Sphere Posted September 20, 2003 Share Posted September 20, 2003 Thought people might be interested in hearing about the game I'm running for my little group of Novas (although I can't go too deep into some of the background stuff as I know a couple of my Players visit the site from time to time). We're currently into the second year of playing it.So the gang are your usual mix of amnesiacs, conspiracy nuts, and porn stars. Novas who all happened to be in the right place at the wrong time. Namely Leicester Square in London, the night a heavily tainted freak dubbed The Blue Demon dropped in and started tearing up the city. Along with a couple of heavy hitter NPCs, they managed to take the mad blue bastich down.(ping) Instant celebritys.They started off as National Defenders for the United Kingdom. Captured a rogue Nova, tangled with Nova Vigilance on a Royal Navy destroyer because of it. Dueled with Elites in the Congo. Uncovered The Conspiracy during the events chronicled in the Storytellers Screen adventure. Beat up tabloid journalists. Took part in an XWF deathmatch. Y'know. The usual.They just started into the 2008-2009 storyline outlined in Phase 1. Are on the run after managing to aggravate everyone from Proteus to the Directive to the Harvesters, and currently operating out of an abandoned US military base in (snigger) Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The wife of one of them (Ward Flaw) is infected with nanotechnology which may, or may not be, converting her into Chiraben!!!Oh, and they've picked up a deformed monkey with a monocle, called Baron Sango. But that's neither here nor there. Utopia: Basically well-intentioned. But seeing as my Players have no idea how deep Proteus infiltration goes, they're real paranoid around the old blue-and-yellows.Teragen: Very factionalised (probably more so than in the book). Ranges from moderates like Orzaiz, who the Players like. To rabid fanatics like the Harvesters (who have sentenced them to death as race traitors). The group understand the motives of the Terats, they just don't agree with them.Proteus: ? (Like I say, my Players read the site).The Directive: As far as my Players are concerned, these guys have very little to differ them from what they know of Proteus. They seem to be extremely anti-Nova. (They really hate the Eclipsidol ).The Aberrants; Possibly one of the few groups they haven't managed to offend. Both sides help each other if able to.Questions? Comments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gryffen Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 IchSTEIN!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gryffen Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 Long Live Lord Baron Sango!!! Master of Monkos!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isac Larousse Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 I want to hear more!Who are the player characters?Any memorable screw-ups? Any nicknames for Pax? I want to hear all the nasty things you have planned for them too, but it does indeed seem like you have a loose player here, so I understand if you won't spill it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sphere Posted September 23, 2003 Author Share Posted September 23, 2003 You know it, my loyal ape.Good to see you here. Remember, don't let the monkey play with the bomb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David 'Dr. Troll' Smith Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 Quote:Originally posted by Isac Larousse: I want to hear more!Who are the player characters?Ditto. And how much exp are they walking around with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sphere Posted September 24, 2003 Author Share Posted September 24, 2003 Don't really keep track of the ammount of exp they've accrued, guess I should. Probably around 50 by now.Current characters are:Momento: (self-described Master of Momentalism) A paranoid fast-talking thrill-seeker unable to resist anything in a skirt. Momentum Control, Force Field and a load of Mega-Attributes. Currently developing Entropic powers too.Pulsar: Amnesiac Nova who erupted during the battle with the Blue Demon. Various telekinetic powers, combat teleporter, can transform into invisible energy. Team diplomat (ahem).The Evil Claw: Porn star and professional cynic, only joined the team because his Mega-beautiful wife wanted to (she's a comic book geek). Magnetic powers and telepathy.Finn: Team inventor and cyberkinetic. Hates women, loves monkeys. Tends to threaten to frame people if he's losing an argument.Mr Orange: Recently joined mega-social with a massive network of contacts and allies. Suspiciously vague about his past (although keeps mentioning his "buddy" Stalin).I think, for me, the most entertaining thing they've done so far was the random theft of a Russian naval submarine for use as a base/ transporter. They've just finished giving it stealth plating and enhancing it so it goes twice as deep as any other sub.Bless em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sphere Posted September 24, 2003 Author Share Posted September 24, 2003 Oh, no nicknames for Pax. But they are obsessed with giving members of the Teragen silly names.Orzaiz - Count DookuGeryon - Gay-onLeviathan - JabbaDevis Mal - Chairman Mal or Max Dean (due to a mishearing of his name).And so on and so forth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gryffen Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 Hey boss man...Can I take your listing of experience accrued above as how much experience Pulsar has really accrued since the beginning???(PM on it's way) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sphere Posted September 24, 2003 Author Share Posted September 24, 2003 Umm, let me think about tha...no.As dear Kage (aka Pulsar) has pointed out to me, the experience total's closer to 30 points so far. At least someone's keeping notes.But such outright exp begging needs to be cracked down upon, don't you agree? So in retaliation I shall happily mention his recent, and rather entertaining, messup.Our brave Novas were tangling with Directive agents in a Nova containment facility in England. But in order to maintain moral superiority, they were trying their best not to kill anyone. Pulsar tackled three agents with a flying slam.Not remembering that in his invisble energy form he does lethal damage on all close combat maneuvers. Combined with his mega-str of 2 it caused quite a mess! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gryffen Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 It would be a bigger mistake for me to continue this thread - airing the GMs secrets and mistakes will only end in in-game punishment for Pulsar.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sphere Posted September 24, 2003 Author Share Posted September 24, 2003 Mwoo ha haa!(Man, I played too much Paranoia when I was a kid) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sakurako Hino Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 Quote:Originally posted by Kage.: It would be a bigger mistake for me to continue this thread - airing the GMs secrets and mistakes will only end in in-game punishment for Pulsar.... Uh, if you're in fear of that, you're in the wrong type of game my friend...If a GM is unwilling to take Advice or constructive Criticism, he isn't a GM you should play with.Although... Revealing what's "behind the curtain" is a breach of GM-Player protocol.Just my two cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sphere Posted September 25, 2003 Author Share Posted September 25, 2003 He's just kidding. At least I hope he's just kidding, seeing as I'm his GM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jager Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 Sphere, just remember that crippling injuries are character-building and a chance for some real good RPing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sphere Posted September 25, 2003 Author Share Posted September 25, 2003 Yeah, it's not like they needed their knees anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sakurako Hino Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 Sorry Sphere, I tend to have SHARP opinions on how a GM should deal with his or her players.I have been in SEVERAL dysfunctional campaigns, where a GM ruled through fear. I'm currently in a game in another system where the GM is a PK (Player Killer).I've just recently gave that GM an ultimatum to either change his tune, or 80% of his group leaves with me.And trust me, the players agree with my opinion of the guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sphere Posted September 26, 2003 Author Share Posted September 26, 2003 Fair enough, I wouldn't stand for a GM deliberately killing Players. The GM paints the world for the Players and makes the call on rules queries. He's not God, he's a meta-player.I've made unpopular rulings, who hasn't? But I think in the main, I'm fair. Luckily, I've got a good crew who'll call me on things they don't understand or think are unfair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 I killed off all my players charcaters once at the end of a campaign of cyberpunk where they'd made a complete balls up the ending. The rebelling AI's that were part of the end game hit Night City with an orbital massdriver to make sure that the only people who knew how to stop them were out of the picture. Because everyone knew it was the final section of the campaign they actually greated the decision with a rousing cheer rather than cursing me. It was there own fault for holding an end of the world rave rather than following up on the many, many clues I'd given them, still they roleplayed their characters perfectly, most of them being useless &%$* ups who didn't even care about themselves.I do happen to think it can be just as bad if the GM keeps players alive against all reason, sometimes they've just got to die. You shouldn't do it maliciously because as Jager correctly notes, crippling injury, along with being framed for a crime they didn't commit, loss of all their stashed goodies, friends suddenly revealing themselves as enemies who set them up from the word go etc, etc, all make great motivating factors. I always try and not forget that some of the players enemies are actually going to be wary of murdering them, because then the police get involved which could bring their own activities to light. They just want the PCs out of the way while they get on with their nefarious plans. It's true that the challenge and conflict of the situation is what makes the roleplaying interesting for the players. However conflict doesn't always have to involve the combat rules and I think some GM's miss that point, which is a shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meridian Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 Never played for a killer GM and I try to avoid being one myself.That said players have had characters die in one of my games. I gave them plenty of in game warnings that they were headed in a direction that was over their heads. Even so in the final battle they *might* have won and had everyone live ... except that their healer decided to stand and fight after the two battle studs dropped. Had she healed either one it would have been a totally different outcome. As it was something like 3 out of 7 PCs died.But then again this is the group who when they were supposed to find someone chose to avoid the clues. They were suppose to spy on this one fellow. He had a day’s lead on them traveling north in the desert. They joined a caravan and followed in that general direction. Later they found one of his abandoned camps. At least one known henchman of his was dead on the ground and there were tracks leading east. What did they do? Kept on going north with the caravan. Didn’t even investigate the tracks at all. Saw them, nodded, and kept going.They are also the group who decided to sell an artifact that they got in a tomb since it wasn't a combat useful device ... only problem was that they got to the tomb in the first place by following another of this guy's henchmen. Think that maybe the whole reason the henchman was there was to get the artifact? Sigh.They never connected the dots but a country fell because of that one decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David 'Dr. Troll' Smith Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 Quote:Sakurako 'Endeavor' Hino:Uh, if you're in fear of that, you're in the wrong type of game my friend...I used to play (and sometimes ST) for "Paranoia". As I recall, two of the top ten (book) recomendations for being a good Paranoia ST were "Kill The Bastards".Typically at least half the group was given a secret assignment to kill someone else in the group.It was a rare game that didn't have more than a 150% PC fatality rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gryffen Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 Oh dear...One off-the-cuff comment and I go and give my GM a bad name. You do realise that things will be worse now - all because of this!It wont be Pulsar that suffers now...It'll be me that'll have to endure life as a (literal) whipping boy. Guess I'll just have to face my punishment with a smile, and hope the scars aren't visible *8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gryffen Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 As an aside note (and this will be a 'short' aside note because I'm loath to bolster Sphere's ego to a greater size than it already is) - Me boss man has been GMing me and the group (with a few extras here and there) for a goodly number of years - as vamps, freaks and now novas. I have to say that I have great respect for his ability to maintain a convoluted, yet covertly linked, series of plots. All while granting us a world within which we have the freedom do dig our own graves - something all of us players seem quite amazingly capable of. (once again - don't let the man-hating monkey play with the bombs!!!).I have an even greater respect for his amazing capacity to weld the crap we dish out on a regular basis into the ongoing story such that it almost makes sense (Sango rules!!). May he rule long and well - and may one of us players eventually feel confident enough to take on his post so that he can live the other side of the storytellers screen for a change.(P.S for such grand lauding of your astounding abilities (and imaginative a$$ kissing) I expect at least 1 experience point *8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sphere Posted September 27, 2003 Author Share Posted September 27, 2003 Aw shucks, Kage. You've made me go all shy now. (Still not getting that exp though )Paranoia was always one of my favourite games. The number of inter-Player laserfights that happened because I gave one a note saying "Look at X, nod and laugh."(sigh) Happy days.It all helps though. I was a little concerned my Players were going to go gadget crazy (Mega-Intelligence with some form of Prodigy is getting rather popular). But then I realised, "Hey, I used to construct horrible side effects for all those R&D gadgets on the train ride home from college! These super-gadgets have to roll their own dice pool, and they botch on occasion!"Luckily, my fears were groundless. Aside from stealth-plating their stolen nuclear sub, they've been relativley harmless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sphere Posted September 29, 2003 Author Share Posted September 29, 2003 POTENTIAL SPOILER!!! DON'T READ IF YOU HAVE YET TO DO ANY OF THE ADVENTURES FROM ABERRANT PHASE 1!!!They've just successfully managed to prevent the US being turned into one big plague zone courtesy of Gabriel "The Miracle" Melchior. Momento got a fantastic roll on his Probability Corruption (seven successes!), one of the Proteus Novas did the same thing and they both managed to contain Melchior long enough for the others to subdue him.Good work team. Although I was kind of looking forward to playing Aberrant vrs The Stand. Guess I'll just have to re-read the book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momento Posted October 7, 2003 Share Posted October 7, 2003 The monkey rules!It's nice to see a GM trying to destroy the world rather than the players. I still remember the Formri session. We sat in on a Saturday night, with beer and nuts expecting a really long session.....over in half an hour with the man-hating monkey fiddling with the bomb.Hope we do better this time round, maybe it'll end with us fighting Max Dean with Pax strapped to our back and sango will tickle him to explode.Who knows? The GM does Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jager Posted October 10, 2003 Share Posted October 10, 2003 Man-hating monkey with a bomb ....Why does that sound familiar?Do any of you know the Tale of the Blue-Furred Chimps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momento Posted October 17, 2003 Share Posted October 17, 2003 No, what happended? This sounds like a story my story teller missed out on! I wanted Blue-furred chimps and he gave us were-jaguars!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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