Worldcarrier Sigma OOC thread

Apr 8, 2017 5:45 pm
OOC thread for chat, questions on the mechanics and setting, the usual! You're welcome to brainstorm about your characters and the party and I'm happy to take queries in PMs if you prefer.
Apr 8, 2017 6:24 pm
I could use a lot of help with character creation.
Apr 8, 2017 6:50 pm
No problem, just in general or are you having a specific issue? Or you can PM me, up to you
Apr 8, 2017 7:34 pm
In general I don't understand it
Apr 8, 2017 8:22 pm
All right I'll copy-paste the QSG from the rules but then I'll walk through it in more detail:
Quote:
Quick-Start Guide: Level 5 PCs
Invest your starting XP into your attribute scores and talent ranks. The XP cost of increasing an attribute or talent is equal to the value you are trying to change its score or rank to. For example, raising Vitality 3 to Vitality 4 costs 4XP, for a cumulative total of 10XP.

If you prefer, these sample arrays weigh in at 25XP (Level 5), assign them to your attributes and talents in any order:

4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 0 — Talent A +2, Talent B +1
3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1 — Talent A +2, Talent B +2
3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1 — Talent A +3, Talent B +1
4, 4, 1, 1, 1, 1 — Talent A +1
5, 2, 2, 1, 0, 0 — Talent A +2
4, 2, 1, 1, 0, 0 — Talent A +4

Remember that for every Talent with a rank of +2 or greater, you also get to pick a speciality: a +2 bonus to one roll when making an action that involves a specific skillset (e.g., a "knives" speciality is more likely to be approved by the GM than a "melee" speciality). Speciality bonuses don’t stack, but they can sometimes be used with Talents other than the one they’re tied to if it seems appropriate (using Tech with the aforementioned knives speciality for weapon maintenance, even if that speciality was granted by Combat).

Pick 5 aspects from one of the lists in chapter 7. You may mix and match across multiple lists if you prefer. Each aspect must be tied to an attribute: an attribute needs at least 1 point in it to support an aspect. Remember that when an attribute suffers an Injury, any aspects tied to it are lost until the Injury is addressed: tying all your aspects to one attribute can be effective as many benefit from high scores, but this can backfire.

Create up to 3 Resources using the lists in chapter 8. A single Resource can have up to 3 slots and you can have up to 5 slots total across all your Resources. Without a Resource, your actions and attacks can only deal Fatigue hits: that is, hits that can deplete Hit Points but can’t deal attribute damage in the form of Injuries.

Determine your starting Hit Points: (VIT+MND)/2 + 5. You also have 3 Edge Points. If your aspects or Resources generate Block points or Inspiration points, remember that their combined total cannot be greater than your max HP. Your Df (Defence) defaults to 7.

A player character has no base damage reductions (armour or resolve), but you might have some granted by your aspect and Resource choices.
1. So! Level 5 characters are allocated 25XP to spend on attributes and talents. Every character has the same 6 attribute scores, but their talents may vary. The XP cost of increasing an attribute or talent is equal to the value you are trying to change its score or rank to. For example, to raise a 0 to a 1 costs 1 XP, to raise a 1 to a 2 costs 2 XP, and so on. I whipped up a quick table:

http://i.imgur.com/c27ufzH.png

I think Shadowrun does (did?) something similar. So as an example you could spend your 25 by taking a 6 for 21XP, then four 1s to spend the remainder. Or you can pick one of the premade arrays, either way works!

There are eight potential talents: Bio, Combat, Insight, Mobility, Psi, Social, Stealth and Tech.

2. Once you’ve picked out your attributes and talents (you don’t need talents, but I’d recommend having at least one, they grant quite significant bonuses for their cost) you can choose your aspects. Aspects can be found in several "role lists", presented in the table of contents for chapter 7 (linked above). You can pick whatever aspects you like, you don’t have to be a "pure" role. When you pick an aspect, you must choose the attribute score it uses. Any aspect can be tied to any attribute (as long as it has a score of 1 or higher).

And since aspects reference them a lot, I’ll include a link to the status effects.

So you might say, okay, I’ve got 6 STR, and I want to take 5 aspects from the Striker list. I’m going to take Combination, Crescendo, Deadeye, Intensity and Multiattack, and tie them alllll to STR. You’d write that as Combination [STR], Crescendo [STR], and so on.

… Not that I’d actually recommend doing that! Because if your STR got Injured? Bam, every single one of those aspects is gone until you address that Injury.

3. Resources are a bit more complicated as you have to build them yourself, but that comes last, we can go through that in more detail (I appreciate all this is very complex) when we're through with the first stages of character creation. If you want in the meantime you're welcome to just say something vague like "Name of resource [number of slots]" and we'll work together on the specific mechanics later.

And obviously none of this has to be set in stone: you can easily go back and tweak what you come up with, and in fact that’s encouraged: you’re putting together a party that has worked together before, so don’t think twice about tweaking your builds for maximum synergy (or just because you feel like it).
Apr 9, 2017 6:40 am
Roughing out character details here.

Name: Clone 29
Biography: Having been originally designed to operate as part of a hive-mind government think tank.
VIT:1
STR:0
AGI:1
FOC:3
WIL:4
MND:2
HP:6(rounded down)
EP:3
Talents: Psi+2, Insight+1
Aspects: Synergy, Bolt, Esoteric, Channeling, Aftershock
Resources: Psion 3 (background), other two into a weapon I guess, need help from this point on.
Apr 9, 2017 12:25 pm
Okay cool, let's have a look...

http://i.imgur.com/7T8zfZ7.png
[ +- ] Talents/Resources/Aspects
[ +- ] Breakdown
Apr 9, 2017 5:54 pm
I'm 100% good with the above character. Gonna work on back story for tie in.
To be honest, I'm waiting to see the system in play to help me understand the mechanics. I'm quick on the pickup, but it usually takes throwing me into a hands-on experience to learn. I'm reading the game thread to see the system in action.

Edit: could you maybe set up a non-canon "sparring pit" type thread to practice the mechanics in combat? Just an idea. : )

Speciality would definitely be something in the vein of mind control if that's within reason. Make an enemy miss next round or something balanced. Alternatively, a direct mind attack, something to addle or confuse as well as deal damage.
Last edited April 9, 2017 7:09 pm
Apr 9, 2017 7:31 pm
The "sparring pit" is a great idea, I'll put something up when I get the chance. Either way I'm thinking the first mission (the botched run on Worldcarrier Sigma itself) will be something of a test run: I'll let everyone tweak their builds afterwards. Maybe the in-universe explanation for the retcon is you recounted what happened but got some details wrong :p

Mind control (well, very strong mental influence at least) would be fair game for a speciality, although any special effects (beyond the +2 to the roll) would have to be a feature of an aspect rather than the speciality itself. A maneuver that Slows/Stuns or maybe disables mobs outright, that kind of thing. Maybe tied to one of the Resources.
Apr 10, 2017 1:35 am
Sorry for the cross system references but its my only point of... Reference lol. So talents are similar to skills, with specialities being like proficiency bonuses that stack when a skill is used for that particular reason?
In other words, I'd get the speciality bonus on top of my psionics talent bonus when I used it specifically for mind control?.. would have to have an aspect or resource that provides mind control as a specific ability... Which means the speciality would apply to other aspects or resources that could provide different mind control functions....?
Apr 10, 2017 9:02 am
Exactly yes: talents are skills, albeit broad ones, and you add your speciality (default +2) to one roll with whatever talent you're currently using it with: e.g., Psi +4 applies to the d20 roll and 1d8, and the +2 could apply to one of the two if the speciality applies.

So hypothetically if you, uh, suddenly got the ability to controls minds through pheromones with Bio or brain-hacking with Tech or whatever else, the speciality could apply to those rolls too. With that in mind (hah) you might want to rephrase "mind control" to something that'd be more applicable in more fields. "Mental disruption" or something that'd be relevant when applying a Slow or Stun effect, or any mind-affecting maneuver.

P.S. As you might have guessed certain enemies in the game world will be more or less resistant to certain talents, and Psi is a good example: some opponents are straight-up immune to it! Robots might be immune to uses of Bio and Psi, wild animals without a single augmentation or item might be immune to Tech, and so on.
Apr 10, 2017 1:34 pm
Ah, hello all! Can't wait to get started.

I wrote an intro post which seems to have vanished, possibly sitting in a chrome thread on another computer.

My character is Ailith Kree, a hotshot pilot, former military. She didn't part on good terms with the Legion's Navy, but she got the better end of the deal - her ship, The Bane, or just the Bane. No more identification by serial number crap, not for newly extra-legal operators. The survival training inflicted upon Navy pilots is intense, and along with the augmentation necessary to fly fighter planes, it means Kree is a tough customer in a fight. She's the fastest thing not powered by a reactor.

I really like the sparring thread, by the way. I'd like to throw Kree in to see how her build works out! I've mentioned to Ed I can't decide how big the ship could be, but if we do go for the Firefly-size heavy fighter route, we could say the sim booths are one of its features? They probably have a range of sims, from 'bar fight' to 'outsize interstellar engagement'. Our characters could be en route to a job, or coming back from one, just trying to pass the time.
Apr 10, 2017 2:55 pm
Here's 80% of a character worked out. I'm a little unclear on how Strain works and just what my total bonuses would be, and whether it's overpowered or just eggs-in-one-basket. Oh, and is the requirement for Advanced Technique BOTH attribute + talent at 3, or just one?

It also occurs to me I've ended up basically just building a pilot from Titanfall.

--
[ +- ] Kree's stats


So, I’m more than halfway home here, can you help me bring it over the line Ed? Not sure where the moving parts should go. Maybe I should just make up another aspect for fun.
Last edited April 10, 2017 2:56 pm
Apr 10, 2017 5:16 pm
Okay, excuse the screengrab but I find it easier presenting it all like this:
[ +- ] Ailith Kree
[ +- ] Breakdown
The Bane is Schrodinger's ship at the moment, depends what you all decide: the campaign can easily work with it being a small fighter or a more sizeable craft that you can use as a mobile base of operations. I suppose if it's big enough each party member could feasibly have their own different duties on it. Hmm...
Apr 11, 2017 6:41 pm
Yeah the CQC thing is me being genuinely unable to decide what weapons I see her using, and how I see her fighting. I feel like going full kung fu is weird, and besides, Kyrae did that really well in the Schismata campaign. I kinda thought a John Wick style pistol thing could be fun, using this build but flavoured differently.

I think it's really cool she's vulnerable to tech. Psi, too, most probably. And, y'know, bullets ... hmm. Maybe I need some more VIT.
Apr 11, 2017 6:59 pm
Well, in this version HP are more reliant on level rather than VIT. Which is... kind of weird, in retrospect, but VIT and MND had so much else going for them that getting too many extra HP from investing in them proved a little off in balance terms.

Not sure how to snappily phrase it in two or three words, but maybe rather than "unarmed" the speciality could apply to attacking enemies who have ranged weapons? Getting the drop on shooters, wrestling guns off them or shooting them in the head point blank, that sort of Wickishness. It makes a kind of sense that it wouldn't work on melee-focused enemies with similar training...
Apr 12, 2017 3:17 am
Actually, after writing a couple of martial arts sequences I'm happy to just go with unarmed. Punching people *is* fun! As long as I don't run into too many mechs ... I might continue to mess with the build, though. I'm thinking Brawler might not be that good, seeing as I thought it was the old when where it was any enemy who moved or attacked. Maybe Splash would be cool, as she flips out and punches everybody in the tile ... that could be really cool.

And maybe I should get Defensive as one of my resource aspects. It could just be a lack of armour that's making me feel like she's fragile. She currently lacks armour, and I originally imagined her in a Kill Bill Bride-esque flight suit which was armoured ... perhaps she'll try to buy some with her pirate money.
Last edited April 12, 2017 3:30 am
Apr 12, 2017 9:37 am
Brawler might need its wording tweaked, because honestly I don't think it'd be hugely broken for it to trigger based off attacks as well as entering/leaving the tile. It's already limited by half the user's attribute score, which might be a bit excessive really. Hmm. Splash might be a neat replacement either way.

As for seeming fragile, that might be more an artifact of the system than anything specific to your build. It's pretty rare for an attack to miss outright! And there is the guard action available of course: minor action, roll 1d20 in place of your Df (can't be lower than base, although if you roll an Exploit, you still get the Exploit).

On a tangent I notice that in the rulebook I keep jumping between "to-hit and damage" and "skill and ability" so I should maybe stress: they're one and the same, I just can't keep the terminology straight! I'm trying to use "skill and ability" more often than the alternative if only because it better represents how the core mechanic applies to utility stuff as well as actual attacks.

Regarding specialities, not sure about this as it runs the risk of diluting the mechanic and might limit player freedom, but one idea I had with regards to applying them was: it affects a target that lacks talent X.

So maybe something like— Kree's martial arts driven CQC? +2 speciality bonus to one roll when fighting foes without an Insight rank. C29's neural disruption? +2 speciality bonus to one roll when fighting foes without a Psi rank. And this wouldn't supplant the existing phrasing, the specialities would still apply in situations where the narrative fits, it's just an easy way of instantly telling who's vulnerable to what.

(This might mean that specialities often don't apply to elites and bosses, but maybe that's actually in-keeping with their intention. If someone has similar skills and training to you it stands to reason that they're better equipped to resist you...)
Apr 12, 2017 4:58 pm
As I feel out C29 as a character, I'm liking the idea of his controlling electromagnetic frequencies. My thoughts are that it could work something like this: through training he has learned to manipulate his body's electromagnetic field, contracting it to appear less "psionically visible" or expanding it to give himself an enlarged area within which he can manipulate surrounding EMFs. To go further, he could shape his emf into a channel or arm to reach further in one direction than his normal AoE field. So with the EMP attack as a (speciality?) he would reach out with his emf to engulf his target and send an EMP along that channel. I'm thinking the size of his emf can be enhanced through leveling and some rsources or something.

Just trying to figure out how this character works within the mechanics.
Apr 12, 2017 5:25 pm
Yeah I like that for specialities, and the buff to elites. Hopefully the reverse is true, for bosses with talents versus us. And, yeah, I've stumbled over to-hit and damage and skill and ability a few times.

Why don't we just sub in Splash for now and see how it goes? I think Brawler might be more useful if it's based entirely on attacks. Solely entering and exiting it's going to proc too rarely to be that useful, both together it possibly procs too often, but solely on attacks I think it's very competitive. A free attack each round on enemies in melee range is pretty nice, even if it's minor, and it's a reasonable reward for placing yourself in melee in the first place I think.
Apr 12, 2017 7:54 pm
Nasaius "Nerves" Fritzitch - Inventor, Tech Savant, Cowardly Opportunist

VIT: 2
STR: 1
AGI: 1
FOC: 3
WIL: 0
MND: 4

HP: 8
EP: 3

Talents:
Tech +2 - Invasive Hacking Specialty
Insight +1

Aspects:
Assassinate (FOC)
Underestimated (VIT)
Opportunist (AGI)
Lockout (MND)
Overload (MND)

Resources:
Hard Light Projector - (3) Superior Augment 1 FOC Strain, +3 Weakness to Tech, +3 STR, Piercing, Reinforced
Hacking HUD - (1) Tool 1 MND Strain, [MND/Tech], Requires Tech +2, Increase ability die by 1 category (d4 > d6)
Recon Drones - (1) 2 Tokens 1 FOC Strain
Apr 12, 2017 8:02 pm
So the gist of the build is a melee rogue with the added power to take out enemy resources on the fly.

Underestimated is there to generate enemy Exploits, which both Assassinate and Opportunist use to make (hopefully) quick work of opponents. Lockout and Overload disable/destroy enemy resources.

I'm not exactly sure if I got the Resources part right. The layout with the Aspects first and such confused me, as well as ability/skill/damage/tohit but I think I've got it right. Hard Light Projector is there to turn Nerves from Zero to Hero in Melee, but can be taken offline by a savy Techie. Hacking HUD helps all my mind/tech stuff. Recon Drones are throwaway bonuses to rolls, whether it be scouting by proxy or detonating in a bad guy's face. Plus I can spend both of them to use Overload.
Apr 12, 2017 8:10 pm
An aside: Looking at the builds submitted - I am confused as to why Kree has 9 points in Talents and 6 points in Resources
Apr 12, 2017 9:02 pm
Also! Ed, I forget all the races currently in the setting. Are there Saurian types or similar? I kind of want to play a more nervous and twitchy version of this guy:
[ +- ] Image
Apr 12, 2017 10:01 pm
Ah I've been presenting the total stats after modifiers: so for example, Nerves' sheet would show 4 STR rather than 1 as it'd factor in his Resource. Kree's sixth Resource BTW is actually just from her Modification Resource aspect: I merely listed it as a seperate Resource as I wasn't sure where else to put it!

Nerves could do something similar: if he used Modification on his 3 slot HALP system, he could have the Recon Drones as a free addition to it, and have two slots for his tool instead. Then again I see the logic of not doing that too... as you mentioned, Overload benefits more from multiple Resources.

Kree does have rather a lot of talent ranks but the 2 talent recommendation wasn't intended as a limit, just a suggestion for the preset arrays. If you're concerned about stepping on each other's toes, Kree could always put a few of the talent points into VIT (or whatever) instead. Actually here's a suggestion for the two of you: Kree downgrades Tech to 1, bins the Insight rank, and makes Mobility +2 to give that the Spaceships speciality instead? It makes sense to me that a pilot could just as easily use Mobility rather than Tech to fly her ship, and of course the Spaceships speciality could still be used for repair rolls etc.

And sounds to me like you want radiation-belt Kerenth. Horns, scales, long faces, reversed legs: with their mutations "maxed out" so to speak by radioactive environs they're, let's face it, basically just saurians in all but name.

Ohh and there's also the Desz, but they're more the "all mouth and no face" kind of mutant. They're more humanoid (despite the whole giant fanged nightmare face thing going on) but have large talons that some of them can't retract: not sure how that'd work for a tech dude.
Apr 12, 2017 10:52 pm
Oh and Klone: yeah, electromagnetic field shenanigans sound like a perfectly valid use of Psi to me. That's basically along the same lines as how telekinesis functions. And if the attack is ranged rather than remote (i.e., needs line of sight, affected by cover) then it'd still mechanically work on machinery too.

Important corollary: there will, of course, still be some robotic enemies who are immune...
Apr 13, 2017 12:21 am
Yeah, looking at it I want to keep the Drones as their own Resource for now. Can't wait to see my sheet graphic when you get a chance, Ed! :)

Added:

I didn't actually remember what the Kerenth looked like, but that'll definitely work. Feel free to infodump some stuff on me. If I recall, they're the ones that discovered my favorite alt-humans, the Nacasei. Also aren't they really bad at Psychic stuff?
Last edited April 13, 2017 12:36 am
Apr 13, 2017 9:34 am
[ +- ] Kerenth infodump
[ +- ] Nerves' character sheet
Apr 13, 2017 12:16 pm
I'm happy to make those talent changes! Her sheet does look a little funny thanks to the augmentation resources. I just thought it was weird to make a hotshot pilot who didn't know how to work her spaceship. I thought Insight might be valuable too for working out the logistics of space combat. Not that we'll see much of that, mostly just so the character had it.

Maybe I put the extra point into strength? Not sure how it'll change her build, except that a melee fighter should probably be able to lift a hand weight at least.
Last edited April 13, 2017 12:18 pm
Apr 13, 2017 12:27 pm
I have no qualms about your Talents, I just didn't originally see where they came from on Ed's sheet because your final Abilities looked like one of the arrays and I was confused.

Love that you took Social. That's gonna be very helpful. As for the others, make sure the character feels right for you. I'm sure we can get into plenty of situations where we're all gonna need Insight, or Tech, or what-have-you
Apr 13, 2017 1:32 pm
It's a bit thematically weird for a melee fighter to lack STR, but keep in mind that a 0 isn't weak as such, just average. I guess we can assume that all Kree's skills and reflexes make up for it somehow.

As for sheets, I've been keeping the current ones on Google Drive

It's pretty neat being able to look at them all together like that! Nice range of stat variety. Final sheets will of course include space for your bios etc.
Apr 13, 2017 2:06 pm
Yeah, Social will be fun, it helps me imagine a more likeable pirate. And there's a great line from a comedian about the black market and gun control - "You can't just rock up at the docks going 'Who wants to sell me a gun?'"

I think changing the tech specialty to mobility suits me just fine though. She probably isn't a specialist in any other technical area that isn't directly concerned with spaceflight (although obviously in a more realistic setting that would encompass most of the body of known science). Moving Insight to Strength is still probably a good move. I'm unsettled by the sight of a 0 for an attribute score in any system.
Apr 13, 2017 2:09 pm
Also, Klone, I've been kind of noodling along in my own bubble here, but it's past time I properly said hello :) I really like C29's background, and it'll be cool to see what you do with psionics.
Apr 13, 2017 2:22 pm
All right, I've removed the Insight rank and put it into STR, and swapped Tech with Mobility (so it's Mobility +2, Tech +1). Also swapped Brawler for Splash if I hadn't already mentioned that. Can always change it back if need be!

And everyone seems to be wrecking the mobs so far. Guess that's why they're mobs...
Apr 14, 2017 7:51 pm
Hi all! Thanks Edcrab for letting me in to this cool looking playtest! Just wanted to give a quick introduction, not sure if any of you have been part of the playtesting of this system previously but I have no prior knowledge. I scanned the first page of the google doc and it seems pretty cool, I've been looking for a sci-fi RPG to get into so I'm excited!

I'll spend the weekend reading through the rules and coming up with a character idea. Any attribute and/or aspect areas that seem to be particularly lacking with the existing characters? I do find enjoyment out of filling holes in character roles so I'm happy to start designing a concept around something that the party is missing so far.
Apr 14, 2017 8:29 pm
Hi MN!

So far we've got a psychic, a pilot/agile brawler, and a Tech guy/melee backstabber

Things that nobody has brought to the table so far: A focus on ranged combat, the use of the Bio talent or the Stealth talent

But that's just character sheet stuff! As for actual backgrounds and such, we are some kind of low to mid-tier heist crew, we've got a ship thanks to our adrenaline junkie pilot stealing it from the galaxy's most militaristic superpower, a runaway psychic clone who's probably not got a lot of option for "legal existence" in most sectors, and a tech wizard who runs away at the sight of any opposition.

So clearly we need a leader :)
Apr 14, 2017 8:41 pm
You have definitely piqued my interest :)

I'm sure I'll have questions as I read through the rules and setting info
Apr 14, 2017 8:48 pm
Questions welcome! Iriah and I have played in this setting before, so we know some stuff, but Ed is always the final arbiter of what does or doesn't fly
Apr 14, 2017 9:29 pm
So Ringo, could you maybe give me a laymen's rundown based on where I am so far? The ruleset bamboozles me frankly. Its like I get it but I don't, probably because the wording is new to me. It seems written based off of other info that im missing, but that could be due to my limited experience with non-d&d games (debuff? Strain?). But it seems super streamline and customizable, which I really like.
Apr 14, 2017 9:37 pm
Quoting the rules:
Using talents with attributes
Some talents may seem inherently more physical or more mental than others, but they can still be attempted with any attribute depending on the circumstances. Remember that the bonus granted by a talent rank (+1 to +5) can never be higher than that granted by the attribute score (1 to 10)! A talent is always a bonus, never a penalty, but certain enemies or challenges might be more affected by some talents than others.

So for example if I wanted to use a +2 combat talent with my +1 STR, would that mean I only get +1 from the combat talent or would the combat bonus be entirely negated because STR is lower?
Last edited April 14, 2017 9:37 pm
Apr 14, 2017 9:48 pm
MN: It would mean you only get +1 from the Combat talent, yeah. And Ringo's underselling himself when he says that he and Iriah have helped with "some stuff", big chunks of the setting wouldn't exist without their efforts!

I'm actually trying to work on a big database of setting junk right now because despite this being a collab, boy, I've done a really poor job of collating all the fluff. Doesn't exactly make it easy for newcomers.
Klone: Sorry, I think the rules as they stand are just poorly explained, it's not just you who's had trouble with a few things! I'll have to do a rewrite, or at the very least present the information in a more logical order. But as a quick summary...

A Debuff is a generic persistent negative status effect that can represent a bunch of different things. You roll 1d4, and that value hovers until an enemy decides to spend it: they get to add that value to one of their attacks, or subtract it from one of your attacks. A Buff is the opposite, beneficial version. For example Iriah's character, Kree, is built around using Buffs: she rolls 1d6 instead of 1d4, and has a couple of abilities that can spend the Buff bonus in different ways.

Strain was initially just Encumbrance: each point of ENC required a point of STR, and if total ENC ever exceeded STR the characters were over-encumbered (and they'd suffer whatever negative status effect seemed appropriate at the time). So put simply "Strain" was just my attempt to make encumbrance attribute-agnostic so it could be tied to stats other than STR, such as VIT for implants and stimulants, WIL for psionic techniques, that kind of thing. But I appreciate that that's not explained very adequately in the rules, I think it needs more than a single paragraph...
Apr 14, 2017 9:57 pm
Thanks for the clarification, and no worries on the rules layout, that's what playtests are for right? Besides, it could be worse. I could be writing them...
https://cdn.meme.am/instances/250x250/76192788/hitchhikers-vogon-rules-lawyer-level-vogon.jpg
Apr 14, 2017 11:51 pm
I am playing a stealth character
Apr 15, 2017 1:32 pm
Okay, question time! I tried going through most of this OOC thread, apologies if I missed an answer to one of these questions somewhere in here or the rules!
regarding an aspect's "spend" ability:
1) does that cost the character anything other than disabling the aspect until the end of the encounter? i.e. does it take any kind of action?
2) Does disabling the aspect render all of it's passive and active abilities unusable?
3) Does spending the "1HP" or "1EP" aspect abilities also disable the aspect for the remainder of the encounter?
4) What exactly constitutes an encounter?

Regarding Resources:
1) How/when exactly does Strain accumulate?
2) A resource aspect uses up one of my 5 aspects slots, not one of my 5 resource slots, correct?

For my character, I'm thinking about a Doctor/Mad Scientist. A little unhinged, he likes to self-medicate from his own supply and has a penchant for explosives... >:)
I would take the Bio talent, but not sure what else, maybe a little bit of combat and/or social (high society to offset Kree's underworld)? Aspects from Fixer and Blaster mostly. Still working out Resources, but a Doctor's bag is a given to produce all his chemical concoctions for both restorative and destructive purposes.
Last edited April 15, 2017 1:34 pm
Apr 15, 2017 1:36 pm
One other thing (for now), where can I find info on races of Exigency? I didn't see any in the "setting" thread in the Old Guard game?
Apr 15, 2017 3:00 pm
1) Spending an aspect is a free action unless it's stated to require a specific category of action, or that it's tied to an existing action.
2) Yes, a spent aspect loses all its passives etc.
3) No, you can repeatedly use Empowers/Edge powers. As long as you have the Hit Points/Edge Points for it, of course! And you can only perform 1 Empower and/or 1 Edge power in a turn.
4) Totally arbitrary and decided by the GM! But generally speaking, an encounter is any fight/otherwise significant event. An encounter persists until circumstances change (e.g., you finish hacking the computer, you beat all the enemies in one map and move on to another, and so on). If an encounter is going to be particularly long, the GM will be expected to announce that (and justify it) so the PCs will know how to budget their aspects and EP.

Resource questions:
1) Strain is ongoing and applied immediately if the Resource generates it. For example: you have three item Resources, each with 1 STR Strain (encumbrance)? Then you have 3 STR Strain, and you need 3+ STR to match that amount. There are a few abilities out there that might otherwise affect Strain positively or negatively, but generally it's specific to Resources.
2) Resource aspects are granted by aspects with a certain number of slots, but don't consume aspect or Resource slots themselves! I'm regretting calling them "Resource aspects" and think "properties" would've been better: you'll find that in the descriptions for some of the Resources, they specify that they include a Resource aspect, by which it's meant that you get to pick out one of those passives and apply it to that Resource for free, no further slots consumed.

As for background like that, that's something I'll be working on in the next couple of days! I'll try and get a decent write-up done for you all because the current doc is years old and full of typos, yeesh.
Apr 15, 2017 3:09 pm
Awesome, thanks for the clarifications! I'll get some raw numbers and firmer apsect/resource ideas today or tomorrow.
Apr 16, 2017 3:48 am
Ok, here's a rough 1st pass at my character:
Attributes
VIT 1
STR 0
AGI 1
FOC 3
WIL 1
MND 6 (4 + 2 from background)

Talents:
-->Bio +2 (chemist? maybe a cooler name to encompass healing & making explosives?)
-->Combat +2 (explosives)

Aspects:
Amplify [MND] (Fixer)
-->Passive: When you restore their HP, for every HP that goes beyond their maximum allies gain Block or Inspiration (max +2) instead of it being wasted.
-->Spend: Grant an ally a +3 bonus to an attribute: counts as an Augment, bonus cannot go beyond attribute’s base score (MND 4)or be combined with other Augments. Lasts for a number of turns equal to your Attribute (MND 6). Applies 3 Strain to your Attribute.
Stimulating [MND] (Fixer)
-->Passive: Your mend actions simultaneously serve as aid actions of the same category.
-->Spend: Grant an ally a Buff. When they spend this Buff, they gain another at the start of their next turn. Lasts for a number of turns equal to your Attribute (MND 6). When the ally takes a Lethal hit this effect ends early but the Lethal hit is downgraded to an Injury.
Deep Pockets [MND] (Artificer)
-->Passive: You have an additional Resource slot.
-->Spend: Resupply multiple Resources. Affects a number of slots equal to your Attribute score, spread across both your own Resources and those of adjacent party members.
Enhance [MND] (Artificer)
-->Passive: Standard action. Create a 1 slot Resource: grants a passive +½Attribute bonus to critical range (+3 from MND 6). Lasts until user critically hits.
-->Spend: Full action. Create a 2 slot Resource or add 2 slots to an existing Resource (still capped at 3). Lasts until an Exploit is rolled: one of the slots fails and vanishes, but the other will persist until another Exploit.
Rumble [FOC] (Blaster)
-->1HP: Tied to an attack. Target’s cover now serves as a bonus to an attack instead of resisting it (i.e., +4 to skill and ability against a target in heavy cover).
-->Spend: Standard action: collapse a non-neutral tile. The occupants are out of the fight, unable to attack or be attacked until they spend two full actions to free themselves from the debris, or one full action on a save. Mobs roll morale. Tiles can only be affected by this encounter power once.


Resources:
Superior Background OOO (Order-trained Scientist, what order?)
-->Passive: +2 MND
-->Passive: You roll with Advantage when the Attribute/Talent bonus and a speciality both apply.
-->Resource Aspect: Quality (+3 to skill & ability when applicable)
-->Spend: Spend to succeed on a check outright. Does not count as a critical. Gain 3 Inspiration.

Minor Weapon O (Personal Modular Mortar)
-->1 [FOC] strain
-->d4 -> d6
-->AGI|FOC

Advanced Tool OO (Chem Bag)
-->3 [MND] strain
-->Ability Die d4 -> d8
-->FOC|MND

Not sure if I got everything exactly right, corrections/thoughts/criticisms are appreciated! He should be pretty bad ass at healing and able to hold his own in a firefight. Also Enhance will let him provide +3 crit bonuses on the fly and straight up create new resources for the crew in a tough spot (i.e. Cobbling together some improvised chem missles for Bane during a dogfight or something like that :))
Last edited April 16, 2017 8:22 pm
Apr 16, 2017 8:23 pm
I made some changes and spent some time organizing and coloring up the sheet. I know you are going to make make me one of those sweet char sheets Edcrab, but in the meantime this helps me keep everything straight as I make changes.
Last edited April 16, 2017 8:24 pm
Apr 16, 2017 9:09 pm
Looking good! I promise I'll have a proper read through and make you a full sheet, but in the meantime (this goes for everyone!) I present:

the Exigency Setting Master document

It is not exhaustive and there are various factions/alt-humans I'm yet to mention, but hopefully it's a good start for fluff and backgrounds!

(The Nacasei got a lot of fluff when Ringo played one and had some ideas, and likewise the Wary Order was fleshed out by Iriah after he played a Wayfarer, just in case you're wondering why their entries are so long!)
Apr 17, 2017 10:29 am
[ +- ] MoldyNolds' character so far
The way you present aspect bonus calculations makes more sense than just showing final stats, I should really do that myself! Might have to go through my character sheet and tweak the layout to match. And I'm sure there's a better word than "Chemist" for someone who alternates between making cocktails of stimulants and explosives but I'm yet to think of one myself...

One note on the "Quality" Resource aspect: I've an inkling that property might be slightly over-useful compared to the others. I won't nerf everyone's builds prior to trying it in action, but it might need to be capped at +2. I don't know, we'll have to see how it operates ingame!

Also Klone: noticed C29 is still entitled to tie a Resource aspect (or even just a regular aspect) to his background. Remind me if we ever decided on one? It might just be that I forgot to add it to his sheet.
Apr 17, 2017 1:46 pm
Looks awesome! Ok now that I'm getting more familiar with the system I have some more questions/changes:
1) I think I'll switch out Rumble for Splash. I was having trouble visualizing how my character would use the "Explosives" specialty during a standard attack and that Splash makes way more sense to utilize that specialty.
2) After reading the alt-humans I feel drawn towards the Desz (pronounced just "dez"?). Their symbiotic relationship with the "Myre" and synthetic healing agents seems to fit perfectly. Also as I was searching for doctor & scientist character images I kept coming back to a sci-fi-ish looking plague doctor which also seems to fit. He wears that mask so he doesn't freak everyone out with his giant face-mouth and lack of eyes & nose.
3) Instead of "Chemist", how about "Alchemancy"? Sounds pretty cool to me, that can be his character role (Desz Alchemancer) and his Bio specialty.
4) We can work out the specifics when I test my character in the near future, but I just wanted to make sure I'm wrapping my head around the core mechanic first. If I'm reading the rules right with this current build I should be getting MASSIVE bonuses to rolling a mend check. That's by design; I made him with the intention to be a fucking POWERHOUSE for healing, and only just competent in other situations but I just want to make sure:

Skill roll: Att (MND +6) + Talent (Bio +2) + specialty (Chem +2) + quality from background (+3) = 1d20 + 13 WITH ADVANTAGE!

Ability roll: Att (MND +6 if standard mend action) + Talent (Bio +2) + specialty (Chem +2) + quality from background (+3) = 1d8 +13 with advantage!

In addition the mend action ALSO counts as an Aid action (ally being healed gets +2 to next skill & ability rolls for standard action) AND if there ends up being up to 2 HP unused by the healing that ally can convert those into Block or Inspiration.

Does all that sound right?
Apr 17, 2017 1:48 pm
Also I think he will be SHARD-trained for his background
Apr 17, 2017 2:43 pm
Yeah just "dez", although I reckon in their language it sounds more like "des-sch" with an awkward noise-at-the-back-of-the-throat that humans can't usually manage.

And yep those massive modifiers checkout. Advantage only applies to skill rolls but all the same, you are virtually guaranteed to let a target recover 2-3 HP per standard mend action, or gain up to 2 Block/Inspiration if they're already at full HP/already been healed up by a mend action. That's... damn. That's pretty significant!

So you're more than welcome to call the speciality/role "Alchemancer" and be SHARD-trained, and just thought I'd mention background-wise that your character sounds like a perfect fit for the Evur caste. Well not exactly a caste but still:
[ +- ] Desz castes
The Evur probably don't fight very much, as a rule, but there's no reason why this particular one couldn't! SHARD-trained after all. They're all about pragmatism. I've been working on these sort of class-ideas for EVERY alt-human, but it's going to take forever...
Apr 17, 2017 3:19 pm
Cool, glad I'm understanding it! And yes, at first glance Evur seems like a natural choice for him. I'll work on some finishing touches (name, portrait, back story, etc...) and maybe continue to make changes within his mechanics and then at some point (maybe next weekend?) I'll ask to throw him into the simulator!
Apr 17, 2017 7:07 pm
C:\Users\opera\Desktop\9c52aeacb3c79826986d8d332182915d

Anyone know how to insert a picture from my PC, not directly from a website link?
Last edited April 17, 2017 7:07 pm
Apr 17, 2017 10:29 pm
I doubt the forum is able or allowed - why not chuck it on Imgur?
Apr 18, 2017 6:16 pm
Hey Iriah! Kree vs Nerves!

Whaddaya say?
Apr 18, 2017 9:35 pm
Moldy, yeah the forum doesn't host images, so you have to use an image hosting site. I use imgur cuz its pretty quick, just upload, open the image, and copy the url
Apr 18, 2017 10:41 pm
Yea, I have a picture saved on my work PC that I really like and I can't find where on the interwebz I originally pulled it from. I don't know if it fits the Dasz, so I wanted your opinions. I'll have to upload it when I get back to work tomorrow.
Last edited April 18, 2017 10:42 pm
Apr 19, 2017 12:49 am
Ringo says:
Hey Iriah! Kree vs Nerves!

Whaddaya say?
I've always wanted to punch a hologram to death. Bring it on!
Apr 19, 2017 7:57 pm
I'm not 100% sure how player-vs-player combat will resolve but hey, this is a play-test after all. To the victor go the spoils*

*There are no spoils
Apr 20, 2017 2:36 am
https://i.imgur.com/t7S7ul2.jpg
This first image is definitely my favorite. Technically I think this works for the Desz (no eyes or nose and the mouth does take up most of the face that is visible) but I'm not really sure. Does this fit for the style of the Desz? Or any alt-human race in Exigency?

https://i.imgur.com/7sdyNPF.jpg
This would be a pretty cool doctor image if I wanted to just go normal human.

https://i.imgur.com/rsGmVpf.jpg
This was my original thought for a Desz. He wears the plague doctor mask so he doesn't horrify his patients or anyone else he meets :)

Thoughts?
Last edited April 20, 2017 2:41 am
Apr 20, 2017 7:54 pm
I think all three would fit in the setting, although that's not exactly helping you to narrow it down! As for Desz specifically, I imagine they can wear pretty much any mask/face covering they want without really impacting their vision, because they don't "see" so much as detect electrical fields.

Desz are quite rare and while some people aren't unsettled by them, I think it's probably likely that many of them tend to wear hoods/masks/whatever while out and about for varied reasons (might also be cultural and traditional, depending on their tribe). And maybe Dr. Zephyr finds it useful for people to assume he's a human (or at least an alt-human with eyes and a face!) under his gear.
Apr 21, 2017 2:28 am
Sounds good to me, if you'll accept the first image as a Desz than I think that'll be Dr. Zephyr!
Apr 21, 2017 10:08 pm
Awesome, I really like that first image
Apr 22, 2017 6:44 pm
Not sure how to narrate PvP! It's all a bit new to me, but if people want I can be descriptive as well as just providing the stats and rolls. I just don't like stepping on any toes, especially as in this system losing HP is so abstract it can be basically anything the player wants.

An ion weapon is a good choice for an F-attack against a Desz: seeing as they're strong against electricity in much the same way the Kerenth are strong against radiation, it means in-universe all those shots could hit Dr. Z but still be more a nuisance rather than a big threat.
Apr 23, 2017 3:02 am
I have a question, as I read through the arena posts I noticed Edcrab has been making all the rolls. Just wondering why the players don't roll their own moves?
Apr 23, 2017 3:52 pm
I am really really lazy
Apr 23, 2017 7:26 pm
Actually this is the first time I've played this game on a forum with a dice roller. I mean, for regular non-pvp gameplay it's been easy to let Ed do the rolls and then describe the scene. But we could try a more player-created narrative too? Anybody got an opinion?
Apr 23, 2017 7:42 pm
Haha, honestly I'd been treating the simulation as something of a tutorial and rolling myself just to help with these early stages where people are getting to grips with the mechanics. But I can go either way, depends entirely on what everyone wants.

And Iriah: I've reworked the Brawler aspect because after some consideration I've come to agree that the old version was a bit over-nerfed. The Edge power in particular was underwhelming. So, new version! Hopefully a bit more potent and flavourful. You can still take Splash if you don't want it, but I thought I'd mention it seeing as Dr. Zephyr has Splash already (and I guess his explosive attack having it makes a little more sense, no offence to Kree's martial arts skills).
[ +- ] Brawler Old and New version
Apr 23, 2017 7:51 pm
I always prefer to roll my own dice and narrate my own successes & failures, but that's just me!
Apr 24, 2017 4:30 pm
Hey Edcrab no rush whatsoever, but I have a char sheet ready to submit your pic of the layout whenever you have time to update the changes.
-Class: Alchemancer
-Splash instead of Rumble
Apr 24, 2017 5:21 pm
Good thinking, but unfortunately I don't think GP supports images in character sheets yet, so it'd just have to be a text post plus a link to the image...

Did you decide on an "explosives" speciality rather than "demolitions", by the way?

http://imgur.com/puLyJ4d.png
[ +- ] Plain text
Apr 24, 2017 11:36 pm
I think when I started playing in, what, 2011? 2009? Can't remember. But back then there were fewer system documents and I had no idea what the various rolls where. And everyone was just letting Ed roll for them anyway. So I went with the crowd.

Here's to Ed, for interpreting many years' worth of posts from flavour into system!

edit: New brawl is cool! I think the Guard in the passive doesn't quite fit with the Executioner tree, but the EP is so crazy powerful I'd take it anyway. Interpreting it literally it seems like even the mob you target ends up attacking themselves, which is hilarious. "What's that, Campaign Boss? You've got the Ion Phase Cannon aimed at my homeworld? Well, hold on one sec ..."
Last edited April 24, 2017 11:40 pm
Apr 25, 2017 10:47 am
Yeah I was a bit iffy on the guard component: my initial thought was that the counterattack triggered only on mob attacks, but then I thought to tweak it slightly and let it activate on any missed attack as long as the user had spent a guard action (a guard action with Advantage to boot, if there's a mob in the tile). Being defensive doesn't really fit the Executioner list but taking advantage of mobs definitely does!

So, unfortunately Klone has had to leave us. thatguy2 is going to see if he can finish his character but to my understanding he has finals coming up and may be a bit pushed for time so might have to leave too.

Granted the last play test campaign had only three PCs by the end, but it'd be nice to have a fuller party this time! I'll have to see who else we can drum up...
Apr 25, 2017 12:11 pm
Totally make sense that you'd want more for a playtest, but I personally would be fine with the 3 of us. Seems like a good group here, I really appreciate the fact that all 3 of you put some extra flavor text and descriptions into your posts! That's not always the case in some of the other PbP games I'm in...
Apr 25, 2017 9:36 pm
Oh I just want to make sure, but Opportunist's Spend ability - it uses up the Exploit on that target, right?

So in the arena, Kree got massacred but no longer has an Exploit to be used against them?
Apr 25, 2017 9:38 pm
Yeah, that's correct. I'll maybe go edit the wording of the aspect to make that more explicit...
Apr 26, 2017 12:57 am
Hm. Instead of spending the Edge or the Lethal, can I spend Warpath? Or would I have to spend the Edge to stay in the game, and then use Warpath.
Apr 26, 2017 11:01 am
It'd have to be Edge then Warpath, yeah. Reading the description it never specifies whether it can be used as an interrupt (i.e. during someone else's turn) but maybe that'd be an interesting change to make to differentiate it from a Surge? Something else for testing to determine, although I think Warpath is one of the stronger aspects already.

Anyway, if you use Warpath, both Dr. Z and Nerves gain Disadvantage on their skill rolls for 2 turns.
Apr 27, 2017 2:48 am
Cool magool.

I'm fairly keen to begin the campaign. Unless we have a line on anyone else who wants in, could we try to start sooner rather than later and anyone who comes late can be found mid-adventure? I think I joined partway through act 1, once upon a time.
Apr 27, 2017 10:27 am
That's true, and since everybody else seems to be okay with it I think I'll put the IC thread up in a day or so.

One thing I might ask Keleth about is what setting I need to change to make the game public: everything seems to be set to public, but when I log out I can't see the E:WS game on the "Game Forums" list. But weirdly I can still read all the threads if I have a direct link to the forum, so not sure what's going on there.
Apr 27, 2017 1:01 pm
I saw it early on but later when I tried to search for it, I couldn't find it. Funny, that!
Apr 27, 2017 2:28 pm
In other news I've just made a "Feedback thread" (similarly to that of the first campaign) just for a place for people to present ideas for mechanics, whether it's major upheaval of the resolution mechanic or something as simple as an idea for a new aspect, etc
May 1, 2017 7:42 pm
Would I be able to activate the passive spend of the enhance aspect on Kree and Nerves (and myself?) or can I only activate it on one person at a time?
May 1, 2017 7:49 pm
I think it's entirely reasonable to think Dr. Z had some prep time/extra materials going in to this, so sure, everyone starts with Enhance applied. Critical range is 17+ (or 16+ in Kree's case) until a critical hit is rolled.
May 2, 2017 4:42 pm
Yay! It's starting!

I will maek poast in the next couple hours when I get home
May 3, 2017 9:51 am
I've just had confirmation from thatguy2 that he needs to drop out too, so it will indeed just be the three of you to start with. Three should be okay, I hope!
May 3, 2017 9:54 am
Bummer, but I'm sure we'll manage. If you haven't yet posted something in the Games Tavern you may want to consider that if you're looking for additional players to jump in.
May 3, 2017 12:27 pm
Hang on, we are supposed to be uploading the virus in the primary reactor control centre, right? I just realised I'd been unconsciously flipping between that assumption, and another that the ship had a separate bridge or CIC. But that's probably not the way the ship the size of a small moon or whatever works.

Rip thatguy2, we hardly knew ye :(
Last edited May 3, 2017 12:27 pm
May 3, 2017 12:27 pm
Yeah I might go bump that old thread, and in the meantime I've posted in the bug forum because more than one person has pointed out that the WS forums aren't showing if they're not logged in. It's a bit weird as everything is showing as set to public on my end and I never had this problem with The Old Guard, but there's every chance there's some little setting I've missed somewhere

Iriah: the party in this instance is heading towards the control decks, which are the parts of the sprawling engineering complex that are actually accessible to regular crew. You'd be right in thinking there's a bridge, but that's more just an arbitrary command hub where all the top-end officials meet and plan: all the actual work happens in the control decks, and that's where you're going to upload the virus.

Put short: I'm not going to shout "AH HA!" at the last second and say you've all gone to the wrong place :p
May 3, 2017 1:01 pm
Haha, of course not. I was just trying to remember whether I was dutifully following a breadcrumb or making my own cunning plan.
May 4, 2017 6:44 pm
Can't say I've settled on Nerves' particular quirks of speech, but I'm pretty happy with how clunky that line is
May 7, 2017 1:12 pm
Time for our tram to arrive? Unless we have a tram fight, which is always fun.

I'm imagining this old chestnut playing quietly over the speakers: "Good morning and welcome to the Black Mesa Transit System. This automated train is provided for the security and convenience of the Black Mesa Research Facility personnel. The time is 08:47 AM. Current topside temperature is 93 degrees, with an estimated high of one hundred and five. The Black Mesa compound is maintained at a pleasant 68 degrees at all times."
May 7, 2017 5:03 pm
LOL, yes! That was an indescribable feeling in the back of my head and I wasn't sure what it was...
May 7, 2017 7:01 pm
Cool, I'll advance things in a bit. On a tangent I notice that so far only MoldyNolds has submitted a character: can everyone else try submitting theirs, even if it's just a blank page? I think I was wrong about the character sheet, it must support images now: and if that's right, it means it's pretty simple for me just to use img tags and recycle the existing pngs.
May 7, 2017 7:19 pm
Yea for some reason you can upload an image for a character portrait but not anywhere else on the site.
May 9, 2017 12:50 pm
Just in case you guys haven't figured it out yet, I'm playing Dr. Zephyr pretty straight-laced and ignorant of the seedier side of the universe, especially when it comes to stealth missions and deception.
May 9, 2017 1:26 pm
Yes, I think that's great! My two previous characters were basically lawful cops so I'm trying to play someone a little more callous and mercenary, even if they're likeable to some degree.

edit: so contrast is fun!
Last edited May 9, 2017 1:49 pm
May 9, 2017 4:41 pm
Okay I accepted Kree just now and put an image in to serve as her sheet. I could do the same for Dr. Z too but honestly I like the text one MoldyNolds put together and don't want to overwrite it!
May 9, 2017 6:02 pm
Thanks! I can be kind of a freak when it comes to organizing and neatness, especially for RPG stuff :)
May 10, 2017 12:16 pm
So is this guy saying he wants to remove the radiation shielding, or is he reassuring us that it won't come off by accident? And we still think our plan was seize the cargo?
May 10, 2017 1:25 pm
You could ask him, but by his tone you're pretty sure he means it in the "this job won't do itself" sense. The party was told only that they had to upload the virus to allow the cargo holds to be pilfered: all these recent events don't fit in to what the client told you at all.
May 10, 2017 2:22 pm
Well that is villainous indeed.
May 10, 2017 8:46 pm
Hey Ringo, you still with us? Just checking we haven't heard from you in a couple days.
May 11, 2017 12:29 pm
Might Kree have found anything useful from her quick search of the technician's pockets, by the way?
May 11, 2017 3:07 pm
Sorry I completely missed that! Kree would've found a cheap multitool and a personal communicator.

I'll hold off on updating IC until Ringo gets a chance to catch-up, I've already posted twice without letting Nerves get a word in...
May 11, 2017 7:50 pm
I'm sick and house hunting so I am way out of brain right now. If you guys can keep rolling without me a few more days I would be grateful.

Maybe Nerves is hacking something or under telepathic attack that keeps him mute. I trust you Ed
May 12, 2017 5:01 am
Not to worry. Shall we just assume that Nerves is on his way to uploading the virus anyhow? After all it's what we've been paid to do ...
May 12, 2017 12:48 pm
If you're okay with that Ringo then it sounds good to me. Good luck and feel better!
May 13, 2017 6:20 am
All right, we can maybe declare that Nerves is off quietly gaining access to the terminal while everything else is going on. I'll make an IC post later tonight...
May 13, 2017 7:25 pm
THIS. IS. SIGMA!
May 13, 2017 7:26 pm
(I couldn't help myself)
May 14, 2017 4:13 pm
I'm thinking while this is going on Nerves is maybe trying to contain the virus? He introduced it to the system at the very beginning but quickly realised that it's potentially devastating to Sigma's entire utility network.

But, on the upside, maybe the virus has overwhelmed so many security protocols that the party might be able to deactivate the elevator in the time Dr. Z bought them.
May 25, 2017 8:39 pm
Sorry about the late IC reply there, had back-to-back night shifts and it's been messing me up. On a tangent: I'm wondering how to approach the whole "radiation hazard" thing in an in-universe sense.

Dr. Z and Nerves should both be highly resistant to it according to the fluff, but, well, Kree is base-human. It'd just be a lot easier for all concerned if we could handwave it and say the whole party can survive a not-insignificant level of exposure to radiation. So although the mechanics don't really reflect it I wonder if Kree has a similar (if not quite as good) tolerance level due to conditioning and Legion implants or something? She almost certainly has some sort of minor, low-level nanite filtration stuff to circulate her stims, so maybe it's connected to that.
May 26, 2017 2:44 pm
Can you recover from radiation exposure in-universe? Surely that's not beyond the magic of a futuristic medbay. I don't know how long it'll be before this prologue ends, but presumably it shouldn't cook her so thoroughly she won't be able to smile for the cameras.

Not to worry about late nights, I've been there. Sucks real bad.
May 29, 2017 12:54 pm
Oh dear, still no sign from Ringo and I think MoldyNolds might have had to bow out (or maybe it's just a temporary absence, not certain). Not quite sure where to go on from here, might be time to pack it in and try again some other time
May 29, 2017 2:08 pm
My apologies, life just got all crazy on me. Let me try to catch up today
May 30, 2017 12:15 am
Well I still haven't had a response from MolyNolds, so we might have to have a think about Dr. Z's fate if he doesn't want to play him anymore :/ But in happier news we may have a new starter joining us shortly!
May 30, 2017 12:29 am
Hello all, new starter reporting! I was having a little trouble navigating stuff before (this is my first gamersplane game) so I've not had a chance to read what's already here and catch up on everything. I'll get to that now, just wanted to say hi first. I was originally thinking a tech specialist for a character, but I'm told one of you is already playing that and I think especially if there are so few of us it's probably best for us to spread out our talents as much as possible -- besides, that makes sense for how you'd recruit a team like this, doesn't it? So before I get too deep into brainstorming another character idea I wanted to ask you guys if you feel like there's any significant gaps that need to be filled. I'm happy to play anything really, I just need to decide on something before I get excited about something else.

---

Edit: ...Alright, I probably should've just read everything before posting the first time. So I get now that my question is coming at a bit of a weird time, not totally clear who's still in the party let alone what's missing. I'll just sit tight for a little bit and wait to see how everything settles with you guys before putting effort into fitting something in neatly. Still definitely interested, so I'll be keeping an eye out here.
Last edited May 30, 2017 1:31 am
May 30, 2017 4:20 pm
I'm here and ready to roll again. Welcome, Irianne! With a group this small I believe we can all have a chance to shine even if our roles overlap. My suggestion would be to create whatever you are most excited to play and we'll mold the group dynamic around that.

One of the things I most appreciate about Exigency is the narrative flexibility it provides
May 30, 2017 4:33 pm
Hi Irianne, glad to see more faces in the game! I'm sure Moldy'll be back, soon as the game's back on track.

As for gap-filling, I'd say just go with what you're interested in. I'm sure our tactics will shift to compensate. I recently read a very convincing argument that RPGs often shine when featuring characters with similar backgrounds and abilities, which you often don't get - what would a party of four Paladins in D&D be like? When the differences are more subtle, it lets you add nuance.

But, also, this so far seems like a heist-y action game, so no pressure either way :P
Jun 1, 2017 11:38 am
Okay, so, I'll happily backpedal on this if MN reappears between now and tomorrow night, but what I'll do is temporarily hijack Dr. Z and have him hide both himself and Nerves. Then I'll narrate the lift descending because that's long overdue.
Jun 2, 2017 1:13 am
I like to imagine your production designer grabbed a couple of lifts from Mass Effect 1 on the cheap.
Jun 2, 2017 4:13 pm
Hah!

Okay so let's gameplan how to get back on track here
Jun 3, 2017 4:24 pm
My gameplan was to throw bodies at the bomb, but now there's five of them and three of us! What do you think - surprise attack?
Jun 11, 2017 6:18 pm
So, contradicting myself here but I wonder if we should have a thread for the "now" and relegate the Sigma raid itself to a side event, similar to the Arena simulation thread?

Because the main goal of the raid was just so everyone could get a handle on their characters but that's... not really happening due to the roster shake-up. And we already know the party foils the raid. Maybe a weird and inadvisable idea but if we jump forward to a point where everyone could feasibly be interacting together, well, everyone could dive in.

Any thoughts on what/who you'd like to play yet, Irianne?
Jun 13, 2017 11:43 am
I will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get us on track!

Even POST IN ALL CAPS.
Jun 15, 2017 4:27 pm
Life keeps throwing me for a loop guys, but I am still here. IC post this afternoon?
Jun 20, 2017 6:59 pm
Maybe we should just call it, and try again later down the line? We're maybe better off not having a repeat of the wiki game, when we were lucky to get three posts in a month
Jun 22, 2017 9:51 am
aaaw. I'm saddened but I'd understand. Lemme know if things change :(.

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