Mass Effect through WoD- Who wants some?

Sarky

Sarky

Drunken master
Although Saren and his Geth invasion were stopped, the price was steep- The Citadel is heavily damaged. Wreckage from Saren's flagship, Sovereign, has demolished whole Ward sections and C-Sec is too short-staffed to keep order everywhere at once. Great news for criminals like you. Crime is up and moving openly has never been easier. Your boss has more jobs than you can handle. Loot damaged penthouses. Put the squeeze on already stressed cops. Steal some advanced tech left by Sovereign's destruction. Kill whoever tries to stop you. Don't get caught. And above all, enjoy your work, because otherwise what's the point?


So, I'm writing a Mass Effect game for a games convention next year, and I thought, why not test it out? So here I am, looking to drum up interest.


I'm looking for 5 players, no more. People familiar with the games and/or setting preferred. I'll pick whichever appeals most and which fits the stereotypical adventurer party group stereotype. Yes, I'm being picky. I'll be presenting something very much like this at my favourite convention and I'd like it to make sure it shines.


I'll be mostly using the WoD core rules, with a few bits trimmed off to keep things speeding along and a few bolted on here and there to account for biotics, shields and the like. It's not totally nailed down of course, so constructive criticism will be sought and changing the rules about is likely to occur.


The game will be starting on the Citadel, a couple of months after the end of Mass Effect 1, and the players will be specialists working for a crime boss, so the races I'll allow will be:

  • Human
  • Asari
  • Krogan
  • Salarian
  • Quarian
  • Drell
  • Turian


If you can give me an absolutely FREAKING INCREDIBLE concept, I'll consider other races.


Role-wise, I'd be hoping for a medic, a tank/fighter, a biotic and techie. Again, other roles will be considered if the concept tickles my fancy.


As for character creation, use the standard WoD +50xp, and I'll be adding a racial template on top of that. Once all the templates are done I'll release the specifics, but if you've played Mass Effect you can take a pretty good guess at what the bonuses and penalties will be. Krogan, for example will get extra physical but less social.


Anyway, there it is. HAVE AT YOU!
 
Well, two ideas. I've played the first rather religiously trying to make a perfect file to transfer to 2. I already know the whole damn story anyhow.


Krogan asskicker, 'nuff said. Pocked crest upon his brow and a thousand foreheads caved in with vigorous headbutting. Soldier for this crime lord, more than willing to square off with C-Sec Specials on the uneven ground left in Sovereign's attack. Damned nice ship, too bad none of the warlords have anything like that. Should have fought for it, took it. Left Tuchanka for the galaxy pouring in credits and glory. Not near as boastful or plain stupid as some of his counterparts, but not another Wrex either.


The other is a Quarian who has been...long overdue on his Pilgrimmage, shall we say. Intoxicated by the wider world outside the Migrant Fleet that is rich with resources for those who are skilled enough to earn it or take it. He'll return someday. When he himself is powerful and rich enough to buy his own ship, perhaps even find something vital out of the wreckage of the great behemoth. Such an advanced ship...it'll be a matter of time before the race is on between C-Sec and everyone else for the bits.
 
Oh, but I <3 Blasto!


If you can write me a Hanar that would indulge in frightfully uncivilised behaviour such as running in a criminal gang, then by all means, welcome aboard! ^_^
 
Sarky said:
  • Human
  • Asari
  • Krogan
  • Salarian
  • Quarian
  • Drell
  • Turian
Click to expand...
Sorry, when you started talking about an Fighter/Tank I immediatly started picturing an Elcor covered in body-armor with backpack-mounted heavy weapons.


Also, I don't have the know-how for nWoD or I'd play a Asari medic with the stated goal of making everyone as socially uncomfortable as possible.


Also Deux, this is a cool concept, I like Mass Effect. Tell me how the convention turns out.
 
If I knew anything about nWoD, I would be all the hell over this. Sadly, I don't.


I have to emphasize and agree that this idea is undiluted awesome, though.
 
Considering the sheer amount of homebrew involved, you probably don't. It's a very simple system to pick up.
 
Is this going to happen? Has it happened already? I'm interested in this game. Played both of them multiple times.


I am actually interested in playing the biotic, though I also have a concept for a techie, and a soldier-type.


Asari or Turian likely.
 
Hasn't happened yet, I put this thread out to see how much interest there was and sort of forgot about it when real life threw some interesting diversions in my face, like starting a masters in college.


If folks are still interested then I'll be happy to go make the forum request and get things moving.
 
Excellent.


I should have most of the racial templates up tonight. Some are more powerful than bog-standard humans , but most humans working with other races have a bit of extra experience under their belt so it should more or less balance out in the end. Hopefully this game will go some way towards refining such things.
 
So, for those interested, here's the provisional racial templates to help you get started on a character. All subject to change constructive criticism, of course. Rules for technology/weapons/biotic powers/whatever will be posted up in the forum when it gets made. On biotics/tech powers, all the powers available from the games will be available and will function quite similarly to them.


Like I said early in the thread, Character creation is standard nWoD +50xp, then add the appropriate template. The Occult skill would reflect knowledge of the various races' religions, myths, legends, that sort of thing.


Anyway, provisional templates:


New merits/flaws:


Biotic: 4-point Merit, allows biotic powers to be bought like skills, at +1 xp.

No special bonuses or penalties, but you have an extra 50xp to spend to reflect human adaptibility





+1 Strength, Stamina, Presence


-1 Composure, Intelligence, Resolve.


+1 Size


+3 Health


+1 bashing/lethal soak (natural armour)


-1 Willpower


Sterile: Thanks to the genophage, 99.9% of all Krogan pregnancies never carry to term. Krogans suffer -2 on social interactions with Turians and Salarians, thanks to their development and deployment of the genophage. Team mates are exempt from the penalty, as part of the Krogan's chosen "clan", although if they persist in bringing it up around him such exemptions might not last long.


Blood Rage: Krogan can easily lose control of their violent instincts in battle. Some do it on purpose. Entering Blood Rage is a free action. It lasts for the duration of the fight or until the Krogan successfully calms down. While active, it grants +1 to Brawl, Firearms and Weaponry, but -2 to all other skills, and allows the Krogan to ignore wound penalties. Whenever a Krogan under the effects of Blood Rage tries to snap out of it, they must roll current Willpower. Failure means they stay in the fight, or shoot to kill instead of taking prisoners, or whatever is appropriate to the situation.


Racial reputation: amoral, bloodthirsty, callous, uncivilised





+1 Dexterity, Intelligence


Racial Reputation: Promiscuous, cautious, attractive, mostly harmless


Naturally Biotic: Asari get the Biotic merit for free, although they don't have to buy biotic powers.





+1 Intelligence, Perception


-1 Strength, Stamina


Racial reputation: Logical, smart, cold, manipulative


Eidetic Memory


Hyperactive metabolism: Salarians only need 1 hour of sleep a day, and process thoughts and emotions far quicker than other races. To sustain their metabolism they must eat regularly. Where a human can happily function with 3-4 hours between meals, the Salarian equivalent would be about an hour.





+1 Resolve


Racial Reputation: Strict, disciplined, honourable, stubborn


Radiation resistant: A Turian's metallic skin grants +2 to resistance rolls against radiation. Good for hazardous space-work, or for concealing illegal items from scanners.


Code of honour (1-3 point flaw): Turians generally have a very strong sense of honour. The 1 point flaw would be along the lines of "look out for your team, don't steal from the boss", whereas the 3-point flaw would include restrictions like "Don't kill anyone you don't have to or steal from the poor". Choose whatever you like. Taking the 3 point flaw instead of the 1 pointer does not mean you have a spare 2 BP to spend on merits!


Dextro amino acid DNA: Non-Quarian or -Turian food or flesh or bodily fluid is poisonous.





All non-social rolls involving knowledge or use of technology/mechanics gain the "9 again" rule.


Enviro-suit: When wounded, twice as much medigel is needed to heal, to account for the weakness of Quarian immune systems. Removing the suit outside of a clean room is pretty much suicide.


Dextro amino acid DNA: Non-Quarian or -Turian food or flesh or bodily fluid is poisonous.





+1 Strength


Double Eye Membranes: +1 to resisting blinding flashes or similar stimuli


Hyper-Eidetic Memory: Rolling 4+ successes for recalling facts requires a willpower roll to avoid "reliving" an associated memory.
 
No love for the volus? :P


Also, I don't think Krogans should be forced to choose Physical as their primary. While they are certainly more unintelligent and brutish than other races, realize that the Krogan were able to invent space travel and nuclear weaponry on their own. That sort of thing takes a real focus on the development of science for knowledge's sake. Seriously, space travel is not something that's developed trivially. As funny as Mordin's joke is, there must be Krogan scientists. And, obviously, while Krogans may use fighting skill as a measure of social position, there are no doubt many Krogans who shape their world with words.


I'm not playing one, but I'm just saying, it's not a realistic policy.


Personally I'm thinking of playing a Quarian...hm, yes...I think I shall play a Quarian. And I think they're statted just fine for now.
 
Huh, I wrote that one down as an option while thrashing it all out and must have forgotten to delete it. Fixed now, thanks.
 
TherealBrickwall said:
While they are certainly more unintelligent and brutish than other races, realize that the Krogan were able to invent space travel and nuclear weaponry on their own.
Click to expand...
Only nuclear weaponry, if I recall correctly. Spacefaring technology was given to krogan by the salarians in order to gain allies against the rachni.
 
Even so, you've got to have serious focus in chemistry to get anywhere near the insight needed to make a nuke. There have got to be some nerdy krogan who make it to adulthood (well, nerdy by their standards).
 
You know there's an excellent database on the game on wikia ! :wink:


Might help you refine those chargen rules
 
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