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Thael
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Post by Thael »

just the adv/disadv so far since I just remembered I need to go back and do Talents for skills to make my points more efficient...

I know that my character has no body and therefore should be able to take down the scores for the physical stats (ie all except IQ) but ultratech is vague on that... they were clear on what stats I take from the body (ie all except IQ) and any skills I have based on DX are at my rank but calculated off the body's stat... Still have some points to spend so this is the beta....

Racial/Meta Template
AI +32
Machine +25

Advantages
Merchant Rank 1 +5
TL 11 +5 (only because it is necessary, may need 12)
Wealthy +20 (to afford my starting bots)
Puppet (Group-Minons) +10
Possesion +30 (final cost)
:: Digital
:: Mindlink Required
:: No Memory Access
:: Puppets Only
:: Telecontrol
Ally/Dependant (Bots) +24 (final cost)
:::Ally Stats +64 (See Notes Below)
:: 50% of starting points +2
:: Constant (no roll) x4
:: Group-Minions (11-20) x8
:: Minion +0 (0 IQ and Slave Mentality)
:::Dependant Stats -40 (See notes below)
:: No more than 50% -5
:: Friend x1
:: Constant (no roll) x4
:: Group-Minons x2 (max multiplier for dependants)

Disadvantages
Chummy -5 (I miss my humanity and seek it in others)
Greed -15 (I am a merchant, nuff said)
Nightmares -5 (of fighter battle where I lost body)
Sense of Duty (ships crew) -5 (I look out for me and mine.)

For the Ally/Dependant pair as long as the person/object/thing is worth no more than 100% of your starting points it can be both an Ally and a Dependant and the GM should take advantage of that fact to allow the target to affect the game positively and negatively... if they are both then you calculate both traits and combine them... if the total is positive then the whole is an advantage reverse it if the total is negative... basically which ever is dominant is counted and the other is a modifier on cost... I made the traits affect groups despite the increased cost to reflect the liklihood of using some of the ships drones from time to time even though they wont be mine really... I am buying 2-3 puppets out of my personal cash... at least I hope so since the first is 150k which is nearly half my starting pool...
That which is not dead can eternal lie and with strange eons even death may die
My Color is Blue
I value Knowledge, logic, and deceit. I love to pursue wisdom but also to manipulate and deceive. At my best, I am brilliant and progressive. At my worst, I am treacherous and cold. My symbol is a water droplet. My enemies are green and red.
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Avilister
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Post by Avilister »

I was looking over things last night (though I am likewise deprived of most of my resources while at work) and a few questions popped up.

First, if I'm looking at making a character that is in the military, what sort of rank is appropraite? I know that some of this is dependant on actual responsibilities and whatnot, but the book is sort of vague as to how many levels in Rank do what. It is implied that senior NCOs and low level officers have rank in the 3-4 range, with command officers being higher. I assume that since this would largely replace status, it would also cost 10pts/lvl.

Since this character would have been picked more for other reasons, I figure it may almost make more sense for him to have levels in ceremonial rank, or perhaps a reduced 5pt version of rank that implies some authority, but no actual place in the heiarchy of the ship. Or maybe not. Maybe he's the friggin' cap'n. I don't know.

What I do know is that he shoots laser beams from his hands. I haven't found a justification for that yet, but I will. Trust me.
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rydi
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Post by rydi »

you know, i am normally the one that bitches about rank in the party... but i actually don't mind. especially not for an online game. and we are all older now.

i think you should take rank, and be fucking Mal Picard Solo, shoot laser beams from your bald head, and use your witty banter to confuse the enemy until our quantum torpedoes are in range.
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durden
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Post by durden »

I dunked 45 points into status/rank. Sucks. I was saving those for something...useful. But hey, being very wealthy and tl 11 gives me a lot of cash. Can I buy psi headbands, computer backup brains, ooze guns, and other neat stuff?
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rydi
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Post by rydi »

i also don't think status should apply, unless it is heavily discounted. no one gives damn where we are going.

rank is good though.

huh. not sure what all is buyable. isn't there a guide? ultra-tech?

what is the command structure looking like? I'm an ensign or something. no real training, only on the ship at all because my planet wanted an ambasador, and who is really going to mess with a planet full of super heroes? how many galactic empires get screwed over that way?

shi'ar, kree, skrull, badoon, brood, freaky insect annihilus negative zone things... and the list goes on.
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durden
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Post by durden »

I'm chief engineer and Avilister is our first office (I think). I think Thael's at the helm and Harness is shooting womprats or something. We need a captain (Avillister).


Cheyne, I love you for talking to me at work.
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rydi
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Post by rydi »

actually, i've had more fun on this site lately than anywhere else. it's a combination of games, slot machines (you never know when someone will post; variable reinforcement schedules are addictive), and talking.

it will be sooo cool when the ensign breaks out the unkillable and starts tearing up the bad guys when they board us. i think i'm going to keep my powers secret from everyone but the captain and maybe riker. can i opperate coms?
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durden
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Post by durden »

Be black and wear a miniskirt. We'll have to work it out, but I'd like to divide time between the bridge tech station and engineering.

I'm still worried I won't be effective. I think I'll post what I have tonight.
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rydi
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Post by rydi »

you will probably be effective. post a prelim character sometime today and we can eliminate the chaff.

my appearance is a surprise, but i've got pictures waiting in the wings to go with my backstory.

off to class now. i miss my crazy bio teacher. he got replaced with a southern california highschool teacher. bitchy. athoritative. not cool.
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durden
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Post by durden »

I am still confused by the Traveller stuff. Interstellar Wars is the only currenty GURP I can find. The other books are the older system.

The thing I like about this system though is that the supplement books aren't full of new cheese. Just setting info, tech, etc. Not new advans/spells/prestige classes.
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Avilister
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Post by Avilister »

So should I go ahead and upgrade to captain? I'll probably have to buy real rank in that case and quite a bit of it. I'll need to look over skills to figure out what a ships officer should have. I did a quick once-over of them earlier and found a bunch, but I bet there are more that I'd need. I've jotted down some pre-liminary stuff, but there's still a lot to do before I've even got enough to post anything up.
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Thael
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Post by Thael »

even though I plan on having Leadership and Ship-Handling (skills for Captains to roll for affecting NPC crew) they will be low since I am going to mainly be piloting, might be XO or something... I have envisioned something similar to Andromeda (don't kill me) for the ships social and operations environment... Piloting is a skill but many can have it, other stations to help reduce strain from AI multitasking and to provide intelligent/intuitive decisions... there is a captain but the PCs will likely listen or not as they deem fit... the NPC crew will follow chain of command

If I try to multi task I think there is a penalty for doing too much... granted the complexity of the skill (which translates into program complexity) if low enough would take a small portion but I still have to figure all those numbers out and see if there are any multiple action penalties...
That which is not dead can eternal lie and with strange eons even death may die
My Color is Blue
I value Knowledge, logic, and deceit. I love to pursue wisdom but also to manipulate and deceive. At my best, I am brilliant and progressive. At my worst, I am treacherous and cold. My symbol is a water droplet. My enemies are green and red.
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Rusty
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Post by Rusty »

Well, I'm glad we're approaching some level of 'done' with our character development.

As far as buying things with wealth:
Use ultratech.
Even if you have improved your personal TL you still have to pay 2x cost for TL11, and 4x cost for TL12.
You only buy stuff for you. Don't bring enough to share. If you want to have spare parts, don't worry about it, the workshops on board the ship should be able to machine new parts. You'll want to make sure that we have at least one TL12 workshop anyway, because we hope to encounter aliens with future technology.

As far as status goes:
You ARE ambassadors. The crew will do what you say, but if you have no skills (ship handling) then you'll be marginalized by them in a fight. If you want to be both an ambassador and a member of the crew, then buy status. If you want to be a passenger, then buy ceremonial status.
If you're a member of the crew, but not in charge, you would be required to do whatever you're told by you superiors, but in matters of making contact and determining policy and being on away teams, you'd be much more important. If you buy ceremonial status only, then you'll be excluded from the command structure in times of crisis, but still important in the political side of the ship. If you buy neither, you are still an ambassador, but you won't participate in the political goings on within the ship with any authority, but you are still known to the crew, and you have authority to represent your people.

Sorry cheyne, you're the ambassador of your planet, everyone in the GF knows who you are, where you come from, your shoe size, and all that.

So, to reiterate, if you do not buy any status, then you still have your ambassador status, which is a game mechanic and can be neither improved nor removed. Status = ships rank, ceremonial status = social rank. with ceremonial status you would be able to exert more influence over the crew than you would without. It's probably not amazingly important.

meh, this whole thing is a grey area. bottom line is: you're ambassadors, and public heroes. The crew are heroes too, but less important. Your 300 point character sheets mean that you are special, and were chosen for this mission because you are capable people. The crew, however heroic, and there to make the ship go.
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rydi
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Post by rydi »

Sorry cheyne, you're the ambassador of your planet, everyone in the GF knows who you are, where you come from, your shoe size, and all that.
sure. they have my file. but my planet is fairly new to the fed, and not well understood. my powers could easily still be a mystery. even if my file said regeneration, while my people might understand the full potential of that, others might not. big difference between a regenerator that eventually heals, and one that comes back from the dead in 10 seconds to kick your ass. and it would actually be in the best interest of the fed to keep some secrets for only the captain to know. if people on an away team are captured and interogated, the limits of the crews abilities would be an asset, and thus the full breadth of skill and ability would best be kept under lock and key.

how much rank does steven need for captain? i want him to play malcom p. solo damnit!
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Rusty
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Post by Rusty »

good point. I'll look at the status attribute tonight and get back on that. If you're going to have multiple ships the he'd need to be 'commodore' level or so.
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