[IW] ISWAT "NCIS" (or CSI-type) roles and characters....

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Brett

That gets them the ability to function as police detectives on maybe one alternate. Which is hardly playing Infinite Worlds, is it?

Why on one? They're maximally close to their doubles in all terms, including social standing. That would make them detectives on most worlds. And Ally can (probably) include the 0% Feature of being a new ally each time instead of the same ally coming to their aid in different places (IIRC this is found in Powers).

[Qoltar]

Okay....finally after 4 sessions of the G: STAR TREK game my group and I are ready to do INFINITE WORLDS now.

Anyone else have good suggestions as far as group and character-type specialties?


I'm also at the searching through old threads stage - looking for good information and ideas.

- Ed Charlton

[Adina]

I'll second the motion for using the Action templates.

You can find the team from Wear a Badge, Carry a Gun here. I may be a bit partial but I think its a good example.

Jeff

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Brett

It'll be nothing like NCIS. More like PIs or spies.

Naval Criminal Investigation Service assists the Military Police and the office of the Judge Advocate General in investigating crimes committed on Navy and Marine Corps installations or by Navy and Marine Corps personnel. Wouldn't a ISWAT equivalent investigate crimes committed by ISWAT personnel? And therefore they would have powers of search and seizure (well realistically acting in support of actual provosts with those powers, but the show is anything but realistic) over Infinity personnel and installations, wouldn't they?

[Rocket Man]

Well, since this is ISWAT:

One magical-arts specialist.*

One psionics specialist.*

At least one agent of exceptional (but non-exotic) physical ability. Think Bruce Lee, Miyamoto Mushashi, or Dale Earnhardt.

At least one agent of exceptional (but non-exotic) mental ability. Think Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, or Steve Jobs.

One agent with Temporal Inertia (where possible), to increase the likelihood of a useful "double" somewhere.

*= Such specialists must also have a useful set of "mundane" skills in the likelihood that a particular world leaves their ability powerless. Note that a superhuman, alien or other exotic could also be used in one of these slots where appropriate.

Of course, this doesn't describe the actual skill sets that your team of agents will need, just a general profile of abilites. I'm not as familiar with CSI, but I find the Mission Impossible team breakdown usually works:

1) The ghost, adept at disguise and acting. (In a IW:CSI setting, he may be the one who gets access to information, scenes, and witnesses that no one else can, since in many worlds they'll lack the ability to issue a warrant.)

2) The technical specialist, adept with a wide range of equipment (and probably the main "field lab" worker in a CSI sort of setting.)

3) The tough guy, well-versed in combat schools and generally durable. Probably has a second set of skills to act as emergency backup (in MI, the tough guy had some vehicle skills, and enough mechanical/technical ability to act as tech-rat's number 2)

4) The social butterfly, less about elaborately fooling people and more about winning them to your side and wheedling or seducing information out of them.

5) The team leader, able to coordinate the various talents as needed.

6) The specialist, providing any skills needed in the short-term that the rest of the team may lack, from stage magic to neurosurgery. (Usually an NPC, could be an occasional player or a player who likes trying out new PCs.)

Hope this helped and wasn't just rambling ...

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Why on one? They're maximally close to their doubles in all terms, including social standing. That would make them detectives on most worlds.

On most echoes, sure. Would it apply to other parallels?

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

On most echoes, sure. Would it apply to other parallels?

I would say a qualified yes -- so long as they were on a world that could possibly allow it. (Sam Spade may have trouble finding a true double on a world that lacks private investigation or modern police forces, for example, though there may be a local tavern-keeper who keeps a rather cynical eye on everyone.)

Of course, even on a world where a double exists, there's no guarantee that they're on your side. Your double may be a bounty hunter. Or a lieutenant in the SS occupation forces. Or on the take. Or even have left the department five years ago in order to become the deadly costumed vigilante that's now made the "Most Wanted" list of the FBI ...

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Rocket Man

I would say a qualified yes -- so long as they were on a world that could possibly allow it. (Sam Spade may have trouble finding a true double on a world that lacks private investigation or modern police forces, for example, though there may be a local tavern-keeper who keeps a rather cynical eye on everyone.)

Even Steel? Or Lizardia?

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Even Steel? Or Lizardia?

As I said, on a world that could possibly allow it. On Steel, the double may *have* existed but been sent to the camps in Denver five years ago. Lizardia may not have a true double, but may have someone of a similar personality type in a similar role (given how closely their history matches ours). On the other hand, I wouldn't put a double for Sam Spade on Midgard ... too far back in time. At best, there might be a very distant ancestor hanging around, and there's no guarantee that he or she would be in a kingdom or continent that could be useful to you.

The specific text is "He is as similar to you as the timeline allows." Some timelines may not allow for a great degree of similarity.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Rocket Man

As I said, on a world that could possibly allow it. On Steel, the double may *have* existed but been sent to the camps in Denver five years ago. Lizardia may not have a true double, but may have someone of a similar personality type in a similar role (given how closely their history matches ours).

A Steel double might well still be around, if you think of Temporal Inertia as a kind of plot protection for your look-alikes. I would not expect a double on a weird parallel like USL, since we know that that timeline did not have versions of many important Homeline historical figures... but the idea of a Neo-Troodon that resembles you in some ways looks like it has some game in it.