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Old 02-01-2020, 12:53 PM   #1
ericthered
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Default DreadStormers (OOC)

Ever since the Carnage of the Great War 150 years ago, the Fifth Spinward Republic and the Malu empire have avoided direct conflict, in favor of proxy battles. One such conflict is the Zorbani-Jakorbi War. A particularly brutal war, the worlds of the Zorbani pact seek to conquer Jakorbi, subjugate its people, and eradicate its culture.

Unable to enter the conflict fully for fear of triggering a second grand conflict with the Malu Empire, The Fifth spinward republic has sent a handful of covert psionic operatives to aid the Jakorbi. Of note is are the elite DreadStormers, who specialize in seizing enemy battleships from within.

You are the Dreadstormers. Republican agents have already secured you berthings on the Zorbani battleship Nightfall as enlisted crew. With nothing more than the Zorbani issued to every spacer, your training, and your psionic powers, you must overcome your 2000 ship mates and capture the Nightfall. Destroying it will not be enough. It is needed to turn the tide of the battle.

The fate of 4 billion people across 12 Jakorbi worlds lies in your capable hands. Do not let them perish.


I'm looking for two to six players. This game is a combination of Action, Space Opera, and Special Ops. PC's will be members of the psionically gifted Dreadstormers, trained to take over enemy warships from within. The game will focus on a single mission to take over an Enemy Dreadnaught.

The Term "DreadStormers" refers to those who take dreadnaughts by storm, though I suspect you'll need a little more subtly than a direct assault.
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Old 02-01-2020, 01:03 PM   #2
ericthered
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Default Re: DreadStormers (OOC)

Randall Valford

Daymar "Day" Konic



Hua Cheung
Pacifica del cid

Character Creation:

Characters are built on 380 points:
  • 250 points should be spent on building a hero suitable for an action campaign: no exotic traits, though cinematic ones are welcome.
  • 100 points should be spent on psionic powers, talents, and skills. Psionic powers do not need to be built from the Psionic Powers book. They do need a skill to use, and power stunts are available. Powers should be limited to one or two categories. We are using the rule "Alternative Abilities".
  • 20 points should be spent on learning languages and skills needed to get the jobs on board the Zorbani Ship. Stuff like (navigation (hyperspace)), Mechanic (Stardrive)) , and soldier (Zorbani Navy).
  • 10 points of "Flavor". You don't have to spend these points, but they are for things you think your character would have that aren't relevant to his job. Current Affairs, Games, Musical skills, Sport, Connisuer, Area Knowledge and Hobby Skills are especially appropriate.
  • Character's rank, wealth, legal enforcement powers, Patron, and status are free and should be pretty much irrelevant to the game. You're under cover behind enemy lines, and dreadstormer commanders are named on a mission to mission basis.

Disadvantages add points the the 250 point "Action Hero" pool. There is not disadvantage limit, but the character should be functional.

Each character should have listed what world in the fifth spinward republic they are from, and perhaps what that world is like. Remember we're TL10^ safetech. Intelligent aliens exist, but are not valid characters due to the undercover requirement. I welcome you to interact with the setting during character building and make suggestions for elements to add. It should also list what block the character will be associated with on the Nightfall (see post 4).

To encourage and enable psychokinesis as a power in a setting with guns we are using the following alternate costs:
  • DR costs [1/level]
  • TK costs [2/level]
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Last edited by ericthered; 12-08-2020 at 09:03 AM.
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Old 02-01-2020, 01:12 PM   #3
ericthered
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Default Re: DreadStormers (OOC)

Setting

This is a TL10^ Safetech setting set in the future at an unspecified date. Humanity has used FTL travel to spread across the stars. While they have run into some alien life, Human states dominate politics in this region of the galaxy.

The Fifth Spinward republic and the Malu empire are rival super-powers, currently restricting themselves to limited wars and proxy conflicts. Both powers have a couple hundred worlds as part of their proper state, without counting the states in their sphere of influence.

The Zorabani Pact is an alliance of five nations that speak similar languages. They have around 60 worlds among them. The Jakorbi speak a similar language but have some strong cultural objections to joining the pact. They have 12 worlds.

Psionic soldiers and agents are rare and prized, with psionics occurring in about 1 in a million humans.
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Old 02-01-2020, 01:13 PM   #4
ericthered
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Default Re: DreadStormers (OOC)

The Nightfall

The Nightfall is an SM+13 ship (300,000 tons) with 21 decks. Its 860 feet long (280 yards), and 210 feet across. Most of it filled with 60 foot by 30 foot compartments pressurized with breathable air. Its cargo space is mainly devoted to the metastable hydrogen bricks it uses as fuel for its plasma torch engine and stardrive. It has three main lasers housed in fish-eyes 90 feet across, and carries over 200 missiles 60 feet long each. The weapons systems are in the front, followed by the stardrive, with the plasma torch behind that and the fusion reactors in the rear of the ship.

Most the crew live in tight quarters, in massive barracks rooms holding 13 bunks (so 26 beds). They are divided into Blocks:
  • Missiles
  • Lasers
  • Shields
  • Life Support
  • Power
  • Motive
  • Gunnery
  • Navigation, Comms, and Sensors
  • Transportation
  • Morale (also includes security)
  • Officer
Each mess has about 180 people in it, organized into three shifts.


Subverted Officers


Deck Plans
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Last edited by ericthered; 01-24-2022 at 08:07 AM.
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Old 02-05-2020, 10:24 AM   #5
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Default Re: DreadStormers (OOC)

I will throw my mind in the hat of possible players. I will use this post for my character as it develops.
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Old 02-06-2020, 01:41 PM   #6
ericthered
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Default Re: DreadStormers (OOC)

Quote:
Originally Posted by zoncxs View Post
I will throw my mind in the hat of possible players. I will use this post for my character as it develops.
Awesome! I look forward to seeing your character develop. Who else is up for play?
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Old 06-18-2020, 08:20 AM   #7
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Default Re: DreadStormers (OOC)

Quote:
Originally Posted by ericthered View Post
looking for two to six players
1) zoncxs
2) Sinzarious
3) GnomesOfZurich

I guess that means there's still potentially 3 slots? It sounds interesting. Would like to throw hat in too if that's okay. I'll need to check the books to understand what TL10 represents and how psychokinetic powers would compare with it, and might wait to see others' sheets first before designing char to avoid overlap and round things out uniquely.
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Old 06-18-2020, 09:01 AM   #8
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Default Re: DreadStormers (OOC)

A question for ericthered: since this is safetech TL10, the relevant section in GURPS Ultratech mentions that these settings, "...often de-emphasize networked computers..." Is this the case here? This will determine how effective "cyberpsi" abilities may be.

Edit: For the record, I'm leaning towards either Telepathic abilities (likely Mind Control with the Independent enhancement) or Ergokinesis/Cyberpsi, likely based around, again, Mind Control or possibly Possession. Still considering the role on ship.
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Old 06-18-2020, 09:32 AM   #9
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Default Re: DreadStormers (OOC)

Quote:
Originally Posted by GnomesofZurich View Post
Mind Control or possibly Possession. Still considering the role on ship.
Mental Control Points from Pyramid please :)
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Old 06-18-2020, 10:10 AM   #10
ericthered
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Default Re: DreadStormers (OOC)

Quote:
Originally Posted by GnomesofZurich View Post
A question for ericthered: since this is safetech TL10, the relevant section in GURPS Ultratech mentions that these settings, "...often de-emphasize networked computers..." Is this the case here? This will determine how effective "cyberpsi" abilities may be.
Networked computers are indeed "de-emphasized". Most tools, locks, and stations will have computers associated with them, but they all have manual overrides, they are only networked within the same system, and the ability to operate them remotely is quite limited. So you can check on the status of a laser emplacement from any other laser emplacement, and even send them targeting data, but you won't be able to aim and fire it without someone present, and you won't be able to get detailed technical reports on the reactor.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Plane View Post
1) zoncxs
2) Sinzarious
3) GnomesOfZurich

I guess that means there's still potentially 3 slots? It sounds interesting. Would like to throw hat in too if that's okay. I'll need to check the books to understand what TL10 represents and how psychokinetic powers would compare with it, and might wait to see others' sheets first before designing char to avoid overlap and round things out uniquely.
And potentially still four slots. Welcome aboard. Remember we're using safetech and superscience. Think Space Opera. We're playing with relatively light superscience, with the focus on Psi, FTL, and propulsion.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sinzarious View Post
Probably focus on PK with possibly Telepathy as a secondary. Really not sure where on the ship yet, but the parts I am considering are the Power, Life Support, and Nav/Com/Sen Blocks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GnomesofZurich View Post
Great. Any thoughts on where you plan to focus your character and psionic abilities?
Quote:
Edit: For the record, I'm leaning towards either Telepathic abilities (likely Mind Control with the Independent enhancement) or Ergokinesis/Cyberpsi, likely based around, again, Mind Control or possibly Possession. Still considering the role on ship.
I built some sample characters back when I planned the campaign, and I found that "Telepathy" was too broad to cover in 100 points. I designed four Telepathy Packages: "Traitor Maker", "Radio", "Reader", and "Hunter-Killer". They all were dedicated telepaths, and all had very different rolls.

You may also want to declare your "Action" roll. Are you a shooter? a sneaker? a talker? a mechanic/hacker? You will start the game on a psi-suppressant drug with only standard issue gear, so you'll want characters who can function without their powers.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Plane View Post
Mental Control Points from Pyramid please :)
Sorry, not for this game. It slows down Play by Post and we already have a fairly robust rules load.
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Last edited by ericthered; 06-18-2020 at 10:42 AM.
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