[OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

No completely mundane characters will be allowed in this GURPS setting - they MUST have some degree of supernatural or otherwise abnormal ability, aware of it or not.

That being said, Willow Park Academy is a sanctuary for such abnormal children from all across the world. They are found and brought to this place, kept safe from those 'muggles' as per the borrowed term that would normally hurt or kill them for such unusual abilities. Kids all across the elementary school to high school age range are brought here as soon as their unusual abilities are detected, and graduates often choose to live nearby or even become teachers or staff.

For the purposes of the players, they are allowed to play children and teens that are being taught. You have 150 points with which to build your characters, and the disadvantage limit is 40. If you have any questions by all means ask, though this is my first time GMing. I'll try to run this without any character deaths, the main emphasis is the social interaction of the characters and them trying to learn how to control their powers.

Especially common powers are Superstrength and speed, flight, and telekinesis. I WILL NOT ALLOW world jumping or time travel. I may allow highly limited Snatching, depending upon how you build the ability. Otherwise, I put no limit on abilities and this campaign is meant to be highly cinematic.

The school itself has many facilities, often in places rumored to be haunted or otherwise clearly supernatural- Gettysburg, Cassadaga, etc. Please specify which campus your character is residing in.

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

So is this meant to be a number of one on one games like OOC Lost in Dreams?

I am interested but have no idea when I'll get around to making a character.

Oh and you may want to advertise in the Meta: Looking for Players thread. I know some people have that thread followed.

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

No, it'll be a group RP...

And alright I'll do that.

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

Are players building powers normally from the CP total of 150?

Might be tough to build a super strength character on that budget...

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

Super strength is one of those powers that develops gradually in the setting. To reflect this you start off with 150 points as a small child or teen and build up the strength score with earned points.

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

Supernatural -- what genre is this? I'm not really sure. I can imagine fantasy, supers, or horror type characters.

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

I'm game!

How about a hyperactive seventh grader -male?- who develops super strength?

Raised as an only child by single mother; has a half brother who lives in another state.

Has a big imagination.

His powers were first manifest ( at least that he noticed ) when he was on the way to school from the city bus stop and he got tired of someone kicking / trying to trip him from behind and so turned around and popped the bully in the face... And fractured his skull....

Somehow the right people heard about the situation and he was admitted to the Salem branch of the academy where he is being shown how to control his strength and grip. His abilities appear to be a part of his "aura". This may be the key to the hidden strength that some people experience only in emergencies... But has access to it any time...

Rough Draft
Lief O'connor
St 25 [150]
Dx 9 [-20]
Iq 9 [-20]
Ht 10
Hp 30 [10]
Wi 9
Pe 9
Fa 10

Perks
Mother [1]

Advantages
Patron Williow Park Academy [?]
Manual Dexterity 4 [20]

Quirks
Daydreamer [-1]
Gets Easily Excited [-1]
Likes Girls [-1]
Likes Sweets [-1]

Disads
(Iq and ht as above)

Skills
Artist (Drawing) iq-2 7 [1]
Bicycle Dx+2 11 [4]
Computer Ops iq [9] [1]
Typing iq+2^ 15 [4]

Techniques
Drawing Caricutures def+2 [1]

^includes +4 from manual dexterity

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

I'm game (or will be in about 48 hours anyway)! :)

Quick questions while I'm here:

Do Disadvantages from being young (Social Stigma (Minor), low ST and DX, etc) count against the Disadvantage limit?

Would pyrokinesis be a good power? Or a phycokinesis set including/growing into pyrokinesis/telekinesis/flight/force fields/etc?

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

Introducing Rueben Tanner, "The Amazing Monkey Man"
(-That name sounds awesome when you're 12-)
https://fc2cd9e2896d866d09c684b48e02...nkey%20man.jpg

Rueben had a pretty normal childhood until he turned 10, when one day he woke up and noticed that he was growing a beard. He was a little excited to be the first 'grown up' in his class, and the doctors told his worried parents that it was just early puberty.

Once his ears started growing into large round bowls and the tail started coming out, they looked for a second opinion.

A few months before he turned 11, his parents took him out for a special day trip. Rueben was excited since he'd spent most of the last few months stuck indoors, so he put on the large trench-coat his parents had purchased for him and hopped in the car. After a long, silent drive with a tense atmosphere that was starting to scare him a little, his parents ushered him out of the car, walked him over to a strange man and set a large suitcase down at his feet. They drove off without a word and never came back.

That was how he came to be at Willow Park.

The first few months were terrible for him. He was scared, angry and confused. His parents never tried to contact him again, and he was stopped from running away several times. He started to act out, getting into fights and breaking as many rules as he could. The staff were extremely patient with him, and eventually convinced him to take up an artistic hobby and a sport to help him heal and adjust.

In the year since, Rueben has managed to work past a lot of his troubles, all thanks to the efforts of several teachers, classmates, and his counselor, who he sees regularly. He's a budding performer and magician, and does well in his martial arts classes. He's formed a strong bond with the staff of Willow Park Academy, and considers the teachers and students to be his new, only, family.

Finally, he's made peace with what he's become, the Amazing Monkey Man!



Rueben Tanner
St 10
Dx 11 [20]
Iq 9 [-20]
Ht 11 [10]
Hp 12
Wi 9
Pe 12 [15] (Hearing and Vision Advantages)
Fa 12

Perks
Deep Sleeper [1]
Fur [1]
Honest Face [1]
Penetrating Voice [1]

Advantages
Acute Hearing 2 [4]
Ambidexterity [5]
Brachiator [5]
Extra Arm (Tail) [23]
- Extra-Flexible, Long, Weak (St 5)
Extra Arm 2 (Hands for Feet) [14]
- Foot Manipulators
Fit [5]
Flexibility [5]
Night Vision 9 [9]
Parabolic Hearing 1 [4]
Patron (Willow Park Academy) [9]
- Fairly Powerful Organization, Appears almost all the time
- Minimal Interventions, Code of Honor (Pirate's)
Perfect Balance [15]

Disadvantages
IQ Penalty [-20] (already noted)
Chummy [-5]
Social Stigma (Minor) [-2]
- Meta-humans and rarely, humans
Social Stigma (Monster) [-10]
- Almost all humans and rarely, meta-humans
Unnatural Features (Human Monkey) [-3]

Skills
Acrobatics Dx+1 12 [4]
- Perfect Balance
Brawling Dx+1 12 [2]
Climbing Dx+7 18 [4]
- Brachiator, Flexibility, Perfect Balance
Combat Sport (Judo) Dx+0 11 [4]
- Extra Arms (+2 ea to Grappling)
Computer Operation (TL8) IQ+1 [2]
Escape Dx+1 12 [1]
- Flexibility
Holdout * 7 [0]
- Sleight of Hand -3
Observation Per+0 12 [2]
Performance IQ+1 10 [4]
Sleight of Hand Dx-1 10 [2]
Stealth Dx-1 10 [1]

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

If the recruiting is still open I'd be game within next 48 hours. I'm thinking on some character with more mental/psi kind of superpowers. Ala professor Xavier.
Either mind control, or Illusion power. And some mind reading etc. too.


Or a seer - precog., clairvoyant etc.

Or a dabbler in both. So psi with either ESP and or Telepathy talent and abilities

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

And then the walls came down, all the way to Hell... ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEJOekbg2lE

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

Miles Stryker (150 points)

ST 9 [-10]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 10 [0].
Damage 1d-2/1d-1; BL 16 lbs.;
HP 9 [0]; Will 12 [0]; Per 12 [0]; FP 10 [0]
.
Basic Speed 5 [0]; Basic Move 4 [0];
Block 6 (DX); Dodge 8; Parry 8 (DX).

Social Background
Languages: English (Native) [0];
French (Accented) [2];
German(Accented) [2];
Russian (Accented) [2]

Advantages
Detect (Sentient beings) (Common) (Psionic) [18];
Illusion (Mental;Psionic) [48];
Language Talent [10];
Mind Reading (Psionic; Sensory;Universal) [48];
Telepathy Talent 1 [5].

Disadvantages
Dwarfism [-15];
Odious Personal Habit (Mind reading) -2 [-10].*
Quirks:
Alcohol Intolerance;
Dreamer;
Lazy;
Proud;
Uncongenial

Skills
Artist (Illusion)-12 (IQ+0) [4]; (id make a case for telepathy talent applying to this)
Computer Operation/TL8-12 (IQ+0) [1];
Dreaming-10 (Will-2) [1];
Engineer/TL8(Electronics) -10 (IQ-2)[1];
Mathematics/TL8(Applied) -10 (IQ-2)[1] ;
Fast-Talk-11 (IQ-1) [1]; conditional +2 from mind reading if what the subject is thinking is useful
Psychology (Human)-12 (IQ+0) [4];
Research/TL8-12 (IQ+0) [2].

*He gets reaction penalty of 2 from quite a lot of people for his weird behavior. He tends to be lonesome, push away people from him and be sometimes vicious and crude or cold and aloof .It is caused by him being able to read peoples minds and being somewhat proud - sooner or later anyone seems to thinks something that insults him - it is like HE is surrounded by really tactless bunch of people all the time. The fact that reading minds needs his concnetration doesn't make it better - he either really tries not to reads peoples minds either out of courtesy or to spare himself from disappointment. In this case he is blunt, quick and distanced to avoid temptation. In other times he succumbs to temptation to read minds and often times gets "insulted" reacting caustically.
So he seems a moody and sullen and/or inexplicably toxic person.
Lot of these people who know about his powers also have a reaction penalty to him as he might possibly be reading their minds. So to them he seems as this nosy dwarf who is peering around in their brain. (Better not think about this thing in 8th grade ... oh no...)

He likes to spend most of his time alone in his room either daydreaming ( sometimes trying lucid dreaming his fantasies), tinkering with electronics or browsing and chatting on the internet. He likes this form of communications as it keeps him from reading minds - he even has a smattering of online friends, he tries to keep these online. (And thus friends)

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

I haven't heard that song in YEARS! Thank you so much!

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

Dwarfism huh? Forcing the gm to make that 15 pt lvl disadvantageous?

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

it allready has built in reduced move and apperance level which should in themselves be -9 disads, I wouldn't seeem the extra -6 so much of a bargain for all the other troubles such a condition might involve (equipment,obstacles,penalties to impersonate, shadow, etc. )
So don't see it as any point munchkinism. I do not see as massively crippling either - lad can still get around and do stuff - worst thing would be the severe reaction roll penalties - definitly not a party face. Better stand way back on such things. Hmm .. meaybe i shoud reallocate some points to stealth etc. - cant be seen as ugly when you can't be seen :D

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

4th Ed lists Dwarfism as a -15. If the setting suggests otherwise, I'm sure the GM will let us know. Was Dwarfism worth a different point value in previous editions?

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

In my experience, basic speed is largely ignored in more story focused mediums such as play by posts...

As far as appearance goes, we are playing kids, so I don't see that being short and having obvious genetic dwarfism will be more than a distinctive feature.

On a side note, I usually complain about high stats or high skills, especially for kids, but as the character is psychic I can easily see a psychic who is actively reading minds at all times being distinctively intelligent. For his computer repair skill he might even have picked it up reading a techie parent's thoughts!

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

Huh. Hadn't thought about the applicability of movement in this format. Then again, so long as a disadvantage is properly role-played, it should be fun to read.

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

The eelctronics repair was more of a background skill idea - lonely intelligent kid who likes tinkering with electronics.
Then I had to chooce a specialty - well if I'd already chosen computer operation(massivley common skill in our era) and I'd think for a kiddo who likes speding time at the computer it might be a suitable specialisation.

But my first though would be something like no specialisation electronics (hobby electronics?) etc. You have probably encountered such hobby-ists I know I have.

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

Hobby Skill might work better, like how my entry uses Combat Sport instead of the actual Combat Skill. Usually, you can use the more comprehensive skill at a penalty, and your character could more believably have developed the skill in the first place.

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

Then again...geniuses can be good at things.

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

How old is the telepath? It might be ok that he learned computer repair just from tinkering.

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

I was thinking on the older side maybe 16? For the tinkering I was more thinking on the ability to repair several things and fiddle with several stuff just not very well - a hobby I have several high IQ people seen delighted in.
BUt when I saw electronics repair it needed a specialty.

Maybe Hobby skill electronics(allows any specialty of electronic repairs and such but at -5 or -6?) hed be skill 6 or 7 so capable for stuff only that has good TDM. Not good enough for field work of any kind, but good enough to kill his free time (extra TDM from taking extra time allows to get more complicated hobby projects to get finished.)

Another possibility might be Hard skill electronics engineer - he'd be able to do several repairs etc. at skill 7. He might be able to devise simple gadgets (skill 10),
I'd need to reallocate a point to mathemathics(applied) from soemwhere though.
But in a way it would work nice . There would be no need for a new hobby skill and it would be somewhat understandable that someone tinkering days on end with electronics could also devise a simple gadget or two.

edit:
Edited the character. He now has
Engineer/TL8(Electronics) -10(IQ-2)[1];
Mathematics/TL8(Applied) -10(IQ-2)[1] ;(prerequisite for Engineer)
instead of
Electronics Repair/TL8(Computers) -12(IQ+0)[2];

He will be able to do all kinds of small repairs etc. with an effective skill of 7, and now he knows some maths too (not unlikely for a smart lad)

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

I'm wondering if I should lower some of his skills. I'll let his natural advantages boost them, but maybe a kid shouldn't have more than four points invested in most things, since the point investment is what really represents time practicing.

I'll probably keep a higher amount in Judo and Performance, since he's been really active in those fields for a little over a year, but those values should probably drop a bit, too.

Any suggestions for maximum skill point investment for a 12-year-old?

I'd probably use the extra points to buy back some of the restrictions I put on Patron; I can explain them, but it got pretty convoluted.

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

3rd edition used to say you should have an unusual background to have more than twice your age in points; so we might use that as an absolute maximum and assume LESS (unless you live a life of privilege and/or parents that know how to really push you to learn).. Of course we all have our powers as part of a free unusual background so I would say points spent on skills directly related to your primary power (say climbing for monkey man or psychology for a mibd reader) should not count against the guideline.

Re: [OOC] Willow Park Academy of The Supernatural
 

I've edited my original character entry to reflect this; boosted his Climb, simplified Patron, and generally rounded him out a bit.