Trinity RPG: Stepping from the Light - Stepping from the light

[Rorx]

I know it has only been 7 days, but I have an itch. Could you scratch it with an appetiser from the game?

Hey, you asked for it... ::biggrin See the new Stepping IC topic....

So John has just had a datapad appear in his hand in the middle of a Sydney bar while starting to chat someone up. ::ohmy

What is he going to do next? ::biggrin

[32767]

One request I have is let me know if you don't like something. I haven't RPed properly much, and am more than happy to try to change.

[Rorx]

Ok, one change from the normal rules that will become very evident fromthe appetizer/pilot is that since the ability to teleport is based on the familiarity I've extended that to familiarity with any object/person/location.

In the official set up with Jump/Long Jump you can 'port to any location you can see (practical limit a few, perhaps 10km with vision aids), or are familiar with using the table in the book (and my file). With Transmassion you can use Relay Object/Person once again on objects/people in your LOS and only bring them to you (touch only?), or with Transmit Object you can call an object from/to a familiar location but you have to know exactly where it is (you can't just get your gun from home, it has to be known to be in the gun locker or bedside table etc). With Transmit Person you can call a familiar person to you from anywhere in the Universe, and send a person to anywhere familiar in the Universe, and if you can bear the difficulties you could grab someone familiar from anywhere and send them to a familiar place without going through the stage of bringing them to your location in between.

More later...

[32767]

I know the answer is no, but I will ask anyway. Can we, during the game buy Mode natural above 7 ::innocent

[Rorx]

Since a 'porter can call a familiar person to him regardless of location, it seems reasonable that he can also do the same with familiar objects (using the normal table). Formatted items of the 'porters should either automatically be classed as Very Familiar, or at least get boosted a couple of levels.

By a similar extrapolation the 'porter should also be able to 'port himself and other objects/people to/from familiar objects/people as well as locations.

Does that seem reasonable or too powerfull?

[Snackula]

I just finished my last Final Exam yesterday. The semester is officially over, and I'm now swimming in free time. To celebrate, I hereby declare today to be "Snacky Gets Off His Ass and Writes That Background" Day.

With any luck, I should be 'Stepping IC' by this evening. ::ultracool

[Snackula]

Okay, so I suck and didn't get my background done today, but I swear it'll be done tomorrow. Meantime, I'll step IC anyway, if that's cool. ::biggrin

[Rorx]

Just a reminder. At this point in time, early 2114, the Colony has attacked Mars with a major force and the Legion, with various assistance by the other Orders and the colonising countries, has been having major skirmishes with Aberrant (and later on, cultist) forces for more than half a year by now. As a side note, it is from these groups of Legion volunteers that the 7th Legion will be formed after this conflict.

When Whiskey says they are investigating a suspect colony he means that the Legion have some reason to believe that this outpost on Mars is harbouring at least Aberrant Cultists, if not one or more Aberrants themselves. ::ohmy

[SkyLion]

Just a quick acknoledgment to you Roy, having recieved your communiques. Im in the middle of my work week however so it will take a day or 2 before I can get to them. Id like to give you in depth answers to your in depth questions. ::happy

[Rorx]

I'd like to thank Jackson for giving us our own Subforum for the game ::biggrin

Next I'll be starting a topic for character outlines, intially some of the NPC's you meet or would know, but feel free to put stuff up about your own characters as well.

[Rorx]

Looking back over my files, I found that I normally give a total of 25 skill pts so some of you will need to add a few to your characters.

[Rorx]

I can confirm that when he gets his membership sorted out (currently on at least his 5th attempt) we will have a PC Clear with the team.

Attached is a Word and RT format Character sheet I've used in the past for table top games, whether on not you want to use it, but I'll keep a copy of all characters in this format for my own records anyway.

[32767]

You may want to PM his name to both the super admins. ::neo

This problem started with spam, and if his name is anywhere near as weird as mine, he may need the help to be recognised as legit.

[Rorx]

I have, several times. So I guess something else may be going on as well.

By the way what sort of rifle did you take? Sonic, projectile, or laser?

[32767]

Given those options, defiantly sonic. If he has to defend himself, it doesn't automatically mean he has to kill someone.

[Rorx]

Even if he may be defending himself from an Aberrant?

[Rorx]

Many Thanks to the Admins for helping get hblack - our group Clear onto the site. Now when he gets back off holiday he can sort out his character sheet...

[32767]

Yeah! The board is back!

[Rorx]

Just a quick comment to remind people that mars isn't really as red as it is typically portrayed, more of a browny/khaki with a hint of rust?

Also note that due to the low pressure atmosphere at this stage of the terraforming John's sonic carbine will be at reduced effectiveness outside of the presurised outpost buildings.

[Snackula]

Gotcha. Incidentally, I've been holding my next post until 32767 does something. Let me know if you want to just go ahead with things, though.

[Rorx]

Had a PM saying 32767 might be delayed, so if you have something in mind then go ahead and post it.

[Rorx]

I know the answer is no, but I will ask anyway. Can we, during the game buy Mode natural above 7 ::innocent

That would depend on a number of things, not least being what you think a higher level of Mode Natural would give?

I assume you are aware that the recomended XP cost for Merits/Flaws (if allowed at all) is 10XP per pt of Merit/Flaw according to the TPG.

Lastly it would have to be a very significant Psi based event or series of events to allow a major change in someones Psi abilities like that. Having said that, I can think of an appropriate one far in the game future...

[Snackula]

Guess I'll go ahead and post, then. Any word from 32767 on when he might be back?

[Rorx]

Nope, just (12/6/08) that he was having some problems and it is hard to be creative.

I just wish him well in overcoming/outlasting his problem(s) and a prompt return to the game as and when he feels capable of it.

In the meantime I'm trying to chase up the guys I used to play with to finish their characters.

By the way, if anyone else is interested, there is plenty of room to join in...::biggrin

[Snackula]

Sorry I've been so scarce lately. Between finishing the summer semester, starting a new management job, and beginning a new relationship, free time has been in extremely low supply. Would you mind terribly if we put the game on hold until your new players arrive? I think by then things may have settled down a bit for me.

[KingOfDreams]

I think I want to try one of these online games. I love Trinity but have never had a chance to play it. I also have never played a game online before. What does PbP stand for anyways? Maybe someone can direct me to a link that would help explain it to me better.

What kind of player are you looking for Rorx? I have a life that unfortunately needs some attention now and then. What kind of commitment would you expect?

[Rorx]

PbP I've always assumed stood for Play by Post, as in posting to a forum.

I new to this myself, this being the first game I've tried to run in this format, and my recent joining of TransD my first playing in the format.

Looking at the previous games here it is quite simple, 1 thread for In Character (IC) actions/chat/ST description, and 1 or threads for Out Of Character (OOC) stuff.

[Rorx]

What kind of player are you looking for Rorx? I have a life that unfortunately needs some attention now and then. What kind of commitment would you expect?

I know that RL is frequently a problem that can kill games so I willing to take the long view. At this stage I'm looking for a post every day or three on average, with a short post or PM if you know you won't be able to post for over a week. Hopefully this is something people will bf ok with?

[KingOfDreams]

Just tell me one thing.

We are going there to kill them. Not to study. Not to bring back.

Right?

OK. I'm in.

Let me know how you want me to make my character.

[Rorx]

I think I went through it all earlier on in this topic?

,,

Basically standard stats, Psi, Willpower, and backgrounds. 25 pts for abilities, 15 bonus pts and I think it was 50xp.

Aptitudes available are all the basic ones and Teleportation, but to have Teleportation requires Psi 6+ and Willpower 7+. Most of the optional rules from TPG are in use, skills, backgrounds, Merits and Flaws, zero tolerance for unformatted biotech, and finally double Psi pts.

All characters need to be members of the Upeo as you will need to go with them when the exodus occurs in about 6 or less months time

[KingOfDreams]

Basically standard stats, Psi, Willpower, and backgrounds. 25 pts for abilities, 15 bonus pts and I think it was 50xp.

Aptitudes available are all the basic ones and Teleportation, but to have Teleportation requires Psi 6+ and Willpower 7+. Most of the optional rules from TPG are in use, skills, backgrounds, Merits and Flaws, zero tolerance for unformatted biotech, and finally double Psi pts.

All characters need to be members of the Upeo as you will need to go with them when the exodus occurs in about 6 or less months time

I am going to hammer out a character concept tonight. I had my mind set on a Clairsentient, but I read earlier in this post that you knew someone that would be playing a clear already. This was posted a while ago and I haven't seen any indication that this person ever joined. Will me making a clear as well be a problem?

[Rorx]

I've got an outline for that Clear, but they haven't sent me the final version. Whether they do or not I have no problem with having two Clears in the team.

Please bear in mind when writing the background for the character that we start play early in 2114, not 2120 like the standard games/setting material. The major change is of course that France/Europe is still there and looking forward to the benefits that are just starting to kick in from the Esperanza station that several european nations collaborated on building. Another change is that the 7th Legion doesn't yet exist.

Some questions to think about:-

The Chib purge was only 5 years ago in 2109, was the character a psion then, what did they think of it all and would they have participated in the Purge?

The colonies on Mars occassionally come to bows (Chinese, UAN, FSA others) what is your characters view on these, and also on the current operations to try to remove the Aberrant Invasion by the Colony and his follows on Mars?

Another relatively recent event is the start of attacks on Karroo station by the Chromatics (within the last 6-9 months), any views/opinions?

[KingOfDreams]

Upon approval of my character, I can post a background in the Cast Steps Out thread if you like? It leads right up to her joining Upeo, just briefly covering events.

As far as how she feels about the things you presented:

Chib Purge-

Seeing how she wasn't directly involved as a psion when it happened, she probably doesn't know what to think. She joined ISRA probably right before the purge. My guess is she was too busy to really notice and form her own opinion. Due to her Nature, she probably just adopted whatever opinions were expressed by those influential to her at the time. By 2114 she will have grown more and developed of a sense of identity for herself. She would be open to new facts that came out if they were presented correctly.

Mars Colonies/Aberrant Threat-

She still has a sense of patriotism to China and would likely take her fellow countryman's side in an argument or even altercation. Even so, she understands that differences of opinion occur and that a shortage of resources can cause the best of allies to turn on one another. In a delicate society such as an off earth colony needs to be handled with care. Diplomacy and understanding would be the preferred methods of approach when dealing with these kinds of conflicts. Talking goes out the window when it comes to Abbies though. A Squid is not human and won't understand human ideas. It will understand the science of a highly ionized plasma blast though!

Karroo and the Chromatics-

Initially she will lump aliens in with Aberrants. Especially if they are prone to violence. She would shoot first and ask questions later.

[Rorx]

Thanks King, I've had a look over the character and she seems generally fine. I've sent an email back with it reformatted to what I use for my own records and a couple of comments.

Common error - taking equipment/devices that can't exist yet, I think almost everyone has done this - Remember this is set 6 years before the standard Canon stuff, so things that are just being released in source material in 2120 have no chance of being around in 2114.

Could you take the background beyond joining the Upeo, she should have been a member for about a year or more for preference.

[KingOfDreams]

Thanks King, I've had a look over the character and she seems generally fine. I've sent an email back with it reformatted to what I use for my own records and a couple of comments.

Common error - taking equipment/devices that can't exist yet, I think almost everyone has done this - Remember this is set 6 years before the standard Canon stuff, so things that are just being released in source material in 2120 have no chance of being around in 2114.

Could you take the background beyond joining the Upeo, she should have been a member for about a year or more for preference.

It is difficult to select gear from the books with the criteria of year of release. I agree that the pistol was stated to have just been released, but because it didn't really mention a year or date I thought you might allow it. Just about all descriptions of gear are pretty vague as to when they actually came out. I figured it was up to you to decide if it had been invented yet or not.

I chose the pistol because I liked how it fit with my character concept. She has found the life of a soldier strangely exciting and has made it a personal goal to fight Aberrants. While there are more ways than brute force to combat Earth's enemy, my character has decided that a dose of high end damage almost always comes in handy when dealing with squids. While she doesn't excel at combat, she feels better carrying something with a lot of punch. The plasma pistol was out of my standard Resource range so I selected it with the Device background. I was going to fill in the details as to how she actually got it later. If I can't have the pistol, would she be able to have a beefed up automatic shotgun or maybe a grenade launcher? I worry too about having heavy ordinance as it tends to worry customs agents when traveling abroad or authorities who ask you to the local police station for questioning!

As far as where I spent my bonus and experience points...I don't quite remember either. I kind of just started at the beginning of the alphabet when selecting abilities. When I ran out of initial character points, I started using bonus points and then experience points. I think I used bonus points to buy at least two of the dots in my modes. Most of my experience went into the modes as well. If you are worried about me miscalculating the points, I want to try and reassure you that I endeavor to refrain from being a power gamer. The concept of this character is that she has never really focused on one area for two long. I think I represented this concept well with the allocation of stats and abilities.

I'll e-mail you the background I have written so far. As far as her time with Upeo, I figure she hooked up with the Monitors and basically did whatever she was asked to do, hence her Nature taking control.

I might want to reallocate my Backgrounds a bit if the Device one isn't going to be necessary. I guess I should have at least one dot in Status [iSRA] to reflect her time with them.

[Rorx]

The concept and background are fine, but I was a bit surprised that there was no sign of the presumably top class schooling that her wealthy parents would have gotten for her. I guess she would have been trying to get them to allow her to take courses geared towards joining the military as soon as she could, and so I'd have expected some Academics, or Bureacracy as well as Mil.Science and/or Command. Her physical skills are fine for what she has done. We can always 'backfill' with experience as teh game goes along I suppose, or just see if it would be appropriate to shift a couple of points around?

V22P - yep I see how it would fit in with her concept, but from the description it can only have been released in 2119, the other manufactorers wouldn't be more than a year behind in geting their own versions out and it states that they haven't yet. A 5-6 year gap is just too much. I'd rather keep it from being a military class weapon if possible, as they simply are not allowed in private hands, no licenses and definitely no transport across borders. Having said that for missions with the Upeo these things are less of a problem, little customs when you are Jumping into a country.

How about one of your own ideas, a Voss Laser pistol with an experimental hot-shot capability. For using 10 shots worth of ammo per shot the damage is upped to 8L per shot, but keeps the +1 Acc. Unfortunately it will require special energy clips as well and you only have 3 in total, although they recharge as normal from a charger or wall/ship connection. You also need to replace the focussing lenses after every 10 hotshots, but this is pretty straight forward to do and not a very difficult spare to get hold of (at the moment...).

I don't really see the need for any Status with ISRA, after all she didn't stay with any one group long enough to have built any with them particularly.

From the sounds of it she would be bouncing around from place to place quite a bit with her concept so I'm not sure if she would have tagged along more with the Long Riders than the Monitors - which would have brought her more into contact with the other characters, if only briefly or by reputation, in the past. I agree that she fits well with the investigation/enforcement side of the Monitors, but they tend to fix themselves to one colony/region more than I think she would like. Having said that as she is not a Teleporter she would nominally be with the Nguzo (sp?) and could be used as a resource sent to help out Monitors who need her skills or where she feels her help will be needed...::biggrin

[KingOfDreams]

I like your reasoning as to why she doesn't have a lot of higher education type of abilities. She was just never really interested in that type of learning. I can reallocate a dot into Academics if you feel it is necessary though.

Your hotshotting pistol idea looks great! Would that require a Device background? If so, how many dots?

As far as her history with Upeo, I want to go with whatever makes it easier for you and the game. She is a Follower. If she was assigned to Nguzo, she would have gone wherever they told her to go. Works great for me!

Should I post the background?

[Rorx]

I like your reasoning as to why she doesn't have a lot of higher education type of abilities. She was just never really interested in that type of learning. I can reallocate a dot into Academics if you feel it is necessary though.

I'll just keep part of your exp back and allocate it to the missing skill(s) for a while ::biggrin

Your hotshotting pistol idea looks great! Would that require a Device background? If so, how many dots?

Device 2, the same as you used for the V22P previously.

As far as her history with Upeo, I want to go with whatever makes it easier for you and the game. She is a Follower. If she was assigned to Nguzo, she would have gone wherever they told her to go. Works great for me!

Should I post the background?

Not sure about her being a Follower, after all if that was the case she wouldn't have. presumably, pushed her way into changing her role so much all through ISRA and into the Upeo. She would have meekly taken her place in whichever Order first presented itself. By the way, that would have been much more likely to be the Ministry, I think in AsAs it mentions them doing pretty rigorous Psi testing as part of the schooling. In addition at Psi 4 she barely has a higher enough Psi to show a talent for a particular Aptitude at all, so it is highly unlikely a Mashrigi (sp?) would be looking specifically for her. Also, in the past, or future, if she has a premonition of somewhere to be or an event that will be occurring would she as a Follower have the initiative to get up and go there or otherwise intervene?

Posting background - can do if you want, or a brief summary as has been done so far in that topic, it's up to you.

[KingOfDreams]

I figured the Follower Nature was dead on. It's simple. She is at the mercy of the noetic continuum! That "predestination" clears talk about so much is what she follows.

[Rorx]

Yeah, that's what I mean, more like a Matyr, or Explorer, or Visionary in that she follows a higher calling not the "whims and wishes" of whichever fallable person she has temporarily been assigned to.