Aberrant: Quantum Zero - Nippontai High OOC

[Heritage]

I so LOVE the quirks! ::laugh This last bit truly pushes the campaign into anime/manga territory in the best possible way.

Okay, for Nabiki I'm thinking:

1. Romance Magnet. This seems like it was developing naturally between her and a few of the more 'nerdy' PCs, so this just makes it official. I suppose to be fair she shouldn't have them doing her homework for her, since that's more of a Follower issue.

2. Rivalry. Ryoko Mendo, a female NPC and fellow student who is loved by everyone and squeaky-clean, but is secretly an even bigger troublemaker than Nabiki! She always makes it look like Nabiki was the guilty party, and because of her reputation, no ever believes Nabiki's fervent denials, while Ryoko ends up smelling like a rose.

3. Displaced Power. Nabiki's Shapeshift power manifests as a tanuki (raccoon dog) named Sho-jo-ji; he often takes the form of a plushie cat in Nabiki's backpack, a real cat or a bird. Sho-jo-ji claims to be a pillar of morality, but in fact he manifests every human vice: laziness, lecherousness, gluttony, drinking to excess, addictive TV watching, etc. Sometimes he appears as a small boy or girl, or as a tiny old man; he's also been known to appear as a mini-Nabiki to torment her. Whenever there is even a hint of danger in the air, Sho-jo-ji turns into a small inanimate object, like an iron kettle or a decorative statue of the Buddha.

The mischievous tanuki likes to collect shiny things for his den (an old suitcase in Nabiki's room), and he's also fascinated by fire, playing with matches and lighters which his 'mistress' has to quickly yank out of his tiny paws.

Nabiki's relationship with Sho-jo-ji is combative to say the least - sometimes only flattery will get him to 'share' his power, or bribes of food or sake, or even a punch in the nose. For his part, Sho-jo-ji has been known to turn into bric-a-brac and drop on Nabiki's head while she's sleeping.

(Let me know if that last quirk is too much ::wink)

[Haze]

Love those quirks, Heritage. I can see that interacting with Nabiki is going to be fun. ::biggrin

For Hiuygo:

Overdeveloped: Hiyugo has developed at a rapid rate since his eruption - so much so that he looks like a young man rather than the teen that he is. Combined with his sporty nature, it's turned him into a bit of a hunk - which might have the girls flocking to him, if he wasn't such a embarrasing dork all the time...

Manga hair: Hiyugo's hair has gone from the traditional Japanese lustrous black to a brilliant white. Dyes just seem to wash out if he tries to put them on (and he has). Furthermore, his hair is spiked - in fact, it looks like it's being violently repelled from his head. People looking closely at it would swear that each hair is thrumming with tension, so great is the repulsion. No amount of styling can cause it to lay flat - even in a rainstorm it stays resolutely 'up'.

Btw, I think the Nippontai High setting would make a fascinating source-book. ::cool

[Shopping Mal]

And possibly Romantic Magnet for Isaac as well...

"Oh, hi Shiroji..."

"HI ISAAC! I made you a cake!"

"Oh... thanks..."

Or something like that. He's to damn nice to tell people he doesn't like them. Unless he gets drunk ::smile

I love these quirks. Above and beyond, Prof. Above and beyond.

[Asbjørn]

So... Are these for erupted novas only? Obviously quantum- or physical quirks should be restricted, but can Kenji have the honorable quirk?

Don't know why I ask, really, since it's purely a roleplaying thing and I plan to make him that way anyway... ::rolleyes

[Bahamut810]

I think ill take Romance Magnet as well. I can see some Otaku following him around ::biggrin

Romance magnet: the character attracts lots of romantic interest - but only from characters he or she isn't the least bit interested in! Anyone they actually like isn't attracted in this way, & the character wants nothing to do with their 'fans' (i.e. this can't be taken advantage of to get free Followers).

[Prince of Boredom]

Love the quirks Prof. Quick question, for those of us with high dormancy (ie. 4 or 5), would these be chosen for dormed state, non-dormed or both. Or possibly have them change, so in dormed down one of his taint gives him the underdeveloped quirk, when powered up, it changes to overdeveloped.

[phoenix]

I like them too. Yay for game customization!

So, a few questions. How honorable is Honorable? I want Akechi to be a polite, nice guy (and of course will play him as such with or without the Quirk), but he's not going to be above subterfuge, or even above seriously breaking the rules, Q.E.D. his eruption. Actually, never mind, I think I just answered my own question. ::rolleyes

On that note, how effeminate does one have to be to qualify as a Bishonen? Would Toya from Ceres or James from Pokemon be woman enough, or are you thinking more along the lines of Clamp School material? I realize those are oblique examples, but I'm not really that into the genre...

Same question for Romance Magnet. Will the unwanted attention be asking him out occasionally, or invading his bedroom through the window?

At the moment, I'm not sure whether to decrease my Taint and tread lightly on these, or to take a few. I can't wait to see how others play them, but I see Akira as being more of a strong-silent-type straight man.

And I'm kind of thinking of changing his name, too... ::blush I'm so indecisive.

[Alex Green]

With only 10 points I don't have any taint yet. Maybe later.

[phoenix]

Yeah, but I already have my character planned out and I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up with 3 taint, and I don't want him to have his hair go crazy, or become a bad cook, or whatever, in the middle of his junior year.

[Damanor]

I think I'll go with Bishonen for Hideko's quirk; it gives his ultra-conservative father a reason not to like him.

Here are a few more in-depth development ideas for Hideko's family and friends. Of course, these are all tentative, and need your approval, Prof.

Miho Yoshimori

Female

Best Friend/Girlfriend of Hideko

Kendo Club

(If we don't have any PCs with high backing in the Kendo Club, she could be part of the club leadership.)

Miho is pretty, popular, and has a good head on her shoulders - and Hideko has a hopeless crush on her. Unfortunately, she seems to want him as a best friend, and nothing more. Miho's family is lower middle class, and (according to rumor) her father may be having financial problems that may force her to leave Nippontai High. She relieves her stress by practicing Kendo.

Tomoya Fujiwara

Male

Hideko's older brother

Science Club - Leadership?

As a senior, he could easily have some backing in the Science Club. I see him as Hideko's more popular, more successful older brother who everyone likes - and who everyone compares Hideko to. Tomoya's relationship with his father is strained, because he chose the Science Club instead of the Young Entrepreneurs, against his father's wishes. Hideko trusts his older brother more than anyone else in the world.

Anzu Fujiwara

Female

Hideko's younger sister

Judo Club

Anzu is everything that Hideko tried to be before his eruption - naturally intelligent, clever, and accepted by her father. If she wasn't a girl, she would be the Fujiwara heir - and she won't let her father's archaic attitudes keep her from taking over some day. She has an ongoing rivalry with Miho (Hideko's best friend) that led her to join the Judo Club, and Anzu deliberately avoids spending time with her brothers or their friends. Anzu pursues power obsessively - and she has no problem with falsifying evidence or blackmail to achieve her ends.

[ProfPotts]

Glad people like the quirks! ::biggrin

(Let me know if that last quirk is too much )

Nabiki's displaced power 'pal' sounds about right to me - not actually 'useful', but not really overly restrictive either - more of a fun addition to the character.

Btw, I think the Nippontai High setting would make a fascinating source-book.

Cheers - if I ever learn how to make those pdf thingies then I might just do that... but don't hold your breath... ::wink

So... Are these for erupted novas only? Obviously quantum- or physical quirks should be restricted, but can Kenji have the honorable quirk?

Don't know why I ask, really, since it's purely a roleplaying thing and I plan to make him that way anyway...

You've pretty much summed it up yourself - (non-Quantum) quirks are really just extensions of normal character traits formalised within the structure of the rules. In fact, some of the Quantum ones (like Ki power) are like that too - you don't have to be a Nova to study Ki-based martial arts after all.

So, non-Novas don't take quirks, but that doesn't restrict them in any way from playing quirk-like character traits. In many cases quirks are character traits the character will have displayed before they erupted anyway - Taint just takes those traits to a more manga level...

Quick question, for those of us with high dormancy (ie. 4 or 5), would these be chosen for dormed state, non-dormed or both. Or possibly have them change, so in dormed down one of his taint gives him the underdeveloped quirk, when powered up, it changes to overdeveloped.

Generally each dot of Dormancy cancels out one dot of permanent Taint, & the related aberrations, when in use. This is pretty much how it works for quirks as well, except that quirks are usually extensions of the character's normal persona anyway.

In practice this means that, in many cases, quirks can either stay or go when the character is Dormed (to be decided when the quirk is taken), depending on the character concept. One character could, for example, always be underdeveloped, whilst another might actually revert to a younger looking form when in Nova mode, & a normal teenager when Dormed. Of course, as you point put, it takes a Dormancy of 4 or 5 to have a radically altered appearance when Dormed, so a character with less Dormancy than that isn't gonna' change much when Dorming.

Most Mental quirks are gonna' be there to some extent even when the character is Dormed - since they're just extensions of the character's normal persona.

Some Quantum quirks are belief-based, & those beliefs will be there if Dormed of not (even if the powers they generate aren't). Some are power-related & irrelevant when Dormed.

Characters will never have a different set of quirks when they're Dormed though, they might just have less (due to the lessened effects of Taint).

So, a few questions. How honorable is Honorable?

The basic yardstick for quirks, when in doubt, is that they are always gonna' be less dibilitating to the character than a similar full-blow aberration, or even (in most cases) a similar Flaw.

One reason why Mental quirks aren't usually noticed in adult Novas is that by that point they've just become a part of the character's whole persona - well, either that or they've developed into full-blown aberrations. A teenager with the otaku-Novox singers quirk is gonna' have that teenage-level of obsession with his idols: posters all over the walls, buying all the magazines, visiting all the OpNet sites, buying all the music chips, going on to all his friends about the singers, etc., etc.. Once that kid has grown up the quirk will still be there as part of his psyche, it's just that he's either learnt to moderate his fandom (in the glare of real life), or actually gone & got a job in a Novox-related field. Some things are just more important when you're a school-kid. ::tongue ::wink

So - the honorable quirk isn't as all-consuming as the aberration obsession - honour would be, it's more of a personality trait which other people (other kids especially) will quickly spot in the guy.

On that note, how effeminate does one have to be to qualify as a Bishonen?

Bishonen is really just a matter of appearance - one commonly seen in the manga & animé. They actually tend to be seen as handsome heart-throb types by the ladies, & are often portrayed as chivalous knightly types (although that's an aspect of the character's personality, not the physical quirk). Long-hair, slender, & fine features just about covers it - any guy you've seen in a manga or animé who matches that description would be considered bishonen. Orlando Bloom in the Lord of the Rings films would probably be considered a bishonen type too.

The 'mistaken for a girl' thing is just a commonly employed manga plot-line (often, it seems, quickly followed by the bishonen deftly beating up all the guys who made the assumption - as bishonen are often portrayed as superior warriors or martial artists as well).

Same question for Romance Magnet. Will the unwanted attention be asking him out occasionally, or invading his bedroom through the window?

Genre tradition tends to have the effect build-up over time - with more & more inappropriate suitors turning up every episode. Ranma 1/2 or Tenchi Muyo are classic examples of this sort of thing. Once rivalries between the suitors get sparked, then things can get a bit out of hand... But they do tend to start low-key...

Yeah, but I already have my character planned out and I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up with 3 taint, and I don't want him to have his hair go crazy, or become a bad cook, or whatever, in the middle of his junior year.

Well, the quirks I listed are just examples really - anything of a similar level will be considered. Plus, these things usually stem from the character's normal persona anyway - if you have that figured out, then picking some appropriate quirks shouldn't be too hard. ::wink

Of course, these are all tentative, and need your approval, Prof.

Look good to me! ::biggrin

[Heritage]

Found a very useful website - a guide to Japanese personal and family names. Also looks like it might have some cool links!

[Damanor]

Figures - Hideko is a female name. (Hideki would be the male form). I'm tempted to change it.

::idea Then again, maybe I'll leave it, since Hideko has the Bishonen quirk.::biggrin

Hey, can we have a junkie named Soma?

[Shopping Mal]

A huzzah for not having to be creative enough to think up a Japanese name ::pray

...

On that note, am I ticking anybody off by not making a Japanese character? Does anyone feel like I'm ruining the mood? Because if I am, let them say now and I'll change.

This is my first game. I don't want to rub anyone the wrong way.

[Heritage]

A huzzah for not having to be creative enough to think up a Japanese name ::pray

...

On that note, am I ticking anybody off by not making a Japanese character? Does anyone feel like I'm ruining the mood? Because if I am, let them say now and I'll change.

This is my first game. I don't want to rub anyone the wrong way.

←

Not at all! The token gaijin is a staple character in anime - they don't often come off so good, but Isaac can be the exception to the rule ::laugh

[phoenix]

On that note, am I ticking anybody off by not making a Japanese character? Does anyone feel like I'm ruining the mood? Because if I am, let them say now and I'll change.

This is my first game. I don't want to rub anyone the wrong way.

I have no problem with it at all. ::cool

[Shopping Mal]

*phew* ::happy

Thanks guys. Off the hook ::laugh

[ProfPotts]

Hmmm... I do still like the idea of this game, & I know a lot of people had put a lot of thought into it. On the other hand, there are some things I'd like to change from what I've previously said...

Eruptions:

The biggest change would be that I'd actually prefer none of the characters to be erupted Novas at the start of the game.

When the character sheets started coming in it turned out that pretty much everyone had decided to have their character already a Nova, which meant a couple of things I didn't really like: it automatically seperated the characters from the rest of the school's population & kinda' made all those things which were meant to be important to them as school-kids less important; it also meant that a lot of interesting character development stuff (like eruption circumstances) ended up being written into the background instead of played out in-game.

I'd prefer it if the characters could develop as talented, but normal, kids first & later have the powers start to be introduced. That would also tie the characters into each others' development more as well (e.g. if player A's character erupted due to his first kiss with player B's character it's more interesting than if he erupted due to a kiss with an unknown NPC sometime in the past).

Traits:

Characters would still start the game with the full 'Stage 1' Trait spread, but the dots would simulate their teenage level traits, rather than full adult traits. This is basically the same as I described originally for Backgrounds, but for all Traits.

This means that a character with, say, Strength 5 is a really strong kid, but not as strong as an adult with Strength 5 - in other words, Traits for the characters are in comparison with those of their teenage peers.

Using this method, Traits still represent what the characters will be like as adults - the Strength 5 guy, when he matures, will have Strength 5 - but also develop over time. So a character with Strength 5 will be grow stronger throughout his school life, until he hits his adult level, even though his Trait (which represents how strong he is compared with other kids his age) doesn't change (in terms of the number of dots).

In terms of game mechanics this will, basically, mean that character Traits function just like normal between the characters, but that they will face greater or lesser Difficulties against older (or younger) characters. The Strength 5 teenager will have a hard time damaging a Stamina 3 adult thug with a punch, for example.

This will apply to pretty much all the character's Traits - although some more than others (physical Strength & Stamina will more obviously be less than adult than Dexterity, for example). That includes Abilities - so that a character with Science 5 is the school's top science-geek, but not actually a world-beating specialist (he will be, one day, barring accident along the way, but he's not there yet). A character with Martial Arts 5 [Judo] isn't the world's greatest Judo master - but she is probably regional junior champion.

Hopefully this will make chargen easier, not harder...

Players:

A dozen or so players is, after all, insanity itself. I'm thinking that after my absence this isn't gonna' be much of a problem, but limiting player numbers to no more than, say, the usual 5 or 6 will be the order of the day.

If the game gets off the ground at all, then maybe later others could be added - but right now we might not even get 5 people interested...

Setting:

Pretty much as detailed already - except that the PCs are not Novas (at least not yet). This brings the setting more in-line with the original concept in my head - a school with a few active Novas (NPCs now), run by the Japanese government's Nova-related branch, & packed with kids chosen (unknown to them) for their potential to erupt.

One or more teachers may well be Novas - although the kids may not know that - & Nippontai will be around, at least in the background (since the school's attached to their Osaka facility). At least one Nova pupil (Nezumi) is known to attend the school, & pupils at the school have a tendency towards excellence (not all of them, just as a whole there are more 'brilliant' kids than statistical probability would allow) - as represented by the PC Trait allowance (higher than average human).

Quirks:

The personality-type quirks can be incorporated as ideas into characters even before they erupt. Other quirks would obviously occur if & when the character goes Nova. Personality-type quirks, however, shouldn't really turn-up 'out of the blue' when a character erupts (so if you're gonna' want them, you need to play them from the start) - they are, after all, extensions of the character's normal personality.

Development:

As mentioned way-back-when characters will get 10 NP per school year. In the style of 'Dramatic Editing' players will have a certain amount of (Storyteller moderated) control over when & how to apply those NP to their characters.

Characters will also get normal XP... Naturally, those players who hold-off erupting their characters until suitable dramatic moments are more likely to get good role-playing XP. Also, as a general rule, pre-eruption characters can expect XP for things that Nova characters can't - after all, fighting a local teen gang might be a huge challenge for a pre-eruption character, but wouldn't be worth a second thought to a Nova.

The 10 NP per year don't have to be spent (can be saved for the next year), & don't have to be spent all at once. Players who have their characters erupt as 10 NP Novas during their first day at the school are missing the whole point of the game. The ST reserves the right to turn such characters into Taint-monkey hentai demon tentacle-monster NPCs who need to be killed by the real heroes. You have been warned... ::sly

Basically the game should be about characters & inter-character relationships, not about if you can squeeze a city-leveling combat-monster out of 10 NP or not. Think 'character' over 'power' & you'll be in the right frame of mind.

This also means that players who have their character do stuff specifically to have an excuse to get them to erupt ('Hey - Billy thinks it's funny to drink all that stuff in the science lab') will get the tentacle-monster result noted above. Eruptions should be introduced as an entertaining part of the overall dramatic narrative, or not at all.

Stories:

My concept here has always been to mix high-school soap-opera with more usual RPG action. The characters live in an exciting world at an exciting time, so can expect some exciting stuff to happen - but should be focusing their immediate goals & ambitions on high-school stuff: romance, club rivalries, standard of schoolwork (or lack thereof) - that sort of stuff. A character might dream of one day joining Nippontai, but isn't likely to cruise the streets looking to fight crime... although they may well try to emulate their heroes by, for example, taking on that gang of teenagers who bully the smaller kids.

This isn't, of course, the sort of game for everyone - but if you don't mind social dynamics being more important than bodycount, then it might be right for you.

Timing:

Well, first thing to do is to see if there's still any interest in the game after both my absence from the site & in light of what I've written above.

If there is interest, then I'll think about accepting characters again - I will need them sent again, with all the above kept in mind, for anyone who had already worked out a character before. No-one send anything yet - just post here if you're interested.

Details:

Unless anything dramatically changes I'm working on the principle that the characters will all be in the same class, & that the clubs already created by various players are the main ones (i.e. the ones the characters should be part of): Kendo & Judo (with an intense inter-club rivalry) for the more physical characters, Young Entrepreneurs & the School Paper for the more social or cerebral students. Of course, with less players allowed, this may well shrink to just one, two, or three clubs instead.

I may well post something related to all this in the QZ downtime thread at some point - some in-character game background stuff. Depends if anyone wants the game to go ahead or not.

[Bahamut810]

I would still be up for it...but I would make a differetn charactrer.

[ezekiel]

Cool!

I'll reserve a spot for myself and for Heritage 'cause I can't imagine anyone more into a game of high school social dynamics than he... ::biggrin

It might take a while for me to rework on my character, I am working on my moot competition after all, I'm just checking the forums when I need a break from what the Supreme court thinks about compensating the government for fires set to their forests through lumber companies negligence.... ::brick

[Prince of Boredom]

I'm definately still interested, though I know there are a fair amount of new peeps on the forums, so I'll reserve a spot but am willing to give it up to someone other than the regulars (you knwo who you are) if need be.

[Nullifier]

I'm interested, although like Bahamut, I'd have to make a different character.

[Asbjørn]

I'm definately still interested, though I know there are a fair amount of new peeps on the forums, so I'll reserve a spot but am willing to give it up to someone other than the regulars (you knwo who you are) if need be.

←

Ditto. But unlike th rest of you munchkins ::tongue I wouldn't have to change a thing, since I actually did make a pre-eruption character... ::wink

[phoenix]

I'll still play, and I think I'll stick with the same character, mine was kind of cool even as a baseline. ::cool

I'm definately still interested, though I know there are a fair amount of new peeps on the forums, so I'll reserve a spot but am willing to give it up to someone other than the regulars (you knwo who you are) if need be.

Eh.. Whenever a forum newbie joins a game, they always end up leaving within the month. Power to the regulars, I say. ::getsome

Edit: Although Shopping Mal was pretty cool, partly because he made us all sprites of our characters.

[phoenix]

Question for the Prof (a phrase that college life is making me wish I had less occasion to use):

I've never had an Ally in one of your games before. Are you going to roleplay them, or do I?

[Alex Green]

I'm interested, although like Bahamut, I'd have to make a different character.

Ditto.

[ezekiel]

I've never had an Ally in one of your games before. Are you going to roleplay them, or do I?

He does...Pathfinder is Terry's Ally for example..During character creation he'll want you to flesh 'em out and give the right number of points for the ally in your background.

[phoenix]

He does...Pathfinder is Terry's Ally for example..

Yeah, but he created Pathfinder (and saw that Pathfinder was good ::wink ), not you. In fact, she appeared in Elites before the Masters crew had ever heard of her. ::ninja

[ProfPotts]

Generally I play all NPCs - although you get to detail any from your Backgrounds, when the game starts I'll run them.

There are several good reasons for this, not least of which is that it's often hard to interact in a meaningful way with yourself (it's like trying to read all the parts of a play). I also think that players usually find NPCs more interesting if they don't know how they're going to act & react.

Plus, of course, there's the natural tendency for players to want the best for their characters - & supporting cast aren't meant to be there just as a power-boost for a player's main character. ::wink

On the other hand, some stuff is okay player controlled - such as NPC dialogue & actions which are part of the character's background. E.g. you'd get to write in what your character's best mate (brought as an Ally) said & did in your character's background history bit. Also certain little things which just speed the game along can be okay - i.e. you wouldn't have to pause for a response every time your character offered his mate a packet of crisps, or consult with the ST to see if they are walking home together if they do that every night.

But, generally, yeah - I get to have all the fun with the NPCs... ::biggrin

What I prefer to not see is a Background on a character sheet just left there as naked dots. If you buy an Ally in chargen you will (as Zeke said) need to flesh 'em out a bit.

In game play the amount you get out of your social Backgrounds (Allies, Followers, Mentor, Contacts) will be up to you. Having 5 dots of Contacts doesn't mean anything if you never bother to talk to them, for example. Just like PCs, NPCs get fleshed-out & built-up in play by interaction. In QZ PathFinder is a more rounded character than some NPCs because she's had more interaction with the PCs & more 'screen time', whereas some NPCs in the Elites game seem to just be locked in their rooms by their boyfriends - never to be seen or heard from again... ::unsure In theory these people do stuff 'off-screen', but in practice they sit there & do nothing to enhance the game. A Storyteller can only offer NPCs to interact with, he can't make PCs do it... ::wink

[Haze]

Still interested here too.

[Heritage]

I'm still interested, though I have to read over all this new stuff to tweak/rethink my character.

[ProfPotts]

Stage One Character Generation:

When designing your new characters feel free to spend Background dots on the Nova-specific Backgrounds Attunement, Dormancy, & Node, as well as Bonus Points on those & extra Quantum if you want to. With pre-eruption characters these scores would represent their potential, even if they can't actively use them until they do erupt.

Also, as a general guideline, the higher a pre-eruption character's (potential) Quantum, the less intense their eruption circumstances will need to be. In other words, a character with a Quantum of 3 is more prone to eruption than a character with a Quantum of 1. That's not a license to ignore my previous eruption guidelines, but an addition to them. A Quantum 1 character will, generally, need an extremely intense situation in order to erupt (such as 'they'll die if they don't' or 'my entire family's just been wiped out'), while a Quantum 3 character requires intense, but not as extreme, circumstances ('first time hit with a Quantum power' or 'first time he kisses a girl'). Quantum 2 character would be, naturally, somewhere in the middle ('beaten to a pulp by school bullys' or 'witnesses mother being killed').

Pre-eruption characters with a higher Node will tend towards headaches before they erupt, & possibly display some beginings of mental issues. Those with Dormancy will tend to display less signs that they might erupt, & those with Attunement may already have certain items they feel a strong attachment towards.

These are just really guidelines & suggestions on how such things can effect a character even in stage 1 chargen, & aren't, as such, written in stone - I've written them more just to help players see how such things could fit into their pre-Nova character concepts.

[Jeremiah]

you don't really seem to be having any interest problems prof...

that being said, i'll throw my hat in the ring too, these crazy ideas of yours seem pretty sweet.

of course, i'm one of those unreliable newbies with like, what, 4 posts. but i promise i'll be on my best behaviour. i'm just gonna get in line.

[ProfPotts]

Learn to use capital letters, Sablesma, & we'll gladly take you! ::biggrin I'm not a great fan of e.e. cummings myself... ::wink

Luckily that's about as picky as we get around here - none of us spell & punctuate perfectly in our posts after all. ::sly

Right - time for a few more details I think:

Player Characters will all be pupils in Class 1B at the school. Class sizes are smaller than usual for Japan, with only 20 or so pupils in a class.

The homeroom teacher for 1B is Kozaka-sensai, a handsome & popular young teacher who is the subject of quite a few crushes from the girls in the school. Kozaka-sensai teaches maths & science, & is known to be able to keep up with any questions pupils ask, as well as to be informed about all the latest cutting-edge technology.

A persistant rumour floating around the school is that Kozaka-sensai is also 'Denshi' ("Electron") the Nova computer expert who works behind the scenes for Nippontai. If ever asked about this Kozaka-sensai just smiles & changes the subject. Various second & third-hand 'evidence' is offered up by pupils who report witnessing strange things like electric sparks dancing off the teacher's fingers, or a computer workstation shutting down with just a glance from the man - & the girls would all agree that he has the body of a Nova... ::blush More to the point, no pupil is even known to have gotten away with using the school's state-of-the-art computers for any banned activities - Kozaka-sensai always finds out.

Kozaka-sensai also advises the school newspaper club - they produce an on-line OpNet version of the paper which dabbles in video clips & the like, as well as a printed copy. By total coincidence the school paper club has a rather higher proportion of girls than would be usual... ::blush

Of the other teachers Kuramoto-sensai is also thought to be a Nova. As dreamt about by the boys as Kozaka-sensai is by the girls, she teaches Japanese, history, & social studies & is a practicing Shinto priestess. Always gentle & softly-spoken Kuramoto-sensai possesses a keen insight & wisdom which none of the pupils can deny.

Kuramoto-sensai advises the kendo club, & her influence has led to the club taking meditation & state of mind as seriously as hitting each other with sticks. Of course, when she's not around, more than a few club members do seem to enjoy the hitting with sticks more than the spiritual side of the practice...

The only staff member known to be a Nova for fact is the school's principle Morioka-sensai, otherwise known as 'Kou' ("Phoenix") the leader of Nippontai itself! Kou's powers of telepathy & telekinesis manifest as an aura golden flames & make her one of the most powerful Novas in Japan - if not the world. While her raw power isn't on par with Team Tomorrow's Caestus Pax, she is, in many ways, a living symbol of Japanese pride & achievement. Her leadership abilities, courage, & determination, have won-over even the most old-fashioned of Japanese who would prefer her position to be filled by a man.

As an active member of Nippontai Morioka-sensai isn't actually at the school as much as she'd like. However, her abilities as a leader & organiser are such that her visits are more than enough to keep the place running like clockwork... most of the time. While pupils are often initially overjoyed at the prospect of such a famous principle, any who are sent to her office soon regret the fact: having a telepathic head teacher who has fought Geryon to a standstill & who commands the most powerful Nova force in Japan can be a little... intimidating... to say the least. Pupils rarely come from an encounter with the school's principle with their ways unchanged... ::blink

While at the school Morioka-sensai always wears a sensible business outfit, rather than her Nippontai 'sentai suit' uniform, although she & the other members of Nippontai are often seen in passing by pupils since the school grounds are attached to Nippontai's headquarters in Osaka castle. Other members of Nippontai have also been known to visit the school for various reasons & festivals.

Morioka-sensai doesn't advise a school club as such, but she does take a hand in the Quantum-training of any pupils who erupt (which is added on top of any school & club workload, obviously ::sly ).

The few Novas amongst the pupils are:

Yoshio Kono - a boy in the year above the PCs, Yoshio is the son of Nippontai's 'Tenshi' ("Angel"), who divorced Yoshio's father & abandoned her family soon after she erupted. Yoshio, like his famous mother, has the power to fly by manifesting wings of flame &, it is rumoured, may also have the power to breathe fire.

Yoshio has only recently returned to the school, having been absent since his eruption. Rumour amongst the pupils is that he was shipped off to 'Monster Island' - a facility maintained by the Japanese government to train 'problem' Novas. No one, in fact, knows if Monster Island actually exists - but it is a constant topic of debate on the Novaphile OpNet sites & at the conventions. Yoshio himself refuses to talk about where he's been, or about his estranged mother, & is generally a brooding loner. He hardly ever manifests his powers, although his beautiful boyish good looks & athletic build clearly mark him as a Nova even without them. Girls are attracted to the guy like moths to a flame - but he keeps them (& everyone else) at arm's length.

Another rumour about Yoshio is that he burnt the face off a fellow pupil, Haruki Kondo, when he erupted - which is why he was shipped off for almost a year. Haruki, meanwhile, left the school altogether. No-one knows for certain that he was burnt, but several pupils claim to have witnessed him being carried away by paramedics with his still-smoking face under a damp cloth...

Junzo Kamachi - a final year student (two years above the PCs), Junzo is universally believed to be the next member of Nippontai. With powers of flight, super-strength, & invulnerability as his main abilities, Junzo also demonstrates some level of heightened perceptions & reflexes. He is, in every way, the school's star pupil.

Junzo is all too willing to demonstrate his Nova abilities, altough he is more restrained around staff members. With a shining reputation & his 'super-hero' career already planned out, what the staff tend to miss is the fact that Junzo is actually quite the bully. He doesn't resort to physical violence, but his Nova status, & a healthy talent for intimidation, means that he rules like an emporer amongst his fellow pupils. It's also widely known among the pupils that Junzo's 'evidence' has gotten at least three other pupils who he didn't like expelled from the school.

Pupils are generally split into two camps over Junzo - those who hero-worship him & are all too willing to cater to his every whim, & those who hate him & (generally) just try to keep out of his way.

It's not known just what caused Junzo to erupt since it happened when he was at home, but that was in his first year at the school, & he's been top dog ever since.

Yumi 'Nezumi' ("Mouse") Kasai - untill recently known as the famous teen idol novox singer 'Nezumi', Yumi's recent run-in with an obsessed Nova fan, & subsequent rescue by her DeVries bodyguard The Samurai, hit the headlines the world over. He tour was cut short &, amidst persistent rumours of her & The Samurai being romantically involved, she announced her decision to put her career on hold while she finished her education.

Nezumi's known to be a Nova-level performer - her singing entracing & moving audiences to the heights & lows of emotional extremes. Although amazingly cute & the fantasy figure of teenage boys & middle-aged 'salarymen' everywhere, her looks aren't quite into the Nova realms... yet... She is credited with the creation of the new novox fusion music known as 'bubble rap' which blends the pop style of Japanese idol singers with the hard-hitting elements of rap.

Nezumi (as all teenagers still refer to her, even at the school) is not only in the PC's year, but in their class - although no-one's met her yet at the start of the game (they may well have seen her in concert though).

Getting into the school:

Pupils at the school have often been encouraged to apply by a visit from officials for the Ministry of Education to their parents. These officials have then explained that new academic testing methods have suggested that their child shows 'great potential' & offers free enrollment in one of several juku ("cram schools") set up around the country to help such children pass the tough entrance exams the school has.

Other pupils have managed to pass the entrance exams thanks to their own talents, or due to their parents being able to pay for one of the more exclusive juku which can help them study to the required level.

Competition to get into the school is fierce & will represent the pupil's greatest achievement to date. The school is, generally, considered the best in the country (&, therefore, the world) & is the firm favourite at pretty much every inter-school activity in which it takes part. Getting kicked out of the school would be a dishonour few families could take...

[Prince of Boredom]

So, when will you be ready to start accepting characters? ::pray

[ProfPotts]

Well... after asking everyone to NOT send anything to me yet, I still receive a character sheet today... ::sigh::... ::rolleyes

There are actually a few more details I'd like to work out & post before I start accepting characters. This is, after all, a pretty specific setting, so the more I can let you guys know about it, the easier it should be to design appropriate characters.

I guess I better also mention again that when I do ask for character sheets people should take a moment to check back in this thread to see the sort of format I'd prefer them in - & the sort of stuff that should be included (such as Qualities for Attributes at 4 or 5).

[ProfPotts]

A few more NPCs of note...

Mister Tendo - owns a noodle stand (a traditional-style mobile wooden cooking 'booth') near the school. The stand is located on the road leading up to the restored Tokugawa-era castle which houses Nippontai's extensive amenities, technological resources, & large civilian staff - not to mention the PCs' school - thus being ideally suited to cater to staff from the facility, visiting tourists &, of course, the pupils. Mr Tendo's is a favourite hang-out of the pupils, who usually sit on the nearby park-like area of grass & scattered rocks to eat noodles & gossip.

Mister Tendo himself is a bulky middle-aged man dressed in stained chef's whites who sports a pencil-thin moustache & little patch of pointed beard in a 'Fu Manchu' style. Happy & friendly to all he's usually loud & outgoing, & manages to have an opinion on any & all subjects (he is, in his mind, an expert on everything - after all, who sees more of the world than a noodle-stand owner?). He is an excellent chef though, so most everyone forgives him his little excentricities.

If Mister Tendo has a real weakness, it's his lecherous side. He has an eye for women's form, & isn't past an accidental grope or a feigned trip to catch sight of some panties. This proclivity extends to the high school girls who visit his stand... This side of his character is looked down on by society, but isn't considered the illegal & evil pastime it would be in some other countries. After all, it's really just fantasy in his head - he'd never actually act in a more depraved way (he's a stock animé character, rather than an actual rapist or child-molester) & really is harmless.

Coach Chiba - the school's physical education teacher, Chiba-sensai is an ex-sumo (although a lot slimmer than his old 'fighting weight' he's still a massive man). A man of emotional extremes, the coach will be yelling at pupils to do their best, firing their competative passions, one minute, & weeping openly over a beautiful blossom the next. A true athlete he often demonstrates various finer points of sports & activities when instructing the children - from baseball & soccer to gymnastics & even, on one occassion, ballet - his bulk doesn't seem to restrict him & his passion for anything he does means that any thoughts of how ridiculous he looks never make it into his head.

The least-well kept secret at the school is Chiba-sensai's intense romantic love for Kuramoto-sensai, since he's always composing poems for her, or bringing her flowers, or chocolates, or lamenting his unrequited love to anyone who will listen. For her part the beautiful Shinto priestess treats the coach with kind & gentle respect, & even a touch of fondness, but doesn't actively encourage his advances.

Chiba-sensai advises the poetry club, & is also known to be a proficient flower-arranger.

Sonoda-sensai - the school's English teacher is an ex-Self Defense Force officer who was injured when the Terat Geryon attacked Tokyo. An imposing, if not down-right intimidating, figure Sonoda-sensai wears a black patch over his left eye (although it doesn't cover the scars which run down that side of his face) & walks with the aid of a sturdy cane (which he isn't afraid of using to swot the backside of a disruptive pupil) - the common thinking among pupils is that his left leg is false, but all that can be said for certain is that it appears stiff & he walks with a limp. His left hand also is always covered with a black leather glove.

Actually only in his mid-thirties, Sonoda-sensai gives the impression of being much older. He wears his hair in a very short military-style cut, & that on the left side of his head has started to turn grey. His voice is powerful & commanding &, in general, he manages to terrify all the pupils with no real effort on his part. His lessons are always no-nonsense, down to work, affairs & have been refered to by some pupils as 'Combat English'.

Although some pupils think that Sonoda-sensai hates Novas, that isn't true. What he hates is rebels & trouble-makers of all varieties - which just happens to include a lot of Novas. Despite his fearsome reputation, Sonoda-sensai is a true hero - he sustained his injuries saving innocent lives during the Teragen attack - & those pupils who take the time to remember the fact usually respect him for that as much as they fear him.

Sonoda-sensai advises the Judo club.

Konishi-sensai - the school's teacher of cookery & similar household-type electives (sewing & the like) as well as drama would be described, in the West, as a 'dizzy blonde' type (although she's not actually blonde). Airheaded & absent-minded she's one of the more fun teachers at the school, & the one who is usually in charge of school festivals, plays, & similar activities. An outspoken romantic, Konishi-sensai looks on the bright side of every situation. She's also an extraverted flirt who, being in her early twenties & good looking, is the object of desire for many of the male pupils (& male staff for that matter).

Konishi-sensai is known to be looking for the 'perfect husband' to settle down with, but has yet to find the right man. Instead she's ended up with an almost scandelous series of boyfriends - each of which has, in the end, come up short. She's not adverse to dating fathers, older brothers, or uncles of pupils either, which can lead to some embarassing situtations.

As a side-effect of her own romantic notions & goals, Konishi-sensai gladly tries to 'help along' any budding teenage romances she thinks are going on - despite the school's ban on pupils dating. Usually her help is in the form of thinly-veiled advice (sometimes badly concealed within cookery instructions - 'Although the ingredients seems very different, when they get together the result is magical!'), or in 'random' selection of partners for various projects ('Shun & Yumi will work on the "Venus" float together'). Most of the pupils are incredibly embarassed by this, & fear Konishi-sensai's classes as much as their fear Sonoda-sensai's.

As well as her quest for the perfect man, Konishi-sensai would also like to 'make it big' with some innovation or other (such as a new instant cake mix or something). It's probably for this reason that she sponsors the Young Entrepreneurs club... That & the chance to meet eligable businessmen...

Haruki Oshiro - the least popular boy in the PCs' class, Haruki arrived at the school claiming to be a distant relative of the Nova Elite known as 'The Samurai'. Unfortunately he also claimed to know for a fact that The Samurai was actually a Black man from England, & only slightly Japanese. This blatent lie obviously didn't sit well with the Nova-fans in the class, & Haruki was soundly beaten several times before he finally just shut up about it. Now Haruki is shunned by anyone wanting to preserve their own social standing at the school, & has withdrawn into being a sad loner.

If it ended there he could, maybe, have overcome his initial social gaffs - but Haruki has taken it upon himself to ruin everyone else's lives as well. This he achieves by being the biggest snitch in the school - informing on other pupils who break the rules (such as dating or holding down a part time job, or even taking up a seat instead of standing on public transport). It is universally known that if Haruki finds out about a secret, then school staff will find out about it too. So, Haruki now isn't just shunned, but is hated as well... Be glad you aren't him...

Haruki is a member of the school newspaper club where, even if not popular, his snitching nature finds a convienient outlet.

More details:

The game will start mid-school year (first year of senior high). Characters with Backing of any sort will, naturally, have been at the school since at least the start of the year - others may well have been also, but can, if wished, be more recent transfer students.

The 'big event' to start the game will be the arrival of Nezumi as a new member of the class.

The school's biggest rival in the game will be the 'Kuro-Tek Technical College' another Osaka-based educational establishment, which caters to students from the PC's age (15 to 16) up to university level. Sponsored by the corporation from which it takes its name it is also rumoured to have several Nova pupils attending. Rivalries between the two establishments are seen at various sports events & festivals, & sometimes spill out onto the streets as well.

Students at the college don't wear uniforms like pupils at the PCs school, & usually see themselves as both more fashionable & tougher than the Nippontai High kids. Possibly in response to the PCs' school's sponsorship, the college kids often profess a support of the Teragen & similar anti-establishment groups. In general terms they are seen as the 'bad kids' & wouldn't have it any other way.

So - with just one more reminder to check back on the details of this thread first (please ::pray ) - I guess I can start accepting character sheets... ::unsure

[ezekiel]

Hey!

As much as I hate leaving a Prof game, I think I'll have to drop out of this one, especially when it seems that its just about ready to start. There's no way I can get another character going in the short term (not til two weeks from now anyway) and I think that restricting myself to the other games'll be good for my sanity...(reasons in the IPWeT OOC..short version: I'm busy) I'm already lagging behind a bit in TEF (I'll be posting shortly, most likely tomorrow or saturday during the day. Friday nights gonna be a real night of sleep, woohoo!) So there ya go, slot open for newbies!

Feel free to use my old pc as an npc prof (worst is I think he'd fit right in with that rival school concept)..hopefully a slot'll open up sometime if and when I'm not running around like a headless chicken... ::wink

[Bahamut810]

Holy sweet mother jehosifat...

[ProfPotts]

Good to hear you're keeping busy Zeke! ::sly

Don't worry too much about 'slots' - to be honest, as long as people follow my various chargen & layout guidelines & stuff (which everyone seems to be doing at the moment) the whole start-up becomes a lot less painful to ST, so I'll probably allow anyone in who asks... I do hate to turn people away...