Numenera: Nine Lives

[Gabe OOC]

Numenera: Nine Lives

,,

It is said by tellers of tales that the mythical animal known as the felix had nine lives. They also ascribe to it an innate curiosity so strong it often led the felix into fatal situations. We are like the felix, living upon the dirty floor of a much older and grander estate, scavenging the smallest creatures and refuse to endure.

,,

But what else have we? The numenera are omnipresent, and we must learn to control and understand them if we are to endure - and grow again.

,,

So honor those who are the felix, whom seek out the worst and mysterious for their sakes and ultimately all of ours. And remember them after they are departed - for we mortals have but one of our own.

,,

-- From the writings of Aenos Terith, Aeon Priest

,,

Concept: Numenera. PCs will be a recently formed band of adventurers (details to mainly be threshed out between the players), out for delving into the unknown and making a living out of it. I'll run The Seedship adventure from the book, and then play stuff out from there.

Starting Date: When people are ready (especially me) we'll start.

Intent: Have fun of course, while giving Numenera a nice good shot for experience and all.

Themes: You expect a good mix of the weird, the scary and the hopeful. The Ninth World is built on the incomprehensible layers of the past, with kooky relics all around you, and many of them are more likely to harm than help. At the same time, bit by bit, you can use your discoveries to better a person, a village, a nation. A journey of a thousand eons begins with a single day of effort, after all.

Mechanics:
There really isn't much to say, but standard 'starting' characters.

,,

Who wants in?

[Forge]

Taking a ridiculous amount of time to do this on my old kindle, but I wanted to say I am in.

[SalmonMax]

Not in...okay, can't even start to keep a straight face.

,,

Course I'm interested.

[Krul]

I'm in.. definitely, interested

[z014]

I'm interested.

[Sir Reginald Ambrose]

I am a clever jack, who explores dark places.

[SalmonMax]

My book's still on order. Should be here soon. I'm thinking a nano of some kind, but I really need to see the rulez before I can get more specific.

[Krul]

I have an idea for a glaive and a nano.. both of which I think could be fun.. if no one else has a glaive concept, I'll go for the glaive, otherwise I think I'll aim for the nano.

[The Story Guide]

I'll need some handholding through character creation as I don't have access to a book at this point. I'll probably want to play one of the tech/magic types.

[jameson (ST)]

Fill in the blanks:

,,

I am a [descriptor] [type], who [focus].

,,

Types:

• Glaive - fighter/warrior
• Nano - tech/magic
• Jack - Jack of all trades/support role

Descriptors:

• Charming
• Clever
• Graceful
• Intelligent
• Learned
• Mystical/Mechanical
• Rugged
• Stealthy
• Strong
• Strong-Willed
• Swift
• Tough

Foci:

• Bears a Halo of Fire
• Carries a Quiver
• Commands Mental Powers
• Controls Beasts
• Controls Gravity
• Crafts Illusions
• Crafts Unique Objects
• Employs Magnetism
• Entertains
• Exists Partially Out of Phase
• Explores Dark Places
• Fights With Panache
• Focuses Mind Over Matter
• Fuses Flesh and Steel
• Howls at the Moon
• Hunts With Great Skill
• Leads
• Lives in the Wilderness
• Masters Defense
• Masters Weaponry
• Murders
• Rages
• Rides the Lightning
• Talks to Machines
• Wears a Sheen of Ice
• Wields Power With Precision
• Wields Two Weapons at Once
• Works Miracles
• Works the Back Alleys

[z017]

Jim, you are the best!

[jameson (ST)]

[bender's voice] I know it. [/bender's voice]

[z015]

Ayame is a Mystical Nano that Talks to Machines.

[SalmonMax]

Hm. I shall be a Strong Willed Nano who Bears a Halo of Fire.

OR

If we have too many Nanos...

A Swift Jack who either Controls Beasts or Hunts with Great Skill.

I kind of need to see the rules before I focus these ideas down more, but just to give people an idea of what I'm looking at.

[Gabe OOC]

Just FYI as a suggestion for those without books. Go to DrivethroughRPG. Purchase a PDF copy of the Numenera Player's Guide. You get all the creation and player-relevant rules straight from the book.

[jameson (ST)]

For people who want to play but don't want to invest fully but want to play the Numenera Player's Guide might be a worthwhile $8 to spend. It's 64 pages and basically gives you everything you need except the detailed setting stuff.

,,

Here's a link to the aforementioned PG:

,,

[Forge]

Not having my hands on an actual book, is it safe to assume that everything in the PG is also in the main book? Or is it recommended to have both (as is usually the case)?

,,

Edit: I am a strong-willed jack who carries a quiver.

,,

He can be a glaive if we are jack heavy.

[Gabe OOC]

The PG is basically the mechanics portion of the main book, so you can create your characters and get rolling. In other words, yes.

[jameson (ST)]

The Player's Guide is basically Parts 1 and 2 (Gettign Started and Characters) with a dash of part 3 (playing the game). It's focused heavily on being exactly what it claims, a Player's Guide, as the rest (setting, rules, and the like) is really the domain of the GM/ST.

,,

Edit: For $8 for the PDF it'll get you playing, but if you think you will want to really dive into things the book at $20 for the PDF is probably a better buy over all.

[Krul]

Based on what I see.. nano's and jacks are what most of you are focusing on.. so..

,,

I will be a graceful glaive who fuses flesh with steel

[Gabe OOC]

Based on what I see.. nano's and jacks are what most of you are focusing on.. so..

,,

I will be a graceful glaive who fuses flesh with steel

,,

Honestly Krul, I would like to point out that you have a bad track record with keeping up your participation in games (played or ran). Which is why I am very hesitant about accepting you.

[jameson (ST)]

Reg is def. a jack, descriptor and focus subject to change. When I read that part of the book the first time through it was for review purposes and not char gen purposes...

Reg is a clever jack who explores dark places.

[Krul]

Fair enough, in that case, I'll withdraw my application, have fun then.

[Jordan]

I am totally In for this. I have a number of concepts, so let me know what we are lacking Gabe and I'll come up with something.

My "pet" concept right now is Caloval; a Tough Nano who Wears a Sheen of Ice. I also have an idea for a Graceful Jack who Howls at the Moon. There are a few Glaive ideas fermenting but nothing concrete I want to play on that front.

[Sir Reginald Ambrose]

"Sir" Reginald Ambrose - I am a clever jack, who explores dark places.

,,

Strength

• Pool: 12
• Edge: 0

Speed

• Pool: 14
• Edge: 1

​Intellect

• Pool: 12
• Edge: 0

Effort: 1

Tier: 1

Cypher Use: 2

,,

Skills:

• Trained
  • Speed Defense
  • all interactions involving lies or trickery.
  • defense rolls to resist mental effects
  • all tasks involving, identifying or assessing danger, lies, quality, importance, function, or power
  • searching
  • listening
  • climbing
  • balancing
  • jumping
• Specialized
  • Speed Defense (without armor only)
• Inability
  • The difficulty of any task involving lore, knowledge, or understanding is increased by one step.

Tricks of the Trade & Focus Abilities:

• Practiced with Light and Medium Weapons
• Flex Skill - At the beginning of each day, choose one task (other than attacks or defense) on which you will
  concentrate. For the rest of that day, you’re trained in that task. You can’t use this ability with a skill you’re already trained in to become specialized.
• Trained Without Armor
• Practiced Defense (Speed)

Equipment:

• Money: 18 shins
• Clothing
• Quarterstaff (4 damage)
• Verred (4 damage)
• Light Armor - Leather Jerkin (Armor 1, 1 might per hour, -2 to speed pool) - not worn
• Explorer's Pack - Contains 100 feet (15 m) of rope, rations for 5 days, three spikes, hammer, warm clothes, sturdy boots, three torches, and four minor glowglobes.
• Pack of light tools - Contains small tongs, pliers, screwdriver, small hammer, small pry bar, lockpicks, 10
  feet (3 m) of string, 3 feet (1 m) of wire, and miscellaneous screws and nails.
• Numenera
  • Cypher
  • Cypher
  • Oddity

,,

Connection: Pick one other PC. This character has been your adventuring partner in previous expeditions, and the

two of you work so well together that you both gain +1 to any die rolls when you collaborate on the same task, fight

the same foe, and so on.

Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: 1. You convinced one of the other PCs to tell you what he was doing.

,,

Background: You grew up on the streets and studied at the school of hard knocks.

,,

I'll expand on his background tonight, my lunch break is now over.

[SalmonMax]

Here's what I'm playing with so far. Still toying with builds, but I like where this one's going.

,,

Juno Reyes

A Tough Jack who fuses Flesh and Steel

Might
Pool: 14
Edge: 1

Speed
Pool: 15 (14 in medium armor)
Edge: 0

Intellect
Pool: 13
Edge: 0

Effort: 1
Tier: 1
Cypher Use: 2
Armor: 4

Skills:
- Practiced
Light and Medium Weapons

- Trained
Might Defense
Persuasion

Descriptor traits
+1 Armor
+1 hit point healed w/ recovery roll
Trained in Might Defense
Extra light weapon

Focus Traits
Fuses Flesh and Steel
Tier 1 - Physical Enhancement; +1 armor, +3 Might, +3 Speed

Class abilities: Jack
Practiced with Light and Medium weapons
Skill Training
- Persuasion
Flex Skill
- Repairs
Tricks of the Trade
- Practiced in Armor
- Thrust

Equipment:
Money: 1 shin
Clothing
Backpack, 2 shin
Crossbow, 12 bolts (medium weapon)
Spear (medium weapon)
Forearm Dagger (light weapon)
Leather Jerkin (light armor)
Brigandine hauberk (medium armor), 5 shin
Explorer Pack
Pack of light tools

Numenera
Glossy ceramic sphere (Detonation 3)
Monocle (Memory Lens 2)
Ring with black gem; gem flashes white when green-eyed people are near.

Connection: Pick one other PC (probably Mala, with her numenera-sense). This character knows you're a cyborg

Initial Link to the Starting Adventure:
- Either bodyguard to Mala, or Stepped in to Defend her
- Also needs money

Background:

[Gabe OOC]

Jameson: Your numenera....

,,

Oddity: A two-headed cat fetus in a glass jar.

Cypher: A level 2 one-use version of the food tube artifact, producing a rancid smelling, sticky but completely edible and filling maroon cube of paste. It provides enough nutrition for a day for the person who eats it.

Cypher: A dull gray rectangular thin slice of synth that when activated, functions as a level 5 temporal viewer.

[Forge]

Not in this game anymore.

Korch Ironeye (formerly of the Forgebearers) - I am a strong-willed glaive, who carries a quiver.

Strength

• Pool: 13
• Edge: 1

Speed

• Pool: 13
• Edge: 1

Intellect

• Pool: 12
• Edge: 0

Effort: 1
Tier: 1
Cypher Use: 2

Skills

• Practiced in Armor
• Practiced With All Weapons
• Trained in resisting mental efforts.
• Trained in tasks requiring incredible focus or concentration.
• Climbing

Fighting Moves

• Pierce
• Trained Without Armor

Equipment

• Money: 5 shins
• Clothing
• Crank Crossbow with Synthsteel Stock (4 damage) (24 ammo)
• Punching Dagger (2 damage)
• Forearm Blade (2 damage)
• Medium Armor Beastskin (Armor 2, 0 might per hour, -1 to speed pool {after skill mods})
• Explorer's Pack - Contains 50 feet (15 m) of rope, rations for 3 days, three spikes, hammer, warm clothes, sturdy boots, three torches, and two minor glowglobes.

Numenera

• Cypher - A synth tube with a metal tip point: injection of the green wriggling.... contents is a Lv 3 Speed Boost.
• Cypher - A black crystal nodule, which works as a Lv 2 Time Dilation Node (Defensive).
• Oddity - Twisted translucent crystal spike.

Connection: Pick one other PC to be the true friend who gave you the excellent bow that you currently use. Secretly pick a second PC. When you miss with a bow and the GM rules that you struck someone other than your target, you hit the second character, if possible.

Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: One of the other PCs convinced you that joining the group would be in your best interest.

Background: Youve trained under excellent instructors and have experience in many dangerous situations, but what makes you different is deep inside, entwined in your genetic heritage.

Korch was part of a large wealthy family that operates a scavenging, mining, and foundry business (along with various side work that shows profit). Being near the end of a large amount of children, he was regulated to a rather unattended upbringing. He took advantage of this time to stowaway on caravans, wherever they may be headed, for the thrill of adventure. Despite numerous run-ins with dangers and beatings from his father, he wouldn't give it up.

As years passed, his Father, and family in general gave up on beating sense into Korch's head and assigned him to scouting forays, scavenge jobs and all the things he had been running away doing. However, now that it was something he was responsible for, he found every excuse to retreat from his duties and frequently drunk himself into a stupor or picked fights to prevent getting himself shipped out.

This behavior was repeated ad nauseum until a find was discovered that required immediate action. Korch's father, knowing other trades would be picking over it within days, was forced to assign it to his son as all his other reliable sources were either out or fulfilling contracts.

In a rare bout of responsibility, Korch understood the gravitas of the situation and gave his word to his father that he would be ready at first light. The details were set and Korch set about making preparations. His mouth got the better of him that evening at the bar and one of the aforementioned competitors took it upon himself to dose Korch's drinks. Korch was comatose for three days.

This resulted in Korch's father, having no other option, and running on a tank full of hate and disappointment to undertake the job himself that morning. His eldest son was set to return within hours and could then maintain operations.

The details are unknown, but the hired workers were found dead and Korch's father was all but dead as he became an invalid.

The resulting fallout had Korch branded as a traitor to the family. Bereft and penniless he left his home. Korch has vowed to find a way to cure his father and regain his family's trust.

[Charlotte]

Took a while longer than I figured, but I got one done.

,,

Alice Chalk

A Graceful Glaive who Fights With Panache.

Might: 12
Speed: 17
Intellect: 7

Base bonuses: Speed +5, Might +1. Alice fights mostly with grace.
Graceful: +2 Speed

Effort: 1
Edge: Might 1, Speed 1
Cyphers: 2
Practiced in Armor
Practiced with All Weapons
Physical Skills: Jumping
Starting Equipment: Clothing, jeweled sword (medium,) shield, bow (medium, 12 arrows,) medium armor, explorer's pack, 5 shins.

Fighting Moves:
- Trained Without Armor
- Bash

Graceful Skills: All skills involving balance and careful movement, all Speed Defense tasks.

Initial Link: One of the other PCs convinced Alice that joining the group would be in her best interest.

Fights With Panache: Gains jeweled weapon and stylish clothing.

Attack Flourish: Choose any number of creatures within sight range; they gain +1 to their next die rolls.

Cyphers: 1) Gold Metal Ring that acts as level 2 phase changer, and 2) a blue-green pill that acts as a a level 1 sheen.

Oddity: A perpetual motion red synth wheel on a chain.

[Gabe OOC]

So Mala needs to post her stuff for her Nano... and everyone needs to have their links done, and I am roll-calling to see who is in and who isn't.

,,

PS:

Forge...

,,

Oddity: Twisted translucent crystal spike.

Cypher: A synth tube with a metal tip point: injection of the green wriggling.... contents is a Lv 3 Speed Boost.

Cypher: A black crystal nodule, which works as a Lv 2 Time Dilation Node (Defensive)

[SalmonMax]

In. I will finish up the flavor text on my character. I see that she inherited an old name too...I will be fixing that as well. S'what I get for repurposing old sheets.

[Charlotte]

Roll call status: in.

[z011]

Basic Mechanics:

,,

Mystic Nano who Talks to Machines

,,

Might 9, Edge 0

Speed 11, Edge 0

Intellect 16, Edge 1

,,

Psychic Lorekeeper Background

,,

Effort 1

,,

Expert Cypher Use: 3 Cyphers at a time, light weapon proficiency, trained in numenera.

,, ,,

Estoeries:

Hedge Magic (Action - 1 Intellect point): Various minor tricks, like fixing broken objects, preparing (not creating food), changing the looks of a small object, etc. No ability to harm with these tricks.

,,

Scan (Action - 2 Intellect points): You can scan everything within a 10 foot cube area of your choice that is in Short Range. You learn the level of objects and creatures, and any pertinent facts about the matter and energy present as deemed by the GM

,,

Ward (Enabler): Protective shields of energy at all times that give you a +1 to Armor.

,,

Skill: Numenera, Specialized (two difficulty decreases)

,,

Sense "Magic": You can sense if the numenera are active in a situation where it's not already obviously apparent that they are. You have to study your target object or

location for at least a minute in order to do so.

,,

Inability: You have an aura or manner that puts people off their gruel. The difficulty of another task involving charm, persuasion or deception goes up by one step.

,,

Equipment: A bag of small tools, a light weapon, a book about the numenera, 4 shins, 3 cyphers, 2 oddities.

,,

Tier 1 Abilities:

Machine Affinity (Enabler): You are trained in all tasks involving electrical machines.

,,

Distant Activation (Action - 1 Intellect point): You can activate or deactivate any machine you can see within short range, even if normally you would have to touch or manually operate the device. To use this ability, you must understand the function of the machine, it must be your size or smaller, and it can’t be connected to another intelligence (or be intelligent itself).

,, ,, ,, ,,

How do races work in this game? Is everyone essentially base human unless otherwise stated by mechanics?

[Forge]

Definitely still in.

[jameson (ST)]

How do races work in this game? Is everyone essentially base human unless otherwise stated by mechanics?

Basically everybody is "human" (and that is a very loose term indeed). Stuff like genetic engineering, nanites, cybernetics and more can explain why your character does what they do, but beyond that they don't really have any other impact. Two nanos might both have Ward and one has a psychokinetic defense while the other is actually armored with synth and steel. Same effect either way.

,,

The only two non-human play-able races (and mutant humans) (all of which I think Jer was smart to avoid in a starting game) are taken as replacement Descriptors. Instead of being a Sneaky Glaive who Mastery Weaponry you would be a Mutant Glaive ... or a Lattimor Glaive ...

,,

Really though, Numenera has so much weirdness going on that I, personally speaking, find the idea of non-"human" PCs to be a distraction.

,,

As for role call ... I want to play, but I am expecting to be running Seedship late next month (unless my players do something I don't expect) and I'm not really sure it is fair to any of us involved if I play as a result - it won't be as fun for me, it'll be more challenging to Jer, and I may unconsciously ruin things for the rest of you. As such I am going to bow out.

[Gabe OOC]

No, don't leave. I can always roll out one of the modules none of you have played before. Assuming none of you haven't run through all of them already. The key is just the prewritten module, one of them to get us going, before I begin some missions from scratch.

[jameson (ST)]

Problem is that given the pace of the games around here I'll be through all of the pre-gen modules before we get past the second encounter regardless of the module. I've already run the Nightmare Switch, and expect to have the second and final session of the Vortex next weekend. After that will be Seedship, then Beal, and finish up with the last one (I can never recall the name) before year's end, probably by early December.

,,

*shrug* it's no big deal, and TBH I figured this might happen if my group ended up liking the game.

[Jordan]

I'm still in! I know I've been quiet but I've mostly been waiting to see what other people were playing. Now that I know we have at least 2 Glaives, and 1 or 2 Jacks I am very comfortable going with my Nano idea, so Here he is:

Calaval is a Tough Nano who Wears a Sheen of Ice

Rank: 1, Effort: 1, Nano Background: Ports and Plugs

Might Pool: 10, Edge: 0

Speed Pool: 10, Edge: 0

Intellect Pool: 14, Edge: 1

Abilities

Practiced with Light Weapons

Expert Cypher Use: Use 3 Cyphers

Resilient: 1 Armor

Hardy: Gain an extra pool point back when making recovery rolls

Ice Esoteries: When performing esoteries, those that would normally use force or other energy instead use cold and ice.

Ice Armor (1 intellect): +1 Armor, +3 Armor vs. Cold and Ice, 10 Minute Duration

Skills

Numenera Trained

Might Defence Trained

Esoteries

Onslaught (Ice, 1 Intellect): You attack a foe using energies that assail either his physical form or his mind. In either case, you must be able to see your target. If the attack is physical, you emit a short-range ray of force that inflicts 4 points of damage. If the attack is mental, you focus your mental energy to blast the thought processes of another creature within short range. This mindslice inflicts 2 points of Intellect damage (and thus ignores Armor). Some creatures without minds (such as automatons) might be immune to mindslice. Action.

Scan (2 Intellect): You scan an area equal in size to a 10-foot (l-meter) cube, including all objects or creatures within that area. The area must be within short range. Scanning a creature or object always reveals its level (a measure of how powerful, dangerous, or difficult it is). You also learn whatever facts the GM feels are pertinent about the matter and energy in that area. For example, you might learn that the wooden box contains a device of metal and synth. You might learn that the glass cylinder is full of poisonous gas, and that its metal stand has an electrical field running through it that connects to a metal mesh in the floor. You might learn that the creature standing before you is a mammal with a small brain. However, this esotery doesn't tell you what the information means. Thus, in the first example, you don't know what the metal and synth device does. In the second, you don't know if stepping on the floor causes the cylinder to release the gas. In the third, you might suspect that the creature is not very intelligent, but scans, like looks, can be deceiving. Many materials and energy fields prevent or resist scanning. Action.

Gear, Shins: 4

Clothes

Wrist Blade

Stronglass Dagger that looks like Ice

Dart Thrower

12 Darts

A book about the Numenera

3 Cyphers

1 Oddity

Connections

1 PC gets the benefit of Ice Armor if standing next to Caloval when I activate Ice Armor.

Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: You stepped in to defend one of the PCs when that character was threatened. While talking to him afterward, you heard about the group's task.

A full background write-up will be forthcomming.

[Gabe OOC]

Jordan, looks fine.

,,

Oddity: Three silken gloves with six fingers each.

Cypher: Level 5 Reality Spike

Cypher: A canister of organic green slime, counting as Lv 2 Living Solvent

Cypher: A small square of brown cloth with a strange white outer lining - when slap-patched on the arm, it provides a Lv 3 Knowledge Enhancement.

[Forge]

Since it has been 15 days now since the last post and 45 days since the initial posting of interest for this game, I am bowing out.

,,

This is a prime example of why I'm not really active here anymore. People can't be bothered to live up to the expectations they set and in doing so, lead everyone else on.