A Fallout'esque Post Apocalypse Campaign

[Tema69]

:)

I'll have to make sure that merchants either overprice or underprice these 'special' bottlecaps, to make sure the PCs eventually realize that they're different.
"So you want to pay with thoooose shiny things there?"

[The_Nightwatch]

Have a merchant accuse them of counterfeiting, that should be fun. ;)

[Tema69]

Great idea, thanks! :)

...although I guess the whole counterfeiting bottlecaps in the post apocalypse seems kinda counter-intuitive. It seems like it would be more expensive to produce the currency. But hey! It should be fun!

Would you happen to have a suggestion to get all the players to rally?
Right now they are pretty scattered in their motives and objectives it seems. Partially due to me being a bad GM and letting them create background and obsessions and whatnot that weren't very coherent...

[SuedodeuS]

Originally Posted by Tema69

Great idea, thanks! :)

...although I guess the whole counterfeiting bottlecaps in the post apocalypse seems kinda counter-intuitive. It seems like it would be more expensive to produce the currency. But hey! It should be fun!

Would you happen to have a suggestion to get all the players to rally?
Right now they are pretty scattered in their motives and objectives it seems. Partially due to me being a bad GM and letting them create background and obsessions and whatnot that weren't very coherent...

IIRC, the whole reason bottlecaps were chosen as currency for the Fallout series was because they were impossible to reproduce for the post-apocalyptic societies. When the PCs show up with freshly-minted caps, people are likely to assume they (along with several other people, that is, the Centran agents) have access to a functional factory that is able to produce caps, as well as a nice supply of aluminum. People would - and will - kill for that information. You could work it into a whole "find the factory and get rich as hell" adventure arc, which could be a way of bringing the characters together (nothing quite like greed). Of course, there is no factory, at least not on this timeline, but they will end up digging up information on the Centrum.

[Tema69]

Uh-oh, I sense opportunity here!

While not all the characters are... greedy, they all have objectives that will require wealth.

Spyker is a pilot without a plane, so I'm sure the prospect of buying his own plane (or buying it from the current owner, "The Panther") or adding upgrades would be a hook he wouldn't disregard entirely.

Goodman both wants to be free of his mutation (which might cost him some money or some status with the Steel Circle), but also has a minor objective of settling somewhere peaceful - so he's gonna need wealth for that.

"The Panther"... well, that player'll probably follow the others anywhere anyway, and he doesn't really have any motivation for doing what he's doing anyway.

Indy, well... He's kinda broke, so he could use the change. Also, his villager-dependents could sure use the cash (or the ressources that the cash could buy).

The TOAD character might not really have a motivation concerning money, but his Ally Marcus Silvius sure does (especially with his motivation to take over the Circle).


How would you recommend hooking that adventure?
And I'd allow some sort of big monetary reward anyway, but this one should be related to Centrum/Infinity, and not a moneymaking facility as they thought.
Monetary reward could also be anything "easily" carried and "easily" sold. Suggestions?

[Maz]

Hey there, no feedback o nthe campaign, but have a little feedback on your build here if you don't mind.

Originally Posted by Tema69

TOAD (Tactical Orbital Angel Droptrooper) Infantry – Biotech Specialist

ST12 (HP7) [12]; DX10; IQ12 (Will9, Per12) [25]; HT8 (FP15) [1]
Basic Speed: 5 [10]; Basic Move: 6
Appearance: Unattractive [-4] Unnatural Features (Eyes, “Tattoo”/Code/Number, Jaws, Artificial limbs) -5 [-5]

Gigantism (Size Modifier +1, lets you buy ST cheaper and gives you Move+1, -2 to Disguise/Shadowing, +1 to hit you in combat)
0pts
You're 2,5 metres tall, and weigh 450 lb.

These stats doesn't make any sense to me. How can a 2,5m 450lb giant cyborg supersoldier, you describe as "...strong, endurant and intelligent being." only have ST:12 and only 7 HP?!
If he was just a "normal" 2,5m 450 creature he should have ST:15 and HP:15.
This guy is supposed to be a supersoldier, so he should have ST:20 or even more, and being made partly of metal would proably boost his HP as well. Id go with ST:22 and HP:30 for something like this guy.
In addition I don't quite udnerstand his very low HT, he is going to fall unconcious whenever people hit him in the head or he gets wounded, a good supersoldier should have HT:12 or 13 and Fit. A cyborg-version might even have hard to subdue or hard to kill on top of that.

What am I missing?

Originally Posted by Tema69

Advantages & Disadvantages:
Tech-Level 10
20pts

Innate Attack (4d6 burn (2), 100/100 Range, Acc 6, RoF 15, Rcl 1, Shots 30 (5) [Low Signature, Emergencies Only, Limited Use 60shots/day])
22pts
You have a forearm-mounted automatic laser weapon.

A little nitpicking, sorry. I dont' think it's fair to make him pay for this weapon with 22 char points when there are weapons like this, or even more powerfull in the setting. Especially since you've given him TL:10, he should simply have a TL:10 beam weapon bought with signature gear. Also isn't combat always an emergency, and if it's not isn't the player going to be disapoitned that he can't use his cannon in combat? I think the limitation is redundant.

Originally Posted by Tema69

Striker (Jaws, Thr+1 imp (2), Cannot Parry, Front Arc Only)
6pts
You have a nasty set of jaws that can bite pretty hard...

Normaly jaws are just jaws, you do not have to give them to him as a striker. If you want him to have a stronger bite, it is allowed to give him Striking Strength (bite only). You can't just add Armour Penetration to a striker like this, it's cost is based on how much damage you can do. It's all detailed in GRUPS:Powers but to make it simply, the cost is the same as if you bought it as an innate attack with the same damage and then you only pay for the cost of the modifier. So if he can bite for 5d crushing dam, that would be 25 pts IA. AD(2) is a +50% enhancement, so that would cost 12,5= ~13 pts to add to his teeths (blunt teth is normally a 0 pts feature of all humans but the cost of his teeth has nothing to do with the cost of adding the AD).


[edit]rereading my post I sound a little, uhm, agressive in lack of a better word. I'm not trying to put you down, I'm trying to help you create what it sounds like you actually want. The player of the supersoldier is probably going to be very disapointed if his supersoldier will fall over as soon as someone fires a 8mm at him. Or if a giant rat can wrestle him to the ground. So give him what it says on the can, a big strong super soldier who wont go down and has a big powerful lasercannon on his arm!

[The_Nightwatch]

Originally Posted by Tema69

How would you recommend hooking that adventure?
And I'd allow some sort of big monetary reward anyway, but this one should be related to Centrum/Infinity, and not a moneymaking facility as they thought.
Monetary reward could also be anything "easily" carried and "easily" sold. Suggestions?

I don't know the background on Fallout, I'd somehow gotten the idea that "bottlecaps" was just what the local money got called. :D Anyway, some possible hooks:

- Someone tries to get one of the PCs drunk and ask him about the factory

- The PCs are followed wherever they go, or at least out of town, to lead them to the factory/aluminum

- A "kindly" fellow points out to them how they don't want to be tied down to something like a bottlecap factory, and he'll happily pay them a vehicle or car batteries or something if they'll lead him to the factory and let him take it over...

As to a monetary award, well, if the PCs now get stimulated to find out just where these spanking-new caps came from, there's all that Centran equipment, not to mention however many other bottlecaps the Centrans have. And they might be able to get that vehicle/whatever out of the deal as well.

[Tema69]

Originally Posted by Maz

Hey there, no feedback o nthe campaign, but have a little feedback on your build here if you don't mind.

Of course not. Keep in mind that we just moved over to GURPS though.

Originally Posted by Maz

These stats doesn't make any sense to me. How can a 2,5m 450lb giant cyborg supersoldier, you describe as "...strong, endurant and intelligent being." only have ST:12 and only 7 HP?!
If he was just a "normal" 2,5m 450 creature he should have ST:15 and HP:15.
This guy is supposed to be a supersoldier, so he should have ST:20 or even more, and being made partly of metal would proably boost his HP as well. Id go with ST:22 and HP:30 for something like this guy.
In addition I don't quite udnerstand his very low HT, he is going to fall unconcious whenever people hit him in the head or he gets wounded, a good supersoldier should have HT:12 or 13 and Fit. A cyborg-version might even have hard to subdue or hard to kill on top of that.

What am I missing?

You're missing the part were I explain what's going on. :) I'll do that now.
We tried to model a bulletproof cyborg (DR30, DR40 Chest) that would be very vulnerable once truly wounded (when that odd 7.62mmNATO punches through your groin plate). I hope you understand what I mean.
Imagine a really tough shell with a really soft interior. And by really soft, try to imagine a human body lying in stasis for 300 years in orbit.
Do you know WH40k? Imagine a Space Marine Dreadnought sarcophagus...

Originally Posted by Maz

A little nitpicking, sorry. I dont' think it's fair to make him pay for this weapon with 22 char points when there are weapons like this, or even more powerfull in the setting. Especially since you've given him TL:10, he should simply have a TL:10 beam weapon bought with signature gear. Also isn't combat always an emergency, and if it's not isn't the player going to be disapoitned that he can't use his cannon in combat? I think the limitation is redundant.

Well, I see your point, but having an ever-ready, unstealable, rechargeable, semi-silent, fully automatic laser weapon mounted on your forearm is pretty nifty. It also leaves the hand free to hold and manipulate objects. For the weapon, we interpreted "Emergencies Only" as "Self-Defense Only". He can only use it after having been shot at or attacked. Which means no sniping, no assassination, etc...

Originally Posted by Maz

Normaly jaws are just jaws, you do not have to give them to him as a striker. If you want him to have a stronger bite, it is allowed to give him Striking Strength (bite only). You can't just add Armour Penetration to a striker like this, it's cost is based on how much damage you can do. It's all detailed in GRUPS:Powers but to make it simply, the cost is the same as if you bought it as an innate attack with the same damage and then you only pay for the cost of the modifier. So if he can bite for 5d crushing dam, that would be 25 pts IA. AD(2) is a +50% enhancement, so that would cost 12,5= ~13 pts to add to his teeths (blunt teth is normally a 0 pts feature of all humans but the cost of his teeth has nothing to do with the cost of adding the AD).

Well, you're referring to a book we don't have (we have GURPS Basic Sets 1&2 and High Tech), but according to GURPS Characters, I can add AP to any weapon, can't I?
Just disregard the Jaws part if it bothers you, it's just supposed to be the mouthpiece for O2 cannisters and food tubes that "by accident of design" proved to function well as a weapon, provided you could get close enough.
I don't understand why his bite can't have AP? Ruleswise it's correct, isn't it? I mean it's a Striker with some enhancements and restrictions?

Originally Posted by Maz

[edit]rereading my post I sound a little, uhm, agressive in lack of a better word. I'm not trying to put you down, I'm trying to help you create what it sounds like you actually want. The player of the supersoldier is probably going to be very disapointed if his supersoldier will fall over as soon as someone fires a 8mm at him. Or if a giant rat can wrestle him to the ground. So give him what it says on the can, a big strong super soldier who wont go down and has a big powerful lasercannon on his arm!

Actually, I didn't see your post as agressive, but that might be because of me being happy to get comments and criticism. :) But thanks anyway, and I really appreciate the help you're offering!

Actually, the player was very thrilled to withstand sniper fire (took damage though) and continuous bursts from assault rifles at point blank range. DR40/30, remember? :) He's not supernaturally strong, I know, but that's partially due to lack of maintenance and external power (a thing he doesn't know is that he has a slot for external power, but can function normally by draining his health/fatiguing him if external power is unavailable). If I had to make him stronger, it'd cost points, and as it is, he doesn't really have any to spare (that he knows of - I have 30pts of surprise for him. I'm thinking Vampirism (counts as cannibalism), to mitigate his Unhealing, representing another design flaw - too few blood cells).

I appreciate your comments! :)

[Tema69]

Originally Posted by The_Nightwatch

I don't know the background on Fallout, I'd somehow gotten the idea that "bottlecaps" was just what the local money got called. :D Anyway, some possible hooks:

- Someone tries to get one of the PCs drunk and ask him about the factory

- The PCs are followed wherever they go, or at least out of town, to lead them to the factory/aluminum

- A "kindly" fellow points out to them how they don't want to be tied down to something like a bottlecap factory, and he'll happily pay them a vehicle or car batteries or something if they'll lead him to the factory and let him take it over...

As to a monetary award, well, if the PCs now get stimulated to find out just where these spanking-new caps came from, there's all that Centran equipment, not to mention however many other bottlecaps the Centrans have. And they might be able to get that vehicle/whatever out of the deal as well.

I think all be using all those ideas for sure! :)
I guess everyone will be assuming that, not asking if, they have a factory, right? Perhaps some semi-important NPC in town is willing to buy it from them for a huge sum of money (which they won't get, since there's no factory, but it should get them going).

The thing is that the Centrans try to cover up their tracks (so far, they've used high-power incendiary grenades on their KIA & WIA), but I guess if the PCs catch them unaware, the operatives shouldn't have time to destroy too much stuff.
And yeah, they could be receiving another "shipment" of bottlecaps before, during, or after the PCs attack.
Some kind of aerial vehicle would deffinetely sweeten the deal for those PCs who still cling to the Air-Pirate theme. :)
...some kind of helicopter perhaps? I'm trying not to "give" them access to superhightech stuff like jetplanes and large bombers/transports yet. I'll try to keep that as a goal.

[SuedodeuS]

Originally Posted by Tema69

How would you recommend hooking that adventure?
And I'd allow some sort of big monetary reward anyway, but this one should be related to Centrum/Infinity, and not a moneymaking facility as they thought.
Monetary reward could also be anything "easily" carried and "easily" sold. Suggestions?

What I would do is have some mercenaries (the equivalent of Talon Company) attack the group with tangler rounds and the like. Once they are incapacitated, the characters find out (either through orders on one of them or through interrogation) that they have been hired to capture for questioning "anyone who trades in unmarked, mint-condition bottlecaps." Further investigation reveals that their employer (or maybe even their higher-ups) suspect there's a functional factory in the area that's being used to make these caps, and they want to interrogate anyone who has traded in them to determine the source. Naturally, the PCs are going to try to find this factory themselves, which leads to all manner of Centrum-related fun. Here are some ideas for the reward.

Base: The Centrum have a nice little base set up, stocked with food, ammunition, and amenities. It makes a good base of operations for the PCs, or it can be sold/leased to an ally group (the Brotherhood of Steel equivalent might work).

Stockpile: In addition to weapons and ammunition, the Centrum have quite the stockpile of freshly-minted caps.

Tech: Powered armor, advanced energy weapons, ETC/ETK rifles and munitions, etc. In addition to being useful for the characters, there are many groups that will pay top dollar (errr... shiny caps?) for such tech.

Intel: The Centrum have extensive information about the surrounding area, including local caches, the inner workings of local Raider gangs (and ideal modes of attack against their bases), information on various creatures, etc. Their historical knowledge alone could be invaluable to the right people.