverted, pragmatic, independent and anti-authority. Friday has shown evidence of creating vivid hallucinations to explain past events and failures. She appears likely to make fatal errors in judgment when given positions of authority.
[/sblock]

Ebon:

[sblock]
Species: Mechalus
Nation of Origin: Insight
Star Force Rank: 

Gender: Female
Age: 45
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 180
Appearance: Silver eyes, black hair, copious amounts of cybernetic enhancements

History: We believe Ebon is a chosen name, and that she may have been born on Mechalus Prime and emigrated to Insight. She ran away from home while young, living on various ships, probably involved in illegal activities. She was marooned on an unidentified planet, spent nearly a year there, and was later rescued by a VoidCorp survey team. She studied at a VoidCorp business academy/indoctrination college, but then she returned to Insight. She worked for a time at Modul Media Grid Analysis before being laid off due to "market pressure". She then emigrated to the Concord and was trained to join the Concord Marines.

She received pilot and powered armor infantry training, and served with distinction for several years. Then in a recent operation, her team was almost totally wiped out. Only she and one other (Dukakis Lincoln) survived. Court-martial revealed no fault, and she was reinstated at full rank.

Administrator Jocelyn Kara requested that she be assigned to the CSS Pacific as pilot. Ebon agreed to the voluntary assignment, on condition that Dukakis Lincoln also be assigned to the ship.

Notable Commendations: none

Disciplinary Actions: court-martialled for loss of team in combat operations

Skill Assessment:
Competent ranking in powered armor, direct fire weapons, small arms, air vehicle operation, computer sciences, computer operation, system navigation

Expert ranking in space vehicle operation

Training: MBA (civilian), Marine training, Powered armor combat training, zero-g training, pilot training

Criminal skills: hacking, gridrunning

Psychological Profile: Egotistical, follower, selfish. Adherent of the Inseer faith. Has developed a strong phobia to pain and blood, especially her own. Possibly this is due to the trauma of the loss of her team (she was wounded in that action). She has at times referred to herself as cursed. She has been known to violate protocol and keeps a cybernetically enhanced alien ophidian as a pet. 
[/sblock]

Dukakis Lincoln:

[sblock]
Dukakis "Duke" Lincoln:

Species: Human
Nation of Origin: Austrin-Ontis Unlimited
Star Force Rank: 

Gender: Male
Age: 43
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 240
Appearance: Brown eyes, short brown hair, muscular build, scar on lower left cheek

History: Dukakis Lincoln was born on the capital world of Austrin-Ontis Unlimited. He has a criminal record involving drug-running, racketeering, organized crime, and murder. He has served his sentence on a barren prison/mining community owned by his father.

He graduated from the Menora Artis Academy of Secrets, a prestigious mindwalker institution whose adherents are trained in psionic storage and retrieval of information. [Edit: experts of this tradition are supposed to be able to store secrets that they don't even know, and cannot divulge their information to any but the intended target]

He spent an undisclosed amount of time among an unknown alien species, and has unidentified alien DNA in his bio-engineered lungs. Records indicate that his lungs were damaged in childhood, and that this may have been some kind of treatment. He claims no memory of the time spent with the aliens, and the alien's location has not been determined.

He joined the Concord Marines three years ago, and has served with distinction until his team was all killed in a recent action against unknown alien agressors. Subsequent court-martial revealed that he turned on his companions in battle and killed most of them. Psychic evaluation confirms he has no memory of the incident. His court-martial sentenced him to 60 years hard labor and psionic re-configurement.

Administrator Jocelyn Kara requested that he be pardoned and assigned to the CSS Pacific. 

Notable Commendations: none

Disciplinary Actions: court-martialled for loss of team in combat operations. Found guilty of desertion and treachery in face of combat. Pardoned from disciplinary action at request of Administrator Jocelyn Kara.

Skill Assessment:
Competent ranking in powered armor, direct fire weapons, martial arts, small arms, demolitions, infantry tactics

Training: Marine combat training, survival training, demolitions

Criminal skills: illicit business, demolitions

Psychological Profile: dangerous, impatient, vengeful, unstable, possibly mentally programmed for murder, occasionally well-mannered, and dislikes cold. Possibly possesses undocumented psychic abilities.
[/sblock]

Thomas Caine: 

[sblock]
Species: Human
Nation of Origin: Orlamu Theocracy
Star Force Rank: 

Gender: Male
Age: 160
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 165
Appearance: Green eyes, bald, thin, commanding presence

History: Served with distinction in GW2 in Orlamu Theocracy.

After the war, emigrated to Concord.

He requested to be assigned to the CSS Pacific. 

Notable Commendations: decorated for bravery above and beyond the call of duty by Orlamu military in GW2

Disciplinary Actions: none

Skill Assessment:
Competent ranking in small unit tactics, drivespace navigation, communications

Expert ranking in drivespace navigation

Psionic talents

Training: Command training, basic training, navigation training, pilot training, engineering training

Criminal skills: none known

Psychological Profile: Stable, dependable, reliable
[/sblock]


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 30, 2005)

Last few days have been unusual in that I was able to post a lot. I can only promise one or two posts a day - if you get more, you're lucky. I'm about to start a new job next week, so I don't know how that will impact my time.

Anywho, I am about to get all caught up and we'll see how things go tomorrow.

Ozmar the Sleepy


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 30, 2005)

Oh, and uh... I think an AI, once "born" is required by Concord law to be treated as a sentient. Once they are 12 years old, then they are emancipated and don't even have to work for their owner any longer. So some of the things Lucas has suggested would not be feasable/legal/ethical in the Star*Drive setting. Just FYI...

Ozmar the Artificial Life Rights Activist


----------



## Prof Yeti (Sep 30, 2005)

Umh....Mr. Ozmar....sir. I thought I was back putting my stuff away and doing a quick review of the personnel files. (They are one a 3DO crystal correct?)

If this happened before I could get out the room I apologize and will make my introductions. If not I was going to head towards the back of the ship to meet the other crew first.


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 30, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> Umh....Mr. Ozmar....sir. I thought I was back putting my stuff away and doing a quick review of the personnel files. (They are one a 3DO crystal correct?)
> 
> If this happened before I could get out the room I apologize and will make my introductions. If not I was going to head towards the back of the ship to meet the other crew first.




Uh... sorry? I guess its possible to get confused about the flow of the various narratives in this format. Let's resolve any discontinuities by following Occam's Path: use the easiest explanantion to resolve the conflict and move on. (So, don't think there are three clones of you running around just because we make mistakes from time to time.  ) So I guess you hadn't quite left the bridge yet, and can assume that you get around to reviewing the files off camera. (And yes, the files are on a 3DO.) Go ahead and make your intros and then head back if you wish.

Also, a general note, I think, on my thoughts for space travel. In short order, your captain will be receiving the mission orders for your maiden voyage. Then you'll need to jump to your destination. Whenever you are in drivespace, its a 5-day layover. I think what I'll do is have an option for you to pursue one "vignette" for each day of the voyage - a conversation with an NPC or PC, work on a project, practice your skills, whatever... And then (assuming no "adventure" occurs) you'll come out of drivespace. Of course, you can do more if you like, but I thought it best to generally move the plot along while keeping open the option to "do things" while traveling.

How does that sound?

Ozmar the Travel Agent


----------



## jkason (Sep 30, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Oh, and uh... I think an AI, once "born" is required by Concord law to be treated as a sentient. Once they are 12 years old, then they are emancipated and don't even have to work for their owner any longer. So some of the things Lucas has suggested would not be feasable/legal/ethical in the Star*Drive setting. Just FYI...
> 
> Ozmar the Artificial Life Rights Activist




Ah. Hadn't realized. Of course, the way I'm playing Van at the moment, he might not know that, either. 

In any case, I wasn't going to be instigating a big overhaul or anything, just thought it made for a good crossing point where Lucas and Van could interact while we were in the meeting phase of things.

jason


----------



## Ozmar (Sep 30, 2005)

jkason said:
			
		

> Ah. Hadn't realized. Of course, the way I'm playing Van at the moment, he might not know that, either.
> 
> In any case, I wasn't going to be instigating a big overhaul or anything, just thought it made for a good crossing point where Lucas and Van could interact while we were in the meeting phase of things.
> 
> jason




Agreed. I thought as much. But I also thought it would be "good to know". 

Ozmar the AI


----------



## jkason (Sep 30, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Also, a general note, I think, on my thoughts for space travel. In short order, your captain will be receiving the mission orders for your maiden voyage. Then you'll need to jump to your destination. Whenever you are in drivespace, its a 5-day layover. I think what I'll do is have an option for you to pursue one "vignette" for each day of the voyage - a conversation with an NPC or PC, work on a project, practice your skills, whatever... And then (assuming no "adventure" occurs) you'll come out of drivespace. Of course, you can do more if you like, but I thought it best to generally move the plot along while keeping open the option to "do things" while traveling.
> 
> How does that sound?
> 
> Ozmar the Travel Agent




Sounds fine by me. The "working on skills" thing makes it Look like it'd be a good spot in the story for levelling. Or whatever constitutes same in Alternity (I spent most of my time trying to get the creation rules down enough to make Van, and haven't really looked at advancement).

jason


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## Ozmar (Sep 30, 2005)

jkason said:
			
		

> Sounds fine by me. The "working on skills" thing makes it Look like it'd be a good spot in the story for levelling. Or whatever constitutes same in Alternity (I spent most of my time trying to get the creation rules down enough to make Van, and haven't really looked at advancement).
> 
> jason




Yep. You have a level-based and skill-based system in Alternity. Every once in a while, you'll earn "Achievement Points" and when you get enough Achievement Points, you turn them in for Skill Points and go up a level. Going up a level actually means nothing, except for determining when you can turn in your APs for SPs, and for determining when you can purchase certain advancement benefits.

I think there's a chapter on the subject in the PHB. (Well, I suppose there would be, wouldn't there?  )

Ozmar the Obvious


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## Samnell (Sep 30, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Oh, and uh... I think an AI, once "born" is required by Concord law to be treated as a sentient. Once they are 12 years old, then they are emancipated and don't even have to work for their owner any longer. So some of the things Lucas has suggested would not be feasable/legal/ethical in the Star*Drive setting. Just FYI...




You know, I thought about that. Not enough to look up the actual situation in the books, but enough to decide Lucas's position. Lucas considers AIs no more than complicated programs (blame it on his rearing) and thus didn't give the ethics or law of it any thought. This is also his first experience with one.

Also, Van asked if Lucas could do it. Of course Lucas can do it! Lucas can do anything with technology! Give him a mass reactor, a piece of string, and one of Professor Farnsworth's deep sea pressure "pills" and he could build a fortress ship. He's a mulletless super-MacGuyver!


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## Samnell (Sep 30, 2005)

I don't know if I missed it, but did we ever find out what the current date is? Our location in the Stellar Ring? Presumably we're in Concordan space, but which neutrality? Whereabouts within it?


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## Prof Yeti (Sep 30, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Uh... sorry? I guess its possible to get confused about the flow of the various narratives in this format. Let's resolve any discontinuities by following Occam's Path: use the easiest explanantion to resolve the conflict and move on. (So, don't think there are three clones of you running around just because we make mistakes from time to time.  ) So I guess you hadn't quite left the bridge yet, and can assume that you get around to reviewing the files off camera. (And yes, the files are on a 3DO.) Go ahead and make your intros and then head back if you wish.




Groovy.



			
				Ozmar said:
			
		

> Also, a general note, I think, on my thoughts for space travel. In short order, your captain will be receiving the mission orders for your maiden voyage. Then you'll need to jump to your destination. Whenever you are in drivespace, its a 5-day layover. I think what I'll do is have an option for you to pursue one "vignette" for each day of the voyage - a conversation with an NPC or PC, work on a project, practice your skills, whatever... And then (assuming no "adventure" occurs) you'll come out of drivespace. Of course, you can do more if you like, but I thought it best to generally move the plot along while keeping open the option to "do things" while traveling.




No problem...sounds good.


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## Ozmar (Oct 4, 2005)

*I'm back*

Hey guys, sorry I've been out for a couple days. I'm juggling offers of a new job, so things have been a bit hectic. I'm back today and will try to catch up on the IC posts.

I also saw Serenity last night. If you haven't seen it yet, GO SEE IT! It was pretty awesome. Very intense. Extremely well-written, tightly plotted and funny. I loved it.

Later!
Ozmar the Brown Coat


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## Ozmar (Oct 4, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> I don't know if I missed it, but did we ever find out what the current date is? Our location in the Stellar Ring? Presumably we're in Concordan space, but which neutrality? Whereabouts within it?




I'm going to be somewhat vague on your exact position, primarily so you can be "close" to whatever mission seems fun for each "episode", and secondarily because there is not a precise or detailed map of the galaxy (and what is there is 2-D, to the 3rd-D borders might vary a bit. I like having the flexibility to put you near where you need to be.)

That having been said, you are in a region of space that is near the borders of the Galactic Concord, Insight and VoidCorp, and pretty close to the edge of known space, far from the core worlds. On the map on Star*Drive p.40, I put you somewhere above the upper-right corner of black space near Insight, VoidCorp and Rigunmor. By a very rough approx, you're about 325 light years from Sol. (And in your ship, it would take about 1 to 1.5 years to travel to Earth.) You are, perhaps, 150 LY from Sheya, 250 LY from Aleer (the Mechalus homeworld), and about 1600 LY from the Verge. In the fastest ship, it would take about 200 days to travel to the Verge. News transmissions from the Verge are at least 15 days old, and probably older.

Current date: Month 10, Day 4, 2501 (For simplicity, I am assuming that the galactic calendar is standardized to 12-months, 365 days, and measured in time units that conveniently match our own. They're probably measured off the wavelengths of some sub-atomic particle in atomic clocks at all major research and government centers.)

Ozmar the Stellar Cartographer


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## Ozmar (Oct 4, 2005)

All,

The next IC post is up, and you have your first mission. I took the liberty (Well, I guess its my job, after all) of "moving things along". So unless there are any complaints, I'll assume that you are about to plot a course and jump into drivespace in the next RL day or so.

Incidentally, the Bandar system is a mere 4.5 LY away from your present position, so it will only take 121 hours to get there.

And of course, in drivespace, you are cut off from the rest of the universe (quite literally), so if you want to get anything off the Grid or talk to anyone off the ship before you go, now is the time. (A gridpilot might consider sending a shadow to do some research, with the plan of picking up the shadow in the Bandar grid. hint hint)

Ozmar the Time-Keeper


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## Prof Yeti (Oct 4, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> Hey guys, sorry I've been out for a couple days. I'm juggling offers of a new job, so things have been a bit hectic. I'm back today and will try to catch up on the IC posts.
> 
> I also saw Serenity last night. If you haven't seen it yet, GO SEE IT! It was pretty awesome. Very intense. Extremely well-written, tightly plotted and funny. I loved it.
> 
> ...




Wow! Sounds good but not to worry we will be here. 

I concur!  Though I did lose 2 of my favorite characters. But overall I give it two thumbs up.


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## Angel Tarragon (Oct 5, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> I also saw Serenity last night. If you haven't seen it yet, GO SEE IT! It was pretty awesome. Very intense. Extremely well-written, tightly plotted and funny. I loved it.



You aren't the only one. Although, I am willing to bet that out of all that have seen it I am the first to have watched it under the influence of novacaine.    Seen it twice so far, and I absolutely love it!


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## Ozmar (Oct 13, 2005)

Yo! I'm back.

Again, I apologize for my absenteeism. New job, etc... I will continue to try to make at least one post a night, and beg patience in the meantime.

Later!
Ozmar the Busy GM


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## jkason (Oct 14, 2005)

Ozmar: [sblock]Just wanted to give you a heads up that the Wayfinder game seems to be back on a decent schedule (and Primus skipped time enough that I think we can all assume we're back to full HP). Not sure if you gave up on the game from the lag, or missed when it picked back up.[/sblock]


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## jkason (Oct 17, 2005)

With the meeting with the counselor done, I think Van's done with his immediate agenda for drivespace. If other characters want to corner him during the trip, of course, feel free, but I'm fine with moving out of DS whenever the others are.

jason


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## jkason (Oct 23, 2005)

Game looks to be in a lull, but just in case it suddenly picks up: Hurricane Wilma's on its way to Flordia. Depending on where it hits, I may lose power or net access. So if need be, feel free to NPC Van if he's holding up the story.

jason


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## Prof Yeti (Oct 24, 2005)

Yeah I am hoping we can get back up to speed soon. 


Thanks for the warning, but I don't really see a problem. I mean natural disaster trumps posting regularly.  

I say be safe and the game will be here when you come back.


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## Ozmar (Oct 26, 2005)

Yay! I am back, finally!

Been having a busy week, and whenever I had down time, the darn computer wouldn't work.

So sorry, and enough about my troubles. Let me get back over to the game.

Ozmar the Absent GM


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## Ozmar (Oct 26, 2005)

Thanks for your patience, guys. I renew my oft-broken pledge to post regularly - I will continue to shoot for daily, but probably will make every-other day for a while whilst I continue to push the blocks of my life into a semblance of order.

I had intended to drop you out of drivespace within a week (Real Time) of jumping, but now you've been there two weeks and still only one day, so I'll just ask: do you want to get out and on with the adventure that awaits, or would you rather get to know the crew and each other a bit more first? Let me know how you want to pace it, and I'll try to be responsive.

Thanks!
Ozmar the Settling-Down-Into-A-Routine-Once-Again


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## Prof Yeti (Oct 26, 2005)

No problem! I love games and even I have to bow to the monster known as Real Life.  


But as far as action vs. role-play I am good either way. Personally I plan to meet and talk with all of the crew various times thru the trip (whether they want to or not.  ) But I think a shared adventure sequence can be very team unity building.


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## Samnell (Oct 26, 2005)

Ozmar said:
			
		

> I had intended to drop you out of drivespace within a week (Real Time) of jumping, but now you've been there two weeks and still only one day, so I'll just ask: do you want to get out and on with the adventure that awaits, or would you rather get to know the crew and each other a bit more first? Let me know how you want to pace it, and I'll try to be responsive.




I'm ok either way too. I'd like to somehow luck into something approaching a constructive conversation with Lucas as a party, but that can happen anytime..


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## jkason (Oct 26, 2005)

I think we've got a lot of the basics down in terms of people meeting one another (PCs, anyway). Might do to see how all those new first impressions develop as the game progresses. I'm all for coming out of Drivespace, then, and watching everyone flounder for position again when we have an amabassador on board. 

jason


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## Prof Yeti (Nov 11, 2005)

Well according to Ozmar' tag he was on earlier today. But then I remember him saying he is dealing with a new job. Probably just having to ration out his time on the boards. I figure eventually the evil that is real life will be worked out.


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## Samnell (Nov 20, 2005)

Looks like we're dead in the water here.


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## Prof Yeti (Nov 21, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Looks like we're dead in the water here.





If that is truly the case I will hate to see it go. (Though I fear you are correct.) I enjoyed both the game and the trip down my own gaming history it caused. Maybe sometime in the future it can be resurrected.


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## Samnell (Nov 21, 2005)

Prof Yeti said:
			
		

> If that is truly the case I will hate to see it go. (Though I fear you are correct.) I enjoyed both the game and the trip down my own gaming history it caused. Maybe sometime in the future it can be resurrected.




One can hope.


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## Prof Yeti (Nov 21, 2005)

Samnell said:
			
		

> One can hope.





I'm leaving a lucrative career to go into teaching. I am all about hope.


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