Dice Rifts - The Thirteenth Mystery - OOC

[Purr]

Dann, having someone who actualy understands all the lore is pretty important to playing a historian charictar. Chan-Chan is very welcome to fill/share the role!
besides, stepping on toes is my thing. my favorite dance move is trip.

I just realized one potentially huge benefit to this joining of brains - we would have both Eastern and Western perspectives at our disposal. =)

 

[EmperorNorton1]

I just realized one potentially huge benefit to this joining of brains - we would have both Eastern and Western perspectives at our disposal. =)

That’s a perfect point!!! Ellis hasn’t been outside of the western hemisphere and hasn’t lived anywhere but the CS, Atlantis (for a year and a half) and Tolkien.

 

[Purr]

EmperorNorton1 Eonivar Epiphany Esbilon Psychie Sherwood

O.K.! Let's keep this fire burnin'! =)

I'm pretty nervous about being the ex-nemesis of the party. That *really* requires the stamp of approval from every single other PC and is not something I think I could decide on my own. That said, it *is* an interesting twist to things.

What do folks think?

And like Esbilon brought up, what are we going with in terms of PC history?

Some thoughts (and on my phone so they won't be long ones).

Option #1: No preexisting group. Most everyone groups up because they catch sight of each other, remembering fighting beside each other in the future, and notice everyone else is looking at everyone else too. Presumably leading someone to say "hey, is it just me?".
1.a. Hook for Chan Chan: her Grey Seer temporal senses are tingling, she overhears enough to investigate and the party doesn't turn down the extra help (who says no to a dragon?)

Option #2: Preexisting group. Everyone was already an adventuring party way back in the day. We'll need to work out what the unifying thread is, since the war won't formally start for a few years.
2.a. what happened to Chan Chan?
2.b. Hook for Mind Melter: they were spying two years prior to 101 PA, perhaps being a 'member' was a point of access and an excuse to be in Tolkeen?

Option#3: You're all members of the Unkillables, an A-Team like group of elite troubleshooters, fighters, scouts, wizards, and whatever else the client needs. There's half a dozen other members and the group is led by "The Colonel" Jason Armitage, a man rumored to be the only survivor of the nuclear strike on Seattle hundreds of years ago, a man who now can't age and can't ever die (allegedly). No longer allegedly, though, as your group watched him finally die after taking a direct hit from tank cannon fire for what might have been the 100th time 5 minutes before the hospital was destroyed.
3.a. Hook for Mind Melter: basically the same as 2, except less suspicious and with generally more access to the Tolkeen campaign itself, as the Unkillables were well liked in the city having operated out of there and willing to defend the city for decades prior to 101 PA.

Okay, that didn't end up being short after all.

Has everyone voted? Has anyone changed their vote (sometimes this happens as new posts roll in)?

I'm still for Option #3 is my first choice with Option #1 as second.

One more curiosity here: would everybody briefly describe their PC's preferred role in a party?

For example, Chan-Chan is a 30-year-old Chiang-Ku dragon who specializes in support and utility. As a Grey Seer, she often acts as a psychic "early warning system" especially when supernatural threats threaten. She keeps her Chiang-Ku bloodline out of the public eye instead going about Tolkeen as a Japanese Kumo-Mi Cloud Dragon using her metamorphosis ability. She can operate on her own indefinitely without outside support.

 

[Esbilon]

Has everyone voted? Has anyone changed their vote (sometimes this happens as new posts roll in)?

I was just thinking the same thing and realised that I haven't actually voted myself. I'm for #3 closely followed by #1.

One more curiosity here: would everybody briefly describe their PC's preferred role in a party?

Jeanne-Maria will shine the most if given the opportunity to figure things out that people don't want her to know either from material evidence or by wringing it from people's minds. I'm also just interested in seeing how Rifts psionics plays out as I've never really been very deep down that road.

 

[Purr]

I'm also just interested in seeing how Rifts psionics plays out as I've never really been very deep down that road.

That makes two of us and both of our characters are far from novices - so I'd better catch up and 'git gud!" Hah!

Jeanne-Maria will shine the most

Forgive this detail-oriented brain of mine (as for all I know, Spellcheck reared its ugly head here) - is it "Jeanne-Maria" or "Jeanne-Marie?" The first points toward Hispanic origins, the second toward the Quebec/French that you've noted in your sheets. I can't help but be interested in the origins of well-written characters. =)

 

[EmperorNorton1]

What do folks think?

it is up to Esbilon, of course. being the ex-nemisis would be really cool and I'm ok with it, it would cause some interesting character dynamics. Jeanne is trying to fix her mistakes, but the others don't know if they can trust her. it would be a great roleplay starter.

Has everyone voted?

still down with one as my first choice and three as my second

would everybody briefly describe their PC's preferred role in a party?

Ellis is the party face. they are good with people, charismatic, and determined to put a stop to the war that they witnessed. they documented the war, and were up close and personal for a lot of battles, which means they might be useful for remembering and having more information from the first go at it. they arent afraid to put themselves in harms way, and are determined to keep their party, especialy priya, protected.

 

[Esbilon]

is it "Jeanne-Maria" or "Jeanne-Marie?"

It's Jeanne-Marie. Apparently the "a" is just better placed on my keyboard for getting attention. She is indeed of francophone origin.

 

[Eonivar]

Hmm, Option #1 for me, I can make the others work as well if need be.

Priya is probably the ultimate support and buffer being a very powerful spell caster. She could be fire power and decent in melee, but in Rifts firepower is expensive to cast, buffing and healing is a bit easier to do with spells.

 

[Purr]

It's Jeanne-Marie. Apparently the "a" is just better placed on my keyboard for getting attention. She is indeed of francophone origin.

Thank you for your quick answer - I would have been juggling that in my head all day.

(silly mode) My brain minus your answer: "Did Esbilon change her background? The image chosen is that of a black-skinned person. But with French? So, is she from Quebec or perhaps from Haiti? Wait. Has Esbilon responded yet?!" Ha ha! (/silly mode)

Forgive me but part of my brain is on the fritz and I can't recall the answer - what is your preferred gender pronoun, please? I went looking into your About section, but if it's there, I missed it. And, as with the nickname or lack thereof and out of respect, I want to at least - try - to do right by everyone I interact with. =)

Esbilon And WOW! Look how far you go back! You were in RPDom back before Sherwood invited Kaerri and me! I love some of your Profile posts! "That feeling when you've made an awesome post, and no one has replied yet..." and "*catches tantrum, wraps it up and puts it back on the shelf*". Those are so good! 8D

Ah! Brain's going too fast. I'll close this here. See you everybody!

 

[Esbilon]

what is your preferred gender pronoun, please?

I'm he/him, I usually play she/her.

Look how far you go back!

I joined a site called Patternspider.net back in the day. I take no responsibility for all the namechanges that's happened since.

 

[Sherwood]

One more curiosity here: would everybody briefly describe their PC's preferred role in a party?

Freya is a 'get in your face and hit you to death with my sword' kind of girl. I have some healing powers, but most of my abilities revolve around combat.

 

[Purr]

Thank you thus far! Still need votes in these categories please:

Has everyone voted? Has anyone changed their vote (sometimes this happens as new posts roll in)?

(Re: to team or not to team; to be Unkillable, or not be Unkillable.)

I'm pretty nervous about being the ex-nemesis of the party. That *really* requires the stamp of approval from every single other PC and is not something I think I could decide on my own. That said, it *is* an interesting twist to things.

What do folks think?

=)

 

[Psychie]

I think I had put my vote in for #3, but I don't remember.

 

[Psychie]

As far as the idea of having our 'ex-nemesis' as a team member, that will be a tricky one. Why should we trust that person and not go ahead and just end the threat right away?

 

[Eonivar]

As for our ex-nemesis, do we have to determine this now? Or do we want to do this in the RP?

Or can we just accept that we had already “turned” him to the good guys before 109 PA and when we all wake up in 101 PA, we are all on the same team?

Just an option, we are dealing with timely-whimey things here, that gives us some leeway

 

[Epiphany]

Epiphany Here's one - I believe Esbilon asked how far north the vampires from the Vampire Kingdoms have gotten in your game? If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say Mexico, maybe to the southern Texas border at farthest (due to Lone Star's presence)? But that's just memory talking. What is true for your game?

Great question. Had to break out my old Vampire Kingdoms book to do some reading.

As far as I can tell, there's several layers of 'insulation' between the Coalition States and the Vampire Kingdoms. Southern Mexico is where the real Kingdoms are, an impending invasion waiting to happen. However...

Northern Mexico is largely abandoned wilderness, desert, shrub country and little else. Small and large bands of Wild Vampires are known to roam the territory but it's such a big area it's relatively 'easy' to go on an expedition down there and not run into them. This is basically a buffer between the Vampire Kingdoms and the more 'civilized' lands north, lulling the Coalition States into believing there's little danger down there.

And north of Northern Mexico (basically the south half of Texas) lies the Pecos Empire, which is a ragabond disparate group of towns and fiefdoms that organize to mostly keep the CS and the vampires out from either end.

The net result being the average CS soldier who pulls a tour of duty in the Lone Star state isn't going to run into a lot of vampires, nor have reason to believe they're particularly numerous.

Does that answer the question?

 

[Epiphany]

The Unkillables seem a (surprisingly) popular choice. Is there anyone who'd prefer a smaller preexisting group or would prefer each character be doing their own thing and then meet up 'during play' due to the shared history of living through the Future That Was?

 

[EmperorNorton1]

Would it be alright if we do the unkillables, that Ellis isn’t strictly a team member, and fills more of a “I’ll film your battles. We could use some moral boosts” kinda role?

 

[Esbilon]

The Nemesis idea only concerns the Future That Was. It has no bearing on the state of affairs in 101 PA or the years leading up to that. How exactly it looks/looked/would have looked in the years from 101 to 108 depends on what, if anything, this group was and thus whether we go with #1 or #3 (#2 does not seem to have support).

In #1, there is no group in 101, but supposedly it could form later. If it does, Jeanne-Marie would have identified that group to be particularly important to Tolkeen's chances and would work to specifically foil their actions. Sabotaging gear, planting false information, tipping off the people you were trying to ambush, etc. She'd probably not try to actually fight you given that she'd be massively outnumbered and even more massively out-gunned.

In #3, the Unkillables are the group she's targetting and ya'll are core members of that group. Here she infiltrates the group and cozies up to you, but is really working against the group's success at all stages.

Regardless, she eventually sees the error of her ways (perhaps during the liberation of a death camp?) and turns her coat. This could involve coming clean or just the group suddenly finding that there are no more wrenches in their wheels, but also that it's too late. The CS has come too far and Tolkeen overextended themselves and so they all die.

 

[EmperorNorton1]

for the Future That Was, at least for the fall of Tolkien, Eon and I had an idea of where and what Priya and Ellis were doing, the both of them would be mainly assisting with attempting to evacuate. but i do like the idea of Jeanne marie being a part of the group, admitting she was a traitor, then mending her ways.

 

[EmperorNorton1]

i've been reading through the source books, of course the CS loves Nietzsche, with his ubermentch bullshit. oy

and that's annoying, the only femail general fits into the archetype of "sex-craved madwoman". yup, written in the eighties.

 

[Purr]

Fun-fun! I'm just going to throw it all into this spoiler! =)

Spoiler: Fun!

1. Pips, could I get a 6d4 and 6d6 roll when its convenient for you, please? (This is for her I.S.P. and P.P.E. from her jump from 5th level to 8th.)

2. I am happy to say I have spent Chan-Chan's"Level Fruits". I threw all of it into a 35% bonus into her ability to Metamorphosis.

Pips, does that follow the spirit of these rewards or would you rather I put them somewhere else?

3. Perhaps one of the hooks we can have together is that Chan-Chan has been working for years at a Tolkeen library or pawn shop (or both) or whatever place works best in Tolkeen. This way, Alex's character and mine or even the whole party, can already have met. Say, when they return from their adventures, they identify and sell their items at Chan-Chan's little spot? This creates even a small bond of trust - a foundation, if you will.

Does this work for everybody?

Or can we just accept that we had already “turned” him to the good guys before 109 PA and when we all wake up in 101 PA, we are all on the same team?

4. It might be better if the character convinced herself instead of an outside source convincing them? I believe there is a subtle but very important difference here.

The Unkillables seem a (surprisingly) popular choice. Is there anyone who'd prefer a smaller preexisting group or would prefer each character be doing their own thing and then meet up 'during play' due to the shared history of living through the Future That Was?

One of the big reasons I want this option is because it is uniquely Pips's territory. We can't get this in any other game and I'd like to see what she's made and be part of it.

In #3, the Unkillables are the group she's targetting and ya'll are core members of that group. Here she infiltrates the group and cozies up to you, but is really working against the group's success at all stages.

Regardless, she eventually sees the error of her ways (perhaps during the liberation of a death camp?)

I like this approach except I don't want Chan-Chan to be a core member of some team that neither she nor I know anything about. Doesn't seem right somehow. I feel like I'm "shoe-horning" if I treat my character like a core character of some awesome team.

However, I really like the idea of Esbilon's character already being trusted at the start of the game. I think we will have enough problems and drama as it is without having to worry if our own PCs are secretly stabbing us in the back. No thanks! After all, this is a Good-Aligned campaign; let's all be good from the start? =)

 

[Epiphany]

1. Pips, could I get a 6d4 and 6d6 roll when its convenient for you, please? (This is for her I.S.P. and P.P.E. from her jump from 5th level to 8th.)

19 and a 30.

2. I am happy to say I have spent Chan-Chan's"Level Fruits". I threw all of it into a 35% bonus into her ability to Metamorphosis.

Pips, does that follow the spirit of these rewards or would you rather I put them somewhere else?

Interesting choice. If you want to be a preeminent shapechanger and it's worth it to you to invest in it, go for it. It's fine with me, thanks for asking!

3. Perhaps one of the hooks we can have together is that Chan-Chan has been working for years at a Tolkeen library or pawn shop (or both) or whatever place works best in Tolkeen. This way, Alex's character and mine or even the whole party, can already have met. Say, when they return from their adventures, they identify and sell their items at Chan-Chan's little spot? This creates even a small bond of trust - a foundation, if you will.

Does this work for everybody?

I'm fine with that, if it works for everyone else. Just to confirm, Chan-Chan's someone the party knows and remembers prior to 101 PA but not someone they've really interacted with much in what will have been the last 8 years? Never part of the Unkillables, for example?

4. It might be better if the character convinced herself instead of an outside source convincing them? I believe there is a subtle but very important difference here.

One of the big reasons I want this option is because it is uniquely Pips's territory. We can't get this in any other game and I'd like to see what she's made and be part of it.

I like this approach except I don't want Chan-Chan to be a core member of some team that neither she nor I know anything about. Doesn't seem right somehow. I feel like I'm "shoe-horning" if I treat my character like a core character of some awesome team.

However, I really like the idea of Esbilon's character already being trusted at the start of the game. I think we will have enough problems and drama as it is without having to worry if our own PCs are secretly stabbing us in the back. No thanks! After all, this is a Good-Aligned campaign; let's all be good from the start? =)

Correct me if I've gotten it wrong (I'll admit I haven't caught up on all the posting in the last few days). But my impression is that the plan for Chan-Chan has been that she wasn't much of a factor in the Future That Was (so you, the player, don't have to worry about tracking what she will have done but hasn't yet or won't). The hook for Chan-Chan and what she can offer the group is her Grey Seer abilities, particularly in catching glimpses of the Future That Might Be. Which will be especially salient as the PCs start changing history as they inevitably do.

Your character's going to have a different fit for the party by virtue of being the only character who isn't a formal part of the game's original premise. I'm hopeful/optimistic that Chan-Chan's sensitivities to time and the future give her something unique to offer the group.

How were you hoping things would shake out?

 

[EmperorNorton1]

Ellis Mandel's hitlist as of 109 P.A.
Micander Drogue
Nikoto Galva
Joseph Prosek
the Prosek Heir who does the propaganda, I don't care to remember his name.

yeah so i read about- i read the third coalition state book. where it talks about the camps.

and they also have nukes why the hell do they have nukes- that's Not Good.

 

[Eonivar]

The Unkillables seem a (surprisingly) popular choice. Is there anyone who'd prefer a smaller preexisting group or would prefer each character be doing their own thing and then meet up 'during play' due to the shared history of living through the Future That Was

I do not see Priya joining the Unkillables until they start working with Tolkeen, and probably not until after PA101. She was born and raised there. Maybe she is assigned as Tolkeen‘s liason to them.