Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-29-2019, 11:38 AM   #151
johndallman
Night Watchman
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
Default Re: British Surname of Norman Origin, Never too High, Never too Low

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
What first names should I give the father and son?
Father, Edward, son, George. After Edward VII and George VI.
johndallman is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2019, 11:48 AM   #152
Icelander
 
Icelander's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
Default Re: British Surname of Norman Origin, Never too High, Never too Low

Quote:
Originally Posted by johndallman View Post
Father, Edward, son, George. After Edward VII and George VI.
Fair enough. I should probably call them something other than those aristocratic monikers in daily speech, right?

The father was more imposing and authoritative, probably due to him having been a Sergeant-Major in the British Army and then a leader of mercenaries for a couple of decades. Maybe no one called him anything other than Sarn't-Maj'r Bannerman, at least no one other his WWII army buddies, who remembered him before his ascension to the exalted pantheon of senior NCOs. I don't know what he might have been called by his friends, though. Maybe something simply like 'Eddie', though that seems far too sane to be an authentic British nickname.

The son was born in South Africa, though he is not in the least bit South African. His parents simply happened to be staying there when he was born. That seems like a plausible source for a nickname connected to South Africans, especially as the younger Bannerman is very English and doesn't have any trace of a Boer accent. So naturally he'd be called something very Boer, though I haven't looked into what. Actually, he might have been born in what is today Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe or a range of other countries, as long as it was administered by the British in the early 1960s and seems plausible as a place where a British woman from Kenya and an English veteran might be living temporarily after she left Kenya.

Either one of them could have been dubbed 'Baz' from their surname.
__________________
Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela!
Icelander is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2019, 12:02 PM   #153
johndallman
Night Watchman
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
Default Re: British Surname of Norman Origin, Never too High, Never too Low

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
The father was more imposing and authoritative ... Maybe something simply like 'Eddie', though that seems far too sane to be an authentic British nickname.
"Ed" or "Ted" are common British nicknames for Edward.
johndallman is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2019, 05:47 PM   #154
Icelander
 
Icelander's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
Default Re: British Surname of Norman Origin, Never too High, Never too Low

Quote:
Originally Posted by johndallman View Post
"Ed" or "Ted" are common British nicknames for Edward.
Well, I suppose, but we've got a PC by the name of Edward Alvin Smith and he goes by 'Ted' or 'Teddy' Smith.

Obviously, though, it was Ned Bannerman, which only about three guys in the world dared to call the Sarn't-Maj'r at the time Teddy Smith (PC) knew him. And the young one can be 'Baz', because apparently somebody's nickname always ends in -az or -azza. One of them unwritten Constitutional rules, probably.

Right, that's that sorted, then.

At least 50% of the monster hunters ought to be American, I suppose, mostly from the Gulf Coast, and with a background from US Special Operations Forces.

So far, I have one who more or less fits that description, Bo Jackson from Florida. One PC is from New Orleans, but doesn't have the military background. Danny Daniels is American and with the right SOF background, but comes from Utah.

I need a US Marine Corps MARSOC Critical Skills Operator, a medic and a team lead. Would be nice to get in one former operator from the USCG MSRT.

Of course, if there are three other teams, maybe the demographically average shooters are there and the Penemue team is just plain weird, statistically, even for monster hunters.
__________________
Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela!
Icelander is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2019, 06:31 PM   #155
Icelander
 
Icelander's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
Default Monster Hunters

The PCs will belong to the main away team of monster hunters carried on board the yacht Penemue. J.R. Kessler also employs a lot of other people who investigate reports of the supernatural and deal with those problems that are judged to need resolution. Three other, small monster hunting teams can be called in for these missions, with some 20-30 part-time or ostensibly retired monster hunters who might be persuaded to aid in some cases.

Aside from the PCs, the monster hunters will mostly be former Special Operation Forces personnel who are aware of the supernatural and able to use esoteric equipment they are given, but do not necessarily have any mystical talents themselves. Each team member will have a number of specializations and areas of focus, like lead climber, diver, scout-sniper, etc. They'll also, hopefully, be cross-trained in vital specialties.

The three smaller teams will consist of four people each. The primary team will number eight people. In both cases, that is aside from subject matter experts who may go with it on certain missions (inc. PCs like powerful conjure man and master druid 'Nonc' Morel or anthropologist and research assistant Alice Talbot).

Penemue Team

Team leader: Mason Armitage; former USCG LCDR of MSST 91104 Galveston/Houston.
2i/c: Gerardo 'Lalo' Calderon (b. 1983; Miami, FL). Former CW2 of Navy SEALs.
O&I: Zamal Juman.
Communications: Danny Daniels; former Communications Sergeant (18E) from the USASF, 3rd SFG and then 19th NG SFG.
Medic: Tomasz Mateusz Wojciechowski. Former GROM, former French Foreign Legion.
Sniper: Craig 'Angel' Atchley. Former DEVGRU CPO.
Wayfinder: Edward Alvin Smith (PC).
Spiritualist: Lucien Lacoste (PC).
Engineer: Beauregard 'Bo' Johnson, former USN SEAL.
Gunner: Jackson 'Jax' Johnson. Former USMC MARSOC Raider (CSO).
Rifleman: Adonal Eustace (b. 1976; Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines). Former Royal Green Jackets.
Rifleman: Rene Sai Gaumond (b. January 28, 1988; Cacao, French Guiana). Former 1er R.P.I.Ma.

MH-2 Team

Team lead: [Name and Background Needed].
2i/c and O&I: [Name and Background Needed].
Communications: [Name and Background Needed].
Medic: [Name and Background Needed].

MH-3 Team

Team lead: [Name and Background Needed].
2i/c and O&I: [Name and Background Needed].
Communications: [Name and Background Needed].
Medic: [Name and Background Needed].

MH-4 Team

Team lead: [Name and Background Needed].
2i/c and O&I: [Name and Background Needed].
Communications: [Name and Background Needed].
Medic: [Name and Background Needed].

The younger brother of Dr. Dao Van Sang is currently serving as an officer in the 7th SFG of the USASF, but will probably become a team leader for Kessler as soon as his military service ends. He happened to be home on leave and took command of the security team and those of the monster hunters who were present during the emergency that took place in the first adventure.

Among the 20-30 people with the skills needed for monster hunters, but not the time or inclination to belong to a full-time team, is at least one operator currently serving with the 20th NG SFG and living on his boat in Alabama. A few more are military personnel in Selected Reserve or on IRR, but with family obligations or university enrollment that mean they cannot relocate to be full-time on a monster hunting team.

There is also one former French special operator from the 1er R.P.I.Ma, born in French Guiana to a French soldier and a woman of Hmong ancestry; a couple of former Legionnaires from the French Foreign Legion (who demographically will include some Eastern Europeans) and maybe one or more Caribbeans with the appropriate training and experience.

The rest will mostly be US SOF. If possible, it would be fun to have at least a couple with roots in the Caribbean, say maybe a Cuban-American and a Puerto Rican.

I also need to keep in mind that realistically, the demographics of SOCOM and JSOC are about as ethnically variable as the fans at ZZ Top concert... or NASCAR fans. While the Army and Navy as a whole are fairly diverse, the Special Operations community is overwhelmingly white and with rural Southerners significantly overrepresented. I'm not going to let that stop me from including special snowflake NPCs, but I want to at least nod toward real life demographics by having the representatives of the statistically likely outnumber the rarer birds.

I suppose I could boost the size of the Penemue team up to twelve and the other three teams to six men each, allow me a few more positions to fill with strange prople and still have room for more traditional shooters. What say the forumites?

Anybody like to suggest some of these ex-SOF monster hunters?
__________________
Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela!

Last edited by Icelander; 08-03-2019 at 06:11 AM.
Icelander is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2019, 04:37 AM   #156
Icelander
 
Icelander's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
Default Swashbuckling Heroes from Media Popular in South America

Does anyone know which of the 80s and 90s Saturday morning cartoons were popular in South America (Chile, in particular)? You know, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, ThunderCats, Gargoyles, etc.

Or if there were local versions?

I'm looking for fictional characters who could be an inspiration for swashbuckling heroes in a world with a weird mix of technology and magic. Specifically, I want Sky Pirates, but any conspiciously macho, swordfighting, bodice-ripping swashbuckler might do, particularly if he is the sort to inspire swooning with tween and teenage Latin American girls.

Neil Gaiman's Stardust has Sky Pirates, but not very swoon-worthy ones. Basically, I want an 80s or 90s pop culture inspiration for a character like Order of the Stick's Julio Scoundrel.

Even if the original character didn't have an airship, if he otherwise fits, it would probably be fine to just stick him on one. After all, no one would think twice if He-Man or She-Ra fought sky pirates in one episode.

What about Zorro? Is he known in South America? Have any adaptations been popular there?

Or Errol Flynn -esque pirates, the waterborne kind?

The mental image I have of the character is something like a tall, muscular man with a mass of curly dark hair and either clean-shaven or maybe with a tasteful mustache, as well as a billowing shirt that is open half-way down to the stomach, exposing a very hairy chest. He calls himself 'Don Something-or-the-Other' and wields a rapier in a very acrobatic combat style, but doesn't hesitate to brutally batter opponents in the clinch. Treats noble opponents with honour and elaborate, if mocking, courtesy, but will absolutely murder any number of nameless enemy soldiers, from ambush or otherwise, without worrying about the niceties of honour, at least when fighting the lower classes.

I guess the way to describe it in terms of modern pop culture would be a macho Jack Sparrow, i.e. if he looked like the hero of a Latin telenovela rather than a transvestite Keith Richards.

What say the denizens?

Anyone lived in South America back in the day? Or now?

Know someone who did?
__________________
Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela!

Last edited by Icelander; 02-01-2019 at 04:50 AM.
Icelander is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2019, 07:55 AM   #157
Celjabba
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Luxembourg
Default Re: South American Speculative Fiction Encounters in the Dreamlands

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
Whether local or foreign imports, what were the top movies and books on the South American market that featured fantastical beasts in the 90s?

If Ms. Delvona was a gamer, what systems did she come into contact with? Just D&D or maybe CoC, Vampire or others? Something I wouldn't have thought of?

What kind of fantastic creatures ought I add as an homage to something more popular in Latin America than elsewhere?
I was a backer for this book : http://www.lethargiclad.com/monsteratlas/ , https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...monster-atlas/

If you can find it, it includes about 100 South American cryptids, movie and folklore monsters for South America. It may be of interest ?

Edit : 66 South american Monsters, actually. Just counted them

Last edited by Celjabba; 02-01-2019 at 10:20 AM.
Celjabba is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2019, 08:07 AM   #158
Icelander
 
Icelander's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
Default Re: South American Speculative Fiction Encounters in the Dreamlands

Quote:
Originally Posted by Celjabba View Post
I was a backer for this book : http://www.lethargiclad.com/monsteratlas/ , https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...monster-atlas/

If you can find it, it includes about 100 South American cryptids, movie and folklore monsters for South America. It may be of interest ?
It looks really cool and I'd absolutely buy an ebook version for normal game book prices, say maybe $35 or so.

Twice that + shipping to Iceland + tariffs + probably VAT again and having to deal with Customs... sorry, can't justify it. Honestly, I've more or less abondoned physical media for anything I use as a reference book and even for entertainment, the hassles of having to ship things around the world and dealing with Goddamned Customs are just too much, when there are plenty of nifty options available at the click of a button.

If there's a Kindle or PDF version available, I'll probably buy it, but I didn't spot an option for that.
__________________
Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela!
Icelander is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2019, 08:46 AM   #159
Celjabba
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Luxembourg
Default Re: South American Speculative Fiction Encounters in the Dreamlands

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
It looks really cool and I'd absolutely buy an ebook version for normal game book prices, say maybe $35 or so.

Twice that + shipping to Iceland + tariffs + probably VAT again and having to deal with Customs... sorry, can't justify it. Honestly, I've more or less abondoned physical media for anything I use as a reference book and even for entertainment, the hassles of having to ship things around the world and dealing with Goddamned Customs are just too much, when there are plenty of nifty options available at the click of a button.

If there's a Kindle or PDF version available, I'll probably buy it, but I didn't spot an option for that.
PDf and epub were included in the KS, so you may fire them an email and ask.
I hadn't noticed the retail price hike ... yes, a (large) bit too much, I agree.

I cannot agree more about the [censored] shipping and [censored] custom hassles !

Edit: on Lethargic Lad facebook :
Quote:
" Monster Atlas volume 1 still available at http://www.lethargiclad.com/monsteratlas/ or contact me to get a digital download copy! "

Last edited by Celjabba; 02-01-2019 at 09:01 AM.
Celjabba is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2019, 05:32 PM   #160
Ŝorkell
Icelandic - Approach With Caution
 
Ŝorkell's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Reykjavík, Iceland
Default Re: South American Speculative Fiction Encounters in the Dreamlands

Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
It looks really cool and I'd absolutely buy an ebook version for normal game book prices, say maybe $35 or so.

Twice that + shipping to Iceland + tariffs + probably VAT again and having to deal with Customs... sorry, can't justify it. Honestly, I've more or less abondoned physical media for anything I use as a reference book and even for entertainment, the hassles of having to ship things around the world and dealing with Goddamned Customs are just too much, when there are plenty of nifty options available at the click of a button.

If there's a Kindle or PDF version available, I'll probably buy it, but I didn't spot an option for that.
Not that I don't get your point. However, I failed my resistance roll against nitpicking.

What tariffs? Books only have VAT. Also, what's with dealing with Goddamn Customs. All the various times I've ordered books they've sailed through GC.
__________________
Ŝorkell Sigvaldason

Viking kittens | My photos | More of my photos
Ŝorkell is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
caribbean, ken hite, monster hunters, suppressed transmission, vile vortices

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:50 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.