[BESM3 - RoD] - BESM 3 - Read or Die - Recruitment

[Lady Aceworth]

Hello everyone! This is, hopefully, your GM setting up an open casting call for an adventure like no other!

The game itself takes place roughly now (about 4 years after the end of the ROD TV series), although knowledge of ROD in of itself isn't required to enjoy this game. Although at least a basic understanding of anime in general is helpful in character design.

Finally: DO NOT POST YOUR STATS! SEND YOUR CHARACTER SHEETS TO ME VIA PM! POST ONLY A "PUBLIC PROFILE!"

Addendum: There is no limit on Tough, or Energy bonus. I am changing their costs to 1 cp per rank. Each rank gives you 10 hp or 10 ep. This will be retroactive so any ranks you already have will give you the same bonuses.

RoD BESM3 Settings

1: 400 CP Builds.

2: Benchmarks are suggestions as to what your character point spread should be. I build your opponents based on this.

3: A full background will net you extra CPs. (Up to 20)

4: You can have a maximum of 10 different character defects.

5: Dynamic powers is banned.

6: Please have pre-made power-sets ready to use For Power Flux/Variation. At least 4 to 5 configurations.

7: If you make an NPC that can be used as a Rival/Ally/Enemy (My choice), you get a +10% bonus to your own character's CP.

8: Your characters will be a team at the start, wether you knew eachother or not. This is the only real railroading I will do.

9: You can make a "prelude" where your character meets up with the group or what-not as an option.

10: I'm not a killer, but if you're being plain stupid, I may take a head or two. Collateral be damned.

11: I only kill a character if your character should die, and wish to take it.

12: Skills are IMPORTANT. You might not make it through the game just killing everything.

13: CREATIVITY IS REWARDED! GOOD ROLEPLAY IS REWARDED EVEN MORE!

14: You gain character point experience per "episode". I grade on a typical grade scale.

EXPERIENCE GRADES

S (Superb): +100% C Grade

A (Excellent): +50% C Grade

B (Great): +25% C Grade

C (Average): 4 CP + GM Perogative

D (Unremarkible): -20% C Grade

F (Horrible): -75% C Grade

I grade based on the overall CREATIVITY, ROLEPLAY, PERFORMANCE, and INVOLVEMENT a player and their character provide to an episode.

Side episodes (Episodes involving only a couple of characters) can net advantages for players, but no experience. I may interject minor events in your story to make things intersting/see how you respond (and maybe net you some extra CP in the process).

I expect at least a 3 post minimum per week per character. Higher activity is rewarded more.

When you spend experience, PLEASE LIST your expenditures per date when you spent. I may occasionally audit characters.

At start, each character will get one unique attribute from me. You won't know until I give it.

Hint: It'll fit your character background, and it will be mundane but useful.

Want more? Spoilers! *grins*

Canon characters from the series are under my control only. I may slip them into good vignettes or even full-on episodes.

Skills are an important facet of all characters in this game. Combat not-so-much. Although when combat does happen it's VERY MUCH a brutal affair. If you've watched the series or at least the OVA, you should know what I mean. Long periods of calm or investigation followed or punctuated potentially by massive combats. Combat can be avoided, but expect no pulled punches if it comes down to it. Items 10 and 11 go out the window at that point.

Damage is on a smaller scale (more in-line with reality). So expect to get really beaten up in a fight. Hospital stays aren't unheard of. Tougher characters just that.

Energy points aren't used like they usually would. You don't use them for your powers. Instead you make an easy BODY check every hour or combat round to fight fatigue. Every failure raises the difficulty of the check one stage and you lose 10 energy. You only regain energy through standard means.

If you think this game's gonna work for you, please post your intent by posting your (potential) character here while sending any NPC(s) to me.

Also, if you're one of the people that expressed interest to me via chat before this post (Long, Jeremy, Envoy), please post your characters here and resend your NPCs to this username.

Thank you, and I hope I can keep things entertaining and fun!

[Dash Carpenter]

Dash Carpenter

It was one of those days at Mrs. Betherby's house, where people in the upper classes of the British Empire collected in a small salon and found themselves with little to do in these waning days but gossip. Mrs. Johnson's niece Leila had just returned from a holiday lasting several long months, and thus was particularly curious when the chatter turned to that old black sheep, John Carpenter.

"Yes, you don't suppose he'll return from wherever he's been in time for the Annual?" She asked with the full curiosity of youth, seeing as John Carpenter, whatever he felt towards his estranged relatives and family friends, did come back for that event no matter what.

"Probably," Jeremiah remarked, sipping some tea, "and we'll see that boy with him bloody likely."

"What boy?" Leila inquired, pulled fully in now. "It was the Annual after the British Library went down dearie," Mrs. Betherby remarked, sadly in a moment's silence for that tragic event. "John came back, but with a lad of 13 roughly, though you knew right away that boy was going to be quite handsome once he was older. And there was certainly some closeness between them, though John always referred to him as 'my protege' or 'my ward'. We never got the boy's name."

"And it's not like that!" She added sharply, interpreting the change in Leila's expression correctly. "We know John Carpenter isn't that kind of man, whatever else he may have done wrong. And the boy, he stayed apart from everyone, but he was polite, though distant. And I can't help but remember how he seemed to observe everything like some textbook of some kind... rather frightening."

The Runner

Johnny Hammer, to the world's underworld, has always been an enigmatic though reputable hit-man, but rumors heightened when he brought in a teenage partner codenamed, The Runner. Young but handsome, The Runner has been Hammer's constant partner since first seen 3 1/2 years ago, and certainly is more than capable in a fight.

Like his older counterpart, The Runner is said by a few to be superhuman, though where Hammer is said to make paper a deadly weapon, The Runner can outpace cars and ignore bullets. Law enforcement and the clever know this is false, but the word continues. In addition, The Runner has been known for... unexpected quirks.

One story about The Runner holds that during negotiations, he met the daughter of Boss Rivaldo of San Francisco. She was completely smitten by him and literally attempted to jump his bones, frightening The Runner to the point where he broke the girl's arm, dislocated her shoulder, and inflicted other similar injuries. This story also holds that Johnny Hammer only mitigated Rivialdo's wrath by agreeing to perform the hit he was hired for for free, an element that has made this story generally disbelieved in the underworld.

Johnny Hammer never does anything for free, and neither does The Runner. Don't turn your back on either.

[Caninicus]

I have BESM, but first edition, I think, not third. Also, no clue what RoD is. Could you de-acronym it, please?

[Lady Aceworth]

Read or Die.

As for editions, I'll talk to you via PM.

[Caninicus]

My apologies. I thought that the 'Read or Die' in the thread title was your recruitment gimmick.

*After brief google searching* A secret super organization devoted to rescuing books? (and the British Empire) Sign me up!

Are there any restrictions as to the scope of powers? Magic, Psion, etc.? And google is unclear what paper manipulation actually is/does.

[Lady Aceworth]

1: The only power "sources" not allowed are Divine and Magic. Both can be easily covered as different psychic paradigms. Also Supernatural/Paranormal is HEAVILY watched (Aliens, Werewolves, Vampires, etc...).

2: Unfortunately by the time of this game, the British Library's Special Operations unit has long been disbanded and the British Library's covert operations corrupted and shut down.

3: Papermastery? Think of it as a weaker green-lantern like power. You can make objects, use it like a blade or throw paper daggers... even fly! Think of it as something like Paperbending. You need to have paper available though to use your abilities, and sonic weapons/powers practically shut you down. Soggy paper you can't use, but when you're using your powers, paper is strong against it's natural enemies of fire and water. Hell you can STOP BULLETS. And unlike the childhood game, it can stop scissors.

[Justin OOC]

yes of course I'm in, any chance to play and not be an ST

[Lady Aceworth]

One note for everyone! Please read for your own benefit!

There is no limit on Tough, or Energy bonus.

I am changing their costs to 1 cp per rank.

Each rank gives you +10 hp or +10 ep.

This will be retroactive so any ranks you already have will give you the same bonuses.

,,

[Dash Carpenter]

Caninicus: Here is a good link for you.

ROD WIKI

Furthermore, I (Jeremy) or Miss S (Osprey/Sakurako/Aeonian) or Envoy can easily educate you on the finer points of ROD in chat if need be. It's a good universe, and I think you will enjoy this. You will need BESM 3rd though.

[Lady Aceworth]

Truth. I will be posting the timeline before I'm done today. Which means... probably before bed.

I will be on again next week on Tuesday, as usual, this time to close the active recruiting and actually starting to get this on the road.

Thanks, everyone, for having faith I can do this.

[Doryoku]

Login error, please disregard.

[Long]

I live.....

[Lady Aceworth]

Then post a public profile, man!

Also, since you're in a new game with that profile, use tektek to make an avatar. I think there's some tiger bits now on it.

[Long]

I would prefer to keep my classic one. It just feels right.

[Lady Aceworth]

Note to all:

Please, if you make preludes for what your character was doing before the campaign begins, mark your threads as [bESM3 - RoD] (prelude name) and place them in the proper forum. (Currently the games forum above.)

Talk to me if you have any questions.

[Caninicus]

Masashi Yoshikenji, despite a few mishaps, is one of Japan's brightest new technological stars.

Yoshi's first gained notoriety after developing an antiperspirant that never wore off. Although the project was technically a success, since the antiperspirant did, in fact, never wear off, the final product was unusable. It did, however, provide the inspiration for the marketing campaign of 'Axe' hygiene products, and Yoshi learned a valuable lesson about not testing products on himself.

Soon afterwards, Yoshi became reclusive and shifted his focus from biological to inorganic materials, and to a safer line of research, namely military-grade heavy machinery and robotics development. One of the challenges of developing military grade robots was the need for flexibility. While most modern governments were happy to finance hideously expensive equipment, they tended to want results that the average soldier couldn't duplicate for a much cheaper cost. Most robots developed had been strictly limited to explosive ordinance disposal or other hazardous, single use purposes.

Yoshi adopted a two-pronged approach to these problems. To increase the flexibility of the software, he developed 'simple AI' algorithms. While not approaching the complexity of true AI, the situations his robots found themselves in often did not demand much complexity or sophistication. While usually hopeless at strategy, his programs grew very competent in tactical situations. To increase the flexibility of the hardware, Yoshi adopted a socket approach to the robotic equipment, allowing for greater adaptability to field conditions and easier maintenance. Sockets could easily be attached to equipment the SDF was already fielding, again increasing the robots' utility.

Still, Yoshi might have remained relatively unknown, had he not met...

Takahiro Aki, an officer in the Japanese SDF. This petite woman was nearly the opposite of Yoshi, loud where he was quiet, focused where he was absent-minded, and favoring brute force where he favored finesse. Inevitably she was assigned to field test his work, and she displayed an uncanny knack for confusing, neutralizing or simply destroying the equipment he fielded. She also turned out to be a compulsive gambler, and loved to wager on the outcomes of the field tests. If she won the wager, she instructed Yoshi in hand-to-hand defense, typically mopping the (loose gravel) floor with him. If she lost the wager, well, to date, she hasn't lost.

Such harsh testing eventually worked to Yoshi's advantage, however, ensuring that his robots and other equipment were much more robust and utilitarian than any other submissions. The documented abuse that his equipment took combined with the improved flexibility ensured a nice, juicy contract with the SDF for some time to come.

In his spare time, Yoshi has been working on developing mecha, or at least a powered exoskeleton of some sort to protect himself from Aki.

[Lady Aceworth]

Note:

Vignettes and Player-Driven fictions should be tagged as IC

Mainline "Episodes" will be tagged FI

OOC threads will be marked GN

[Lady Aceworth]

Point update at the end of this thread.

[Lady Aceworth]

Addendum: I will not be available past Friday morning, but will be active again Tuesday of next week.

Please be patient, and always be ready.

[Justin OOC]

works for me

[Lady Aceworth]

When I am on Tuesday Night, if anyone needs help with their characters please communicate to me your concerns. I was able to get some extra time Saturday to use the internet but it seems no one either came on or was busy with other things for the most part.

So, Tuesday we get any last-minute things hammered out.

Also, I would like everyone involved to talk to each other during this process. This is less about 4 or 5 lone wolves getting together to help each other, but five strands of rope becoming one. Figure out tactics, party roles, heck... just get to know each other and build some team trust.

Trust me, after seeing how this group is forming, I know what I need to do to match everyone, and I know what each player needs to do to be successful if things come to blows. I also know how to make each individual character shine in their own way so everyone gets a chance in the spotlight.

Over all, this isn't a competition for kill points or biggest loot pile. This is about a story. A conspiracy thousands of years old or just conceived yesterday. It's about truth and convenient lies. Most importantly, this is about a rag-tag band of people beyond normal folk looking to make their way in the world. A world not yet ready to know who they are.

I didn't have the time to set up a timeline as hoped, but by Tuesday Night when I get the boulder rolling, It'll be up and everyone will have a chance to understand what the hack is going on.

Again, good luck, and thank you.

[Long]

Ryu "Long" Hideyoshi

There is little public information on Long, most of it was either long buried, or totally erased.

What is known is that he seems to be a young man with a near cult following in Japan, as well as a habit for coming out of situations he shouldn't. He's been around over a dozen areas Stein units attacked, and has always managed to be one of the survivors. Some Scandal papers say he's the cause of them, officially he's not a suspect, though there are some now taking an interest in his wherabouts, just to keep emergency response units on standby nearby.

[Lady Aceworth]

Your GM has arrived. With a few things I think you guys should take notes of.

Additional House Rules

Series of Unfortunate Events

If a player has a string of 2 consecutive critical failures and have a third in a row, I will allow a player to sacrifice half their final XP award or be downgraded one grade level (whichever penalty is less) to reroll, if the result is no better, the roll is considered a failure with a margin of 1.

[Lady Aceworth]

The following is a work of fiction.

Similarities to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Use of real-world events is to add flavor to a fictional world, and implies no political, social, or religious agenda.

-2008-

January:

President Cole is impeached for his treasonous acts in dealing and allying with the British plot.

August:

The Poseidon Technologies corporation develops a inexpensive way to produce Helium-3.

November:

Anne Davies of the Libertarian Party is elected in a landslide.

-2009-

June:

A series of unusual events occurrs in Tokyo Bay, the odd occurences are tied to a JMSDF training excercise disaster, with no casualties.

July:

Poseidon Technologies develops the first functional fusion reactor. While primative, the reactor produces enough power as a prototype to elicit further research.

December:

The LHC, after several unexplainable delays, begins operations.

-2010-

January:

British, American, Euopean, Russian, and Chinese diplomats start a series of negotiations dubbed "the reconciliation summits".

March:

Sakurako Hideyoshi recieves a Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the Poseidon Technologies Corporation for the development of Fusion Power research.

April:

Flight 4010 from Minneapolis is mysteriously saved. Reports from thr ground report a small white aircraft somehow assisting the stricken airplane. The US military flatly denies any operations in the area.

June:

After several summits, the EU re-invites the United Kingdom into the EU. Due to a vast outpouring of refusal in the polls, the UK does not ratify membership and stays independent.

July:

The United States, avoiding censure in the UN for it's actions in the British conspiracy, offers the former President Cole to the Hague to face crimes against humanity charges.

August:

President Cole is aquitted in a contriversial trial, and many conspiracy theories begin to surface regarding the suprising decision. It is later reported in the underground that a mysterious woman was spotted actually speaking to several of accused of being in on the conspiracy. She appeared wearing an odd overcoat and large black rimmed glasses. Most surrender soon after to authorities for various unrelated crimes.

September:

Several corporate firms are purchased by a mysterious investor. The stock market soars to heights counter-intuitive to the current economic climate. The mysterious woman is tied to other sightings in New York in Early 2001, London in Late 2001 at an explosion at the British Museum, and 2006 in Tokyo's Jinbocho district.

October:

Several sightings of an unusual creature in Tokyo back-alleys, spotted during criminal activity, and subsequent thwarting of it, makes it way to the press. Including blurry video of perhaps it's trainer? These reports fit several reports in 2006.

-2011-

January:

The United Kingdom rises first from the world micro-depression. Poseidon Technolgies is considered partially responsible for the UK's "Regeneration".

February:

The United Kingdom returns Northern Ireland to Irish control.

Hong Kong becomes an independent country from China. China denounces the split and moves troops to the shores north of the Hong Kong island chain.

The United States pulls out of most of it's military obligations in the Middle East.

March:

Japan suffers the largest earthquake in it's history, followed by a similarly large Tsunami. The earthquake renders 30 kilometers around the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant irradiated. Odd sightings again of the creature are seen at several Tsunami-striken oceanside towns, and several rescued report two other women with the creature, as well as two teenagers. Video later barely shows these individuals. Video is passed around online of several sightings of strange lights in the water before the earthquake.

April:

Poseidon Technologies moves several assets from it's Cardiff, Wales location to a abandoned oil platform in the North Sea.

Poseidon Technologies CEO Sagara Sommers is saved by a mysterious woman in black before her vehicle fell off of a bridge. Paranormal buffs trade a video around that eventually goes online of a woman jumped through the steel of the the CEO's car and grabbed the CEO before it went over a bridge.

Several tornado outbreaks occur in Tornado Alley. The same lights seen in the waters off of Japan are seen in the skies in the great plains.

May:

01: Communications is lost with the PT-01 Sea Platform.

02: Strange aurora-like lights are spotted in Europe, Africa, and Australia. Soon after strange, sudden disasters occur.

[Lady Aceworth]

Character Pre-Campaign CP Handouts

• Dash has earned 15 background CPs for material submitted, and qualifies for the +10% base CP bonus.
• Long has earned 15 background CPs for material submitted, and qualifies for the +10% base CP bonus.
• Caninicus has earned 15 background CPs for material submitted, and qualifies for the +10% base CP bonus.
• Kasheal has earned 15 background CPs for material submitted, and qualifies for the +10% base CP bonus.

If you've submitted material to me under my Sakurako profile, please RE-SEND it to Miss S (IF you haven't done so already).

[Ren]

Ren

'A dashing secret agent with a PHD in kicking your ass!'

... Wait sorry this is not Dr Tran.

Ahem to start again. The blond man in his early thirties stands approximately 6'2" tall with long blond hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and a small well trimed goatee. His easy smile and casual stance tell nothing of his years of training.

Having given more then a decade of his life to MI-6 and completing many misions the man suddenly decided to leave the organisation for unknown reasons. No one knows this of course its the kind of thing MI-6 decide to keep quiet about, all the public know is that a man matching Ren's description is wanted for questioning and not to approach as he is thought to be dangerous. Ren accepts this all in stride as he sets out to do what he wants to do.

[Lady Aceworth]

Oh brother... you really know how to ham it up.

K9: It'd be easier for me if you just made a posting profile for Yoshi. Sort of throws me off seeing your Caninicus profile for Yoshi's posts.

The game has started on Episode 0. ([bESM3 - RoD] Episode 0 - In over your head)

Also to everyone, I'm observing how this first episode plays out. If I think the power level's too much or you guys think things are too easy I might turn things down across the board. I want this to work and hopefully where it is right now, I can see if I went in the wrong direction for power levels. Hell this might just work out in the end, so never mind this if I continue. I'm looking to strike a comfortable balance for all. I want to work with everyone in the group. It's better I adjust now or go three or four episodes in and then knee-jerk.

So please, let's work together to make this game a success across the board. Even if it means a cut back for believability.

So you can call this the "Pilot" episode. I do intend to keep this in this universe and what not if there's changes.

[Caninicus]

I'm reluctant to create and maintain multiple profiles. Would it be less distracting if I dropped the avatar? I already include the character name at the beginning of the post to make it easier to keep track of things.

[Lady Aceworth]

Okay. Just do what you've been doing.

[Lady Aceworth]

We're going to stop with BESM3. It was fun, but BESM3 isn't my cup of tea after all. We're switching to M&M second edition for Episode 1 and onward.

For starters, if you wanna build while I'm away, remember, PL 10 settings.

I will open up a [M&M2 RoD] profile thread with house rules on Tuesday. Then profiles can be posted.

If there's changes in your character, wibbly-wobbly and all that. E1 we get to that platform. E1 we bring justice to the fallen.

Also, I'd like the admin here to please delete this thread since we're moving to M&M 2. Thank you.