Tensided SDN3 Campaign Discussion Thread

Gerard_Paloma · Post by **Gerard_Paloma** » 2004-11-18 11:34pm

Discuss the upcoming Cyberpunk game here. We're currently at 6 players, which will be considered a full roster.

Current roster of players (Full):
Alyrium
CorSec
Deathstalker
Gerard
Hotfoot
Marcao

Marcao · Post by **Marcao** » 2004-11-19 12:01am

Well, what can I say so far. Since Ernesto is out, I am mulling a character archetype which will vary depending upon the situation and needs.

Deathstalker · Post by **Deathstalker** » 2004-11-19 12:08am

Just a question about the setting. Is it Shadowrunnish, in that there is civilization and set in the near future, or is more like Rifts, destruction of civilization and PCs are picking up the pieces?

Marcao · Post by **Marcao** » 2004-11-19 12:10am

Deathstalker wrote:Just a question about the setting. Is it Shadowrunnish, in that there is civilization and set in the near future, or is more like Rifts, destruction of civilization and PCs are picking up the pieces?

From what I understand it is more akin to Cyberpunk in that civilization collapsed for a while, and megacorporations have sort of taken the role of governments. Corporations are king, with actual governments holding limited power assuming that their decisions do not run contrary to corporate interests. That is more or less the assumption that I am running, although Art would be the final arbitor as to what exactly is going on.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2004-11-19 12:10am

I wasn't going to bring any of this up until after SDN2 was over to avoid cluttering up the thread, but now that we have a new thread, what the hell?

I don't want to give away what I have in mind for the final SDN2 session this weekend, but this is the casting call for SDN3:

There are 6 players currently, and 6 to 7 roles to be filled, depending. None of them have a lot of personality and backstory "pre-packaged". The players will have a lot of leeway with each of them. Without further ado:

Genefreak:
For those of you who've forgotten, genefreaks are the result of various bio-engineering programs undertaken to try and create supersoldiers. Supersoldiers that don't need millions of dollars of cybernetics in order to be super. Supersoldiers that don't even need training. Unfortunately, the programs didn't really pan out. The results were not repeatable, the science was not well understood, and most of the experiments were completely insane. During World War III, both sides had figured out how to mass produce stealth bombers that neither side could see coming or stop. This resulted in the total worldwide devastation that we've all come to know and be friends with. It also allowed thousands of genefreaks to escape their captivity.

Genefreaks can reproduce with other genefreaks from the same "batch", and many have done so, resulting in an explosion of their population. They survive in enclaves of cities, preying on humans, or as nomads wandering the countryside. Most genefreaks are insane, but some are lucid. They usually take the form of a human with the traits of a particular animal, or an animal with a human brain and voicebox. Many of the lucid genefreaks have chosen to work for the corporations.

Gerard_Paloma will be playing the genefreak, although there is room for two if someone else wants to be one, too.

Carlos:
We've met Carlos, but we don't really know him very well. So there will be a lot of leeway playing him. All we know about him is that he is the leader of a rebellion against the corporations. We know that he is passionate, capable of leadership, and military-minded. Other than that, he is a blank slate waiting to be filled in. When I decided to include Carlos as a player character, I had CorSec in mind, but I don't want him to feel pressured into taking a role he doesn't want.

Carlos' Right and Left Hand Men:
Carlos has two Lieutenants that we've never met or heard alluded to. They are longtime friends of Carlos, and they are passionate and military-minded, but don't have his leadership skills. One of them runs the day to day affairs of T-TAC (that's Carlos' revolution). Aside from that, these guys are blank slates.

Corporate Techie:
This guy works for the corporations. He is high up, but not an executive. He has inside knowledge and expertise that the group will require. He is more or less a blank slate.

Corporate Soldier:
Longtime friend of the techie, this guy is corporate special forces. He is also a blank slate.

1 Returning Character:
I won't say who is returning just yet, mostly because we don't know for sure that he'll survive the last session. If he doesn't, then this slot will be removed.

Others:
Any other characters are a total blank slate.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2004-11-19 12:12am

Deathstalker wrote:Just a question about the setting. Is it Shadowrunnish, in that there is civilization and set in the near future, or is more like Rifts, destruction of civilization and PCs are picking up the pieces?

It's about 40% cyberpunk and 60% post-apocalyptic.

CorSec · Post by **CorSec** » 2004-11-19 08:11am

Arthur_Tuxedo wrote:Carlos:
We've met Carlos, but we don't really know him very well. So there will be a lot of leeway playing him. All we know about him is that he is the leader of a rebellion against the corporations. We know that he is passionate, capable of leadership, and military-minded. Other than that, he is a blank slate waiting to be filled in. When I decided to include Carlos as a player character, I had CorSec in mind, but I don't want him to feel pressured into taking a role he doesn't want.

No habla Español, señor. Nor am I naturally the leader type. But I am ready and willing to stretch myself as a player. (Heck, before I saw this thread I was toying with the idea of playing a chick. But that's only so I could touch myself.)

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-11-19 08:14am

Corporate Techie:
This guy works for the corporations. He is high up, but not an executive. He has inside knowledge and expertise that the group will require. He is more or less a blank slate.

I ccan take this one, though methinks I will play a female, but still the usual teep...(you will note that I like playing teeps, I find a niche and stick with it, because it is what I am good at)

Heh, why I have insider knowledge becomes obvious at this point... I cn sleep with them(And they dont know what their tongue is for), and read their minds...

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2004-11-19 03:28pm

Btw, if none of the roles look appealing to someone, there doesn't have to be a corporate soldier or a left hand man (or even a right hand man), so there is room for several people to make characters from scratch.

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2004-11-19 03:53pm

I'm in.

I wanted to jump into the last ten-sided game (I did at the start, anyways) but a conflicting schedule kinda ruined that. However, with a thankfully reduced workday now, I can probably make most games.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2004-11-19 04:12pm

Captain tycho wrote:I'm in. I wanted to jump into the last ten-sided game (I did at the start, anyways) but a conflicting schedule kinda ruined that. However, with a thankfully reduced workday now, I can probably make most games.

Okay, but I've been told you can be flakey. I'm not one to make drastic decisions based on hearsay so I'll let you in, but your character will be from scratch, so nothing will hinge on your presence at a game. That's not to say that you'll just be a tag-along, only that our ability to have a session will not depend on you being there. Once you prove yourself, of course, then you'll be able to call an important role. Sorry to doubt you, and I look forward to seeing my doubts proven unfounded.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2004-11-19 04:20pm

In case anyone's counting, that brings us to 7 players. I had originally envisioned a max of 5 because it's hard to coordinate schedules, but with Alyrium and CorSec moving to more flexible schedules, we will be able to have a game of SDN3 every week and at the same time on the same day each session. We'll just plan our schedules around that. I'm thinking Sunday from noon to 3 PM might be a good time to set.

Anyway, with a weekly game it wouldn't be a big deal if didn't have a session a certain week because a bunch of people couldn't make it. With a bi-weekly game, missed session means a whole month between games.

Gerard_Paloma · Post by **Gerard_Paloma** » 2004-11-20 03:23am

Alyrium Denryle wrote:I ccan take this one, though methinks I will play a female, but still the usual teep...(you will note that I like playing teeps, I find a niche and stick with it, because it is what I am good at)

But don't you want to stretch yourself as a player, like CorSec said? Doesn't playing the same type of character every time get stagnant after a while? I'd jump at the chance to play something different. Hell, I jumped at the chance to play the genefreak when Art told me his ideas for character roles. M6 was completely unlike anything I'd ever done before, and I now consider him one of my favorite characters. Step out of the comfort zone, you might like it.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-11-20 09:13am

Gerard_Paloma wrote:
Alyrium Denryle wrote:I ccan take this one, though methinks I will play a female, but still the usual teep...(you will note that I like playing teeps, I find a niche and stick with it, because it is what I am good at)
But don't you want to stretch yourself as a player, like CorSec said? Doesn't playing the same type of character every time get stagnant after a while? I'd jump at the chance to play something different. Hell, I jumped at the chance to play the genefreak when Art told me his ideas for character roles. M6 was completely unlike anything I'd ever done before, and I now consider him one of my favorite characters. Step out of the comfort zone, you might like it.

I am one of those epope that stretches ther playing abilities by putting a different personality, gender, background, etc, on the same general idea. For example in the last good D&D game I played a mage that had been so badly traumatized as an aprentice that he could not stand physical contact with other organisms, ad it was ny by Mystra's grace that he was able to overcome it. But i usualy play a primary spellcaster.[/i]

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2004-11-20 04:01pm

We're using OpenRPG, correct?

Gerard_Paloma · Post by **Gerard_Paloma** » 2004-11-20 05:51pm

Captain tycho wrote:We're using OpenRPG, correct?

That's correct.

Gerard_Paloma · Post by **Gerard_Paloma** » 2004-11-21 09:29pm

Well, I'm sorry to say this campaign has to end before it even begins. Art originally envisioned this as a follow-up to the SDN2 campaign. But, given the way that campaign ended, there's really no need to have a follow-up. Art may re-orient the idea for this campaign, but until further notice, this one's on hold indefinitely.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2004-11-22 02:00am

I'll probably do a new idea and new casting call in a few weeks, after finals and all of that. It just won't be right away.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2004-11-29 04:55pm

I have an idea for a follow-up campaign to SDN2 that's different and much better than what I was planning before. I think people will like it, and I like it because it will retroactively patch plot holes in SDN2's storyline

.

The casting call is similar, but not identical, though the story is different.

7 slots for 7 players:

1. Jack Alexander (optional): Jack doesn't have to be in this one, but he will be part of the prologue I will write.

2. Xak Nolen (optional): He will be in the prologue, although playing him would be difficult after Mikal's anonymous tip. Not recommended, but an option.

3. Carlos: The main character. Former leader of a budding revolution. It lost a lot of manpower during the last session, and the rest of it was wiped out by a massive corporate airstrike after "someone" told the corporates where the base was. Carlos survived by virtue of not being there at the time.

4. Carlos' right hand man (optional)

5. Carlos' left hand man (optional)

6. Traitor to the Corporation: The other main character in the story. This guy can be anything rom a lowly techie to a small time executive, but no CEOs or anything like that.

7. Corporate Soldier (optional): #6's bodyguard who has stayed loyal to him. He does not necessarily have to agree with #6's decision to betray the corporation, but he is more loyal to #6 than to the corps.

So there are only 2 slots that need to be filled. The rest are optional, meaning that they can be replaced with a completely original character. Genefreaks are allowed for slots 4, 5, and 7, or for original characters. Starting cybernetics are capped at magnitude 3 (referring to the Merit) for slots 4, 5, 7, and original characters, and at magnitude 2 for all other slots.

Don't create characters just yet, as there are a few bugs that need to be ironed out before we do that, especially regarding cybernetics and telepathy.

Returning characters other than Jack and Xak have to be cleared first. M6, Ernesto, and Mikal will definitely not be in this one, but characters like Blaine Richards, Dirk Harrison, etc. could be included at their players' option.

Gerard_Paloma · Post by **Gerard_Paloma** » 2004-11-29 05:04pm

Hmm, interesting. I'm tempted to bring back Dirk, but in our single-player follow up campaign to SDN1, he moved on to Detroit. I see no reason for him to return to New York, as he has a price on his head, and backtracking would just mean death.

As I said before, I'd love to try out a genefreak, who could possibly fill Slot #7.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2004-11-30 01:54am

In an attempt to standardize the character sheets and make them look purdy, I spent all afternoon making up a new template character sheet. Get it here. Hope you like it! I realize there may not be enough slots to fit all of some characters' weapons, or all of their abilities, etc., so I'll make a file with one page full of blank slots for those things to be cut and pasted into the character sheet. Also, I want it to automatically caluclulate things like Available XP and AT's, but I don't know how to do that. If anyone knows of a function or Macro in Word that can store the value of something entered in a field and then apply it in an equation box or something for another field, that would be great.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-11-30 02:09am

If you think I wont play my same character, you are on drugs

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2004-11-30 08:09am

I'll fiddle around some more to see if I can't work my magic on Word this time.

The Corporate Traitor looks interesting, by the way.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2004-11-30 12:50pm

Hotfoot wrote:I'll fiddle around some more to see if I can't work my magic on Word this time.

Thanks! I tried Googling it, but that got me nowhere. Do you like the layout and presentation? The tedious part was creating all those damn text boxes. Changing the way it looks would be trivial.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2004-11-30 01:20pm

A list of disallowed merits/flaws on each character:

All characters: Lucky, Wealthy, Opulent, Retinue or Posse, Favor, Enemy, Wanted, Infamous, Slave, Unlucky, Most Wanted, Cybernetics above mag 3, Telepathy.

Jack:
Specially allowed: Things he already has
Acquired through play: Financially indepedent

Xak:
Specially allowed: Things he already has
Acquired through play: Financially independent, Most wanted

Carlos: Physical handicaps, cybernetics mag 3.
Specially allowed: Retinue, Posse, infamous
Must have: Most wanted

Traitor: Cybernetics mag 3.
Specially allowed: Wealthy, Retinue
Must have: At least Financially Indepedent, Wanted

Bodyguard:
Specially allowed: Cybernetics mag 4.