[OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

This is the rational 19th century. The theory of evolution, electricity, the telegraph and even the electric light bulb are all understood, at least by leading scientists. Nevertheless, there are those who prefer to cling to medieval superstitions. A group of such men, armed with questionable evidence and bolstered by the assistance of various politicians willing to credit their theories at least enough to pester their political allies, has insisted for years that the Federal government needed to investigate various ‘anomalous phenomena‘. In 1879, after years of bureaucratic infighting, the Postmaster General David M. Keys is finally pressurised by Senator Roscoe Conklin (R-NY) to consent to administratively own this ticklish problem.

He agrees to employ these men in the Division of Special Agents and Mail Predations. They will have badges, salaries and even $1,000 per month in operational funds that can be wired to them wherever they may find themselves. Employees of the post offices around the country shall be briefed to provide assistance, within reason, and ask no questions when presented with their badges. But Postmaster General Keys warns them that he will deny any stories that they publicly tell about being employed by him to seek out bugaboos, Big Foot or ghosts. In fact, he makes it very clear that his only concern is that they do not embarrass him or indeed impinge further upon his awareness. Having employed them, his service to Senator Conklin is rendered and he washes his hands of the matter. Their immediate superior will be Chief Special Agent Parker and be it on his own head if he chooses to pay any heed to tall tales of the supernatural.

The players will take on the role of these men. At least one of the PCs will be a credible person who has for years lobbied the government to take action in the field of supernatural phenomena. The others will either be persons that he has contacted and share his belief or they will be others who have spoken out about the supernatural in some way that has come to the attention of the government. Other plausible reasons for being involved are also welcome. Potential players will please explain why their character is interested in the supernatural and what his experience of it is before we start play.

The rule system is GURPS and in general, the harshest, starkest, most realistic rules will be in play. On occasion, there will even be houses rules, generally small changes too fiddly for official publications. I’ll respond to questions about them, but in general, fiddly rule stuff will be handled by the GM exclusively and players won’t have to worry too much about rules. Just assume that what would work in real life ought to have a chance of working. You know, if real life had cryptids, monsters, secret magic and supremely skilled and courageous men who faced all these things.

The Wild West featured in this game will be the Wild West of Deadwood or Unforgiven. It is dirty, foul-mouthed, rough and sometimes lawless, but it features more murders than shootouts and more brawls than anything else. Obviously, the vast majority of the American West during even the ‘Wildest’ period in its history was a low-crime area filled with peaceful homesteaders or ranchers. These, however, are not the areas that we are interested in. I guarantee that if play ever visits such places, it is because something is lurking behind that peace.

I shall not commit to a weekly schedule, instead aiming to look frequently at the thread and keep play moving at some pace that suits everyone. If, for some reason, it is necessary to coordinate schedules for some parts, this OOC thread will do fine for that purpose.

I will select players entirely arbitrarily and without revealing my reasons. I want around four, but I’d rather have fewer than I’d accept someone just to make up numbers. Posting reasons of why you should be selected in the OOC thread is fine, as is posting potential ideas for characters. Getting attached to a character concept before the players who are chosen have thrashed out between themselves how to divide functional and dramatic roles in the group is not fine.

I’ll post a list of what functional roles I’ll want filled and welcome further discussion of it. As for dramatic roles, I expect that potential players will have their own ideas and look forward to them coming up with some. At the minimum, PCs will have backgrounds that differ enough to bring each character into sharp contrast. It would also be good if they had different outlooks toward some important issues that could come up, such as morality (endless possibilities), the supernatural and even politics and their erstwhile superiors. That being said, the PCs will have plausible reasons for starting together and staying together.

It is possible that PCs may have some supernatural talents. If so, these are subtle enough so that they can’t prove them to others, unless such people are already willing to believe. All PCs should be able to handle a wide variety of challenges, ranging from mysteries to solve, complex social situations, outdoors adventures, manhunts to brawls and deadly shootouts. They ought to be plausible as real people, but may all be outstanding examples of real people, intelligent, hearty, successful and lucky.

My preferred method of generating characters, once players have been selected, is to arrive at the dramatic niches and specialities within the team in consultation with the players. The players will then describe their characters, as they would any fictional person, and I use GURPS rules to build stats for them. I’ll then send the stats to each player for comment and revision.

Finally, I am the GM. I wear the Viking Hat. Discussion is welcome. Errors may be pointed out. Criticism is encouraged. Lack of appropriate genuflection to the authority of the Hat, however, as this imperils the fun of everyone, will be dealt with by ceremonial humping. No homo. Nobody is enjoying it. But furious humping.

Placeholder for team composition and character guidelines
 

First, there are several vital functional roles that pretty much have to be covered in the team. If no player wants one of them, it would most likely be necessary to have an NPC accompany the PCs to cover that niche. If someone is so inclined and the other players agree, it would be fine to combine some of these into one character.

Occult investigator
The man whose work has convinced the Federal government that they need to pay attention to 'anomalous phenomena'. This could be one PC who in the course of his investigations has come across the others and enlisted them somehow to aid his researches or more than one PC could independently have had experience of the supernatural and attempted to convince the goverment of its veracity.
At least one of the PCs trying to flog his evidence of the supernatural needs to have reached politicians, someone who is connected to Senator Roscoe Conklin (R-NY). This could be, for example, Horatio Seymor, his Democrat brother-in-law (and Presidental candidate in 1868), or it could be former (Union) Gen. George. H. Sharpe, deeply involved in military intelligence, or Alonzo B. Cornell, former VP of Western Union and Republican politician. Or it could be Conklin protegé Chester A. Arthur. Or, indeed, nearly anyone connected to the Republican party in NY state or on a national level. It is not necessary that you know any of these men well (though you may), only that you could somehow have convinced them to lend their assistance to the quest of getting the Federal government to listen.

Scientist/MD
A man of science is necessary, if only to rule out natural causes. The kind of science that would be most useful to the PCs would probably be practical medicine, combined with biology, psysiology, anatomy and perhaps a little naturalism. A far ranging knowledge of flora and fauna would be nice, as well, but could always be left to a more practical outdoors type. All in all, tailor-made for an intelligent medical doctor with an inquiring disposition. Obviously, the doctor could also be a student of occult phenomena and would have the social standing necessary to be believed if he testified about some supernatural experience of his own.

Indian expert
One of the PCs must know how to survive on the great plains and palaver with Indians. He'll have to speak several of their languages and preferably have Cultural Familiarity with them. If not, he'd need extensive learning about their ways. This could be an Indian scout for the Army, a 'tame' Indian who did the same job, a half-breed or even a 'civilised' Indian from a mission school. It seems natural to combine this role with survival expert, plains rider, scout and tracker, but it is not necessary, of course.

Social Engineer
At least one PC must be comfortable with a wide variety of social situations. He may be out of place in some of them, but needs to be clever enough or charming enough to overcome being a stranger and manage to make friends and influence people. Possible former careers for this role include confidence trickster, gambler, gold mine investor, railroad executive, mercantile agent, lawman or any other role where one might have to deal with a lot of people who might initially be wary or even hostile.

Smith/Armourer
If the PCs mean to kill supernatural menaces, they might need exotic weaponry. Someone needs to be able to melt down sterling silver for shot shells, but more than that, someone probably needs to be able to improvise far more complex and specialised weaponry. It is possible that only by melting down a certain relic and making a sword out of it can the menace be laid to rest. Or that what is really needed is someone who can repair the broken Nordenfelt gun and turn out a supply of jacketed hawthorne slivers for it. Or anything in between or something even more exotic. This character could be an engineer and inventor from back East or he could be a resourceful smith who can shoe a horse as well as tinker with guns. He could have learned in the Union Army, the Confederate army, from his pappy or from the railroads.

Then there are the other areas of expertise, which would be good if one or more PCs were versed in:

Wilderness survival
Subspecialities are tracking, navigation, hunting, care of horses.

Town survival
Subspecialities familiarity with various unsavoury aspects of the less legal parts of towns. Lying, detecting lies, intimidating folks, brawling, knowing when someone is a murderer and when he's posturing, etc.

Political survival
Knowing how to deal with the Postal Service buraucracy, how to go about if you want to get evidence out, what to tell a Governor's aide when you have to see him, etc. Not necessarily a vital speciality, but a rewarding one if someone chooses to go that way.

There are many subcultures that could be encountered on adventures and the more of them that are represented in the party, the more varied and interesting the adventures. I don't expect we'll ever have all of them (and that's okay too, because sometimes not being familiar with the culture is more interesting), but it would be nice to have some of them.

Frontier culture
Sub-divided into an endless variety, of course, such as ranchers/cattlemen, prospectors and miners, buffalo hunters, shootists/lawmen/badmen and more. At least one PC must be able to act at home in a rough and tumble frontier town or camp.

Exodusters
Obviously, many black men were cowboys, farmers, smiths and other vital jobs in the frontier culture. All the same, at the time, they are very much a minority and discrimination is the rule. Many will be former slaves and more likely to associate with others of they feel kinship with. A black PC could more easily gain the trust of black NPCs, which could well be useful.

Vaqueros
People of Hispanic origin, mostly Mexican, are very common in certain areas of the West. In New Mexico and Texas, the culture of the Americans is very shaped by their neighbours to the South and a lot of the words that became part of the lexicon of the West were Spanish. Not to mention all the legends of the border. A Spanish-speaking PC could be useful.

Celestials
Not uncommon in certain areas of the West and very insular. Could be interesting having an Asian PC or at least someone with connections into that culture. For one thing, if the supernatural exists, the study and practice of it will be commonplace among them.

Then there's areas of expertise in combat. I think that all PCs should know how to shoot, at least be able to ride and should be capable of using some weapon in hand-to-hand, as well as being able to handle themselves in a brawl. All the same, there will be specialists and people who prefer certain weapons. More than one speciality per PC is fine, as long as the other players are satified with the division. By the same token, nothing prevents us from doubling up on some of these expertises, as long as the PCs are individually distinct enough.

The hand-to-hand expert.
Either big and strong, or just very skilled. Could be a knife-fighter, a cavalry trooper adept with his sword, a former soldier who's deadly with bayonet and rifle wielded as a blunt instrument or it could even be someone trained in Celestial fighting arts.

Shootist/Gunfighter.
The fast-draw artist. The pistolero. The master of swiftly ending a violent confrontation almost before it begins.

Shotgunner.
His weapon of choice is a shotgun, either lever-action or, more likely, a double. Very good at short ranges. One good option might be to have a big and strong man carry an eight-gauge shotgun, which would certainly have some impact on anything that has a physical body.

Rider
Born in the saddle and able to shoot his carbine or pistol while riding as well as other men do standing on the ground.

Lever-action rifleman
The king of the medium range, wielding a Winchester lever-action in a respectable caliber.

Sharpshooter
The master of picking off foes at very long range. Uses a more powerful caliber than those available in period lever-actions, most likely a .45-70 Government or heavier. Might have a scoped rifle.

Placeholder for posting guidelines in IC thread
 

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

What sort of specialties are likely? A soldier, an occultist, a scientist, and a doctor?

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Military experience would be good for all of them, but I don't think 'soldier', on its own, will be enough. Anyone in his thirties and older may have served in the Civil War and younger people may have experience from the Indian Wars.

I'll put up a better list in the placeholder soon, but the four roles I've tentatively identified are:

Scientist/MD. I had thought that the most plausible sciency-type, as well as the most useful, would be a doctor. If, however, someone wishes to play a genuine experimental scientist/engineer with an occult bent, I suppose that would also be okay. But I think that a doctor is needed as well.

Anthropologist. Rather than a scholar, I had thought that an Indian scout who knew a lot about Indians from hands-on experience or perhaps a half-breed or 'tame' Indian would be good for this role. The PCs would, at the very least, need someone who spoke several Indian languages and knew something about their culture.

Gunsmith. On the assumption that it may sometimes be necessary to improvise exotic weapons in order to kill the creatures they face, at least of of the PCs needs to be a competent smith, armourer and all-around handyman.

Face. One of the PCs, at the very least, needs to be be able to function in a variety of social situations. He might be a lawman, already experienced at riding into frontier towns and enlisting locals to help him search for his man. He might be a confidence trickster or gambler. Or he could be a rich investor whose people skills mostly relate to getting people on his payroll. Method optional, that is.

Obviously, one or more of them will be 'occultists' in the sense that they have more knowledge of the supernatural than most people. Whoever takes on the role of the character who has spent years pressuring the government will most likely have some skills relating to that, possibly including Occultist. I guess it would fit best for it to have been the Scientist/Doctor, but it might have been the Face. Or someone more surprising, casting against type. An educated Indian scout. A steam engineer who can fix most anything who struck it rich in a gold rush and uses his money to get people to listen to him about experiences he's had in the dark of the mines. Or something else.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

I would like ot announce my interest in this game. It sounds like a great setting. Horror and Old West is a great combination

I am thinking of a a couple concepts:

First one is of a smith/armorer, the big and strong type who uses a shotgun and is an amatuer boxer. He could be a veteran of the civil war or just learned his skills from his father or grandfather.

Or perhaps an eccentric tinker with a compulsion to invent strange devices. more of a cerebral type.

Or a Mountain man from the north who has skills in tracking and survival and a couple indian cultures. Would be the elder of the group. Could have knowledge of Native American myths (occultism).

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

I'd like to play the occult investigator.

My thoughts:

Germans were particularly religious at that time, so a German immigrant would do nicely. He could be an ex-Pinkerton who went too deep down the rabbit hole, if I can use an expression from a recent literary work.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Sounds like it would fit.

Indeed, when I first ruminated upon the campaign setting, I saw in my mind's eye Mose Jefferson, a tall, strong black man wielding an 8-gauge shotgun of his own make. Born a slave in Jackson, Mississippi in the year 1841, Mose worked as a blacksmith's assistant. He was a quick learner, an amiable fellow and his master had no sons. On his 18th birthday, he was freed and became a journeyman working with John Jefferson, his former master.

When the South began arming itself, he started building cannon, muskets and rifles. After hostiles started, John Jefferson, despite being well over fifty, joined the 5th Mississippi Regiment of the Confederate Army. Mose followed him to war, as a blacksmith and armourer with the Army of Mississippi. After John Jefferson fell at Perryville, Mose contrived to carry an Enfield musket for the rest of the war.

After the war, he did odd jobs around Jackson, trying to raise the stakes to start his own foundry and livery. Having little success, he stuck out to Montana, hoping to find gold at Confederate Gulch. He didn't find gold, but he did discover that an accomplish smith could earn good money there and quickly saved up enough to go into business for himself. The gold yield was already declining, so he took his pile and tried his luck elsewhere. Drifting West, he found himself in Bodie in late 1870. Too late to prospect, but not too late to found a successful smithy. In Bodie, he had his supernatural experience.

Would need to be carefully constructed so that he had enough to contribute to the group. They could not carry much heavy luggage, so his workshop would usually be what they could rent in frontier towns. For that reason, I think that the armourer of the group had best be used to working in such conditions.

Certainly that should work.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

I was thinking more of a second Generation Scotsman who had a natural talent for metal working and was taught smithing buy his father. He would've been recruited as an armorer for the Union army. After the war he would've travel West to seek his fortune as a smith or Armorer for the US cavalry in thier skirmishes with the Plains indians.


I could see him with a wagon or Stage coach workshop. But that might get in the way. so I would agree with your conclusion about the armourer being better suited. This architype would be best suited as an Ally or patron for a character.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Very good.

So, your first idea for a concept is an ex-Pinkerton agent, of German roots (or a first-generation immigrant). What else is he? Look over the suggestions for functional roles and see what catches your fancy. Also, pitch some ideas about what his dramatic role in the party would be. Is he the leader? The stout-hearted second? The rebellious, but ultimately loyal loose cannon? The heart of the group? The comedian? A spiritual inspiration? Something else?

Was he the one who reached out to powerful politicians to get this group created? An ex-Pinkerton might know former Union General Sharpe or at least know men who knew him, so that could be. But he'd need convincing testimony and at least partial evidence. Not enough so that any politician was comfortable about going public with it. But enough so that some supported quiet action.

In case it was unclear, 'occult investigator' might be the job description of all the characters. At least now. However, one or more of them will also have been instrumental in bringing the existence of the occult to the attention of authorities. They have been partially successful, in that they now have badges and some authority to continue their research.

Obviously, no one has been approved yet, but concepts can well be discussed. Just let no one get attached to one or even be certain that he'll be taking part. Apart from three who have expressed interest in this thread, there are three others contacted by other means, so only those who mesh well with other players and impress me with collaborating in creating an interesting group of characters will be playing.

Players must be interested in playing their character, yes, but their character will also serve to high-light aspects of other PCs. Without a straight man, there is no wise-cracking comic. Without a sympathetic, warm-hearted companion, we do not notice the callousness of the hardened lawman. So on and so forth.

So, when pitching concepts, think about how they will mesh with the concepts of other characters. Think about dividing responsibility by saying things like: "I'd like to be a chatty, friendly sort of fellow. Is anyone going to be a taciturn, laconic character?"

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

If i go with either the Blacksmith with Gigantism or the Seasoned Mountain Man I will be playing the dead serious to the point type with a temper. Either will get more chearful the intoxicated they get...but it takes alot for one and not some much for the other.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Let me see... he'd have moved to the States when he was ten, so that would have been in 1838. Which would mean they were fleeing... Lutherans, if memory serves. He'd have fought in the civil war, then joined the Pinkertons for a spell.

In the party, I picture him as acting something akin to Helsing, only not so far gone mentally. Bumbling, but harmless. Competent, but overboard in his histrionics. Zany to his detriment. Passionate, unrelenting. It was him that kept after having some sort of bureau created. Because of the things he saw, if only out of the corners of his eyes, if that makes any sense. It does to him. He's a madman, but dead serious about it. If there ever was a straight man, it was him. He doesn't joke about it, because he understands it. His understanding might be wrong, he is willing to admit, if only hesitantly. But one thing is sure: whatever it is that's out there, it's no laughing matter.

They're all occult investigators. Anyone that cares to open their eyes is. But he is the occult investigator, the same as Aristotle was the philosopher. There were others, sure, but he was the one. That's how this fellow views himself. He's on a mission. Maybe it's personal. Maybe he's obsessed. But maybe he's been chosen, maybe He has decided from On High that this one man is to be His servant on earth. Because there are things that need to Be Done.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

I am leaning towards the Blacksmith. Is it too early to latch onto a character? Or should I still consider both?

I figure the blacksmith had his supernatural encounter while working out west as an armorer for the cavalry. Not sure what exactly it is yet but he saw something and used to talk about it but learned quickly not to. Sometimes he will speak of it when the Scotch is a plentiful.

The Mountain man would've run across many o'strange thing in his travels in the mountains and dealings with indians.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

It is certainly far too early to do any such thing.

What I want from potential players now is not any latching, but dialogue between them of how they can best cooperate to make an interesting group of characters. I don't want anyone to develop a concept in isolation and resist attempts to refine it so that it complements other characters.

Think of a television series. The characters there are designed so that they may have interesting interactions, bring each other's personalities and quirks into focus and drive stories that involve the others. If you had different authors write each character with no reference to the other cast of the series, it would be shambles.

So what I want now from prospective players are ideas for characters that could be Special Agents of the US Postal Service and what dramatic and functional roles they would enjoy portraying. Don't hesitate to suggest what other characters in the group you would enjoy seeing, either.

Summa summarum, think about brainstorming for the whole group, not just for a hypothetical 'your character'. Once we finish brainstorming, you will have sole responsibility of a single character, it is true, but it is better to delay that until we have a solid group.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

I totally see this like the A-Team. We should have an overconfident Leader, The Crazyman, Faceman and the Muscle.

I see whomever i am playing as the backup man. Someone who is not the leader but would follow the leader to hell and back...although he would grumble and be in a bad mood along the way but when the chips are down he is a stnadup guy.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

I have an interest in this, it's an interesting echo of RMBB.

My first thought would be to play the doctor. Depending on the group dynamics he would be the cynical pragmatist. First draft I would pick wilderness survival and frontier culture, a small town/country doctor. For combat either the shotgunner, rider, or sharpshooter; preferably the sharpshooter.

Country doctor who hunts, in short.

Jeff

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Take the sharpshooter. either one of my character concepts will use a shotgun...but there is nothing saying everyone can't use a shotgun.... :{D

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Possibly a lawman (Texas Ranger?), who tried to Homestead somewhere on the frontier. One day when he was away for some reason, his family was killed and his stock destroyed brutally (Chupacabra-like?). The official story is that it was Indians, but he'd fought Indians for years so he knew that it wasn't anything like even the most brutal of Commanche raids. He began an obsessive personal quest to understand what happened to him; a quest that lead him to correspondence with Sen. Conklin and then eventually to this team.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Sounds good to me. Texas Ranger would be nice. Experience at warring with Comanches is also good.

What can he do?

Is he good with people? What, if any, is his style of investigation like?

He's obsessed, you say? John Wayne in The Searchers obsessed? That suggests intensity, lack of humour and little frivolity. Probably not a man for carousing or hobbies. Unless drinking to forget, I guess. Tell us more about proposed personality. What kind of characters would complement him? Who'd be a natural foil for him? Do you see him as the friend of any of the other PCs?

What style of combat does he prefer? Weapons? He a horseman?

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Leadership, political liaison, police stuff.
Good question. Do we want an Augustus McCrae or a William Call? Not sure really. Regardless of his approach (affable vs. unfailingly polite) he'll be good at talking to people. At this point I'm leaning more towards Call, to fit the backstory. Of course he could be manically obsessed instead...

That was my initial thought. Although now the possibility of a manic version seems interesting. Given the same background Kurt Russel and Richard Dean Anderson played a melancholy and a manic Jack O'Neil(l), respectively. The manic version does seem less cliched, now that I think about. Still in flux, I think. What do you think?
That's easy. If he's a Ranger, he's a classic point-shooter. Definitely a Horseman.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

I like the manic version myself. Lets the cynical pragmatist of a doctor say "When you hear hooves think horses, not zebras."

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Well, playing laconic, mission-focused characters does help bring their more light-hearted, social companions into focus. On the other hand, I wonder if you'd enjoy that? It can be frustrating to be unable to contribute much in the line of dialogue and for most every decision to be pre-made as 'I continue towards my goal, monomanically'.

Manic sounds interesting, but how do you plan to combine that with leadership, liaison and all the other tasks that require people to respond positively to you?

I would very much prefer that at least two of the characters were friends with a long-term relationship. They could have shared the same supernatural experience or they could have gotten to known one another as part of their quest to get people to listen to their story.

My image of a Ranger has a lever-action carbine in addition to his pistol. And the carbine is probably a more effective weapon, as longarms usually are.

On the other hand, every other player has expressed a desire for a longarm of some sort. So Point Shooting is definitely something unclaimed. ;)

And as long as everyone has their shtick, there's no problem about the character being proficient with more than one weapon.

Do you have any preferences for a pistol of choice? Any weapon a particular favourite?

If you aren't up on all the types available, the major choices boil down to a loading gate revolver (Colt SAA ('Peacemaker'), Remington 1875) in a heavy caliver like .45 Long Colt or .44-40, a break-open revolver in a medium caliber (S&W Number 3, available in .44 American, .44 Russian and .45 S&W, also available in long barrel and short barrel) or one of the new-fangled double-action revolvers made just last year or the year before. There are more exotic choices, of course and then there are smaller calibers, suitable for backup weapons.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

What about medical skills? The vast majority of doctors in the US, particularly the ones in the frontier, will be TL5. This means that they are only marginally more likely to help than they are to harm. Germ theory is known at the time, but a doctor who was actually up on such very latest practises (New York hospitals are still not onboard with the new theories) would be a phenomenon on the frontier.

I would be inclined to allow a TL6 doctor, if only for PC survivability, but to justify that, it would be good if he had been in Massachusetts (to study under Oliver Wendel Holmes Sr.) or the UK (Dr. Lister) very recently. Some other European places might be possible, if less likely. Of course, if he had been trying to get people to listen to him regarding the supernatural, he might well have spent some years in Massachusetts lately, despite being otherwise a frontier doctor.

Would you be thinking of an older man?

Learning to be a doctor was not always an ardous process in the 1860s or 70s, of course. His studies would usually have been several months in university (if lucky) and some apprenticeship, maybe a couple of years. This makes it possible that he could have had a career before becoming a doctor.

If you want a true medical expert, however, maybe he learned for far longer than the bare minimum. Of course, many fine doctors had career as adventurers after embracing their profession, as well.

Where would he originally be from? Why did he go West? For doctors, there is less comfort, less support and less pay. Those who did go had their reasons, for course, ranging from not being able to compete back East (probably one of the most common), employed by the railroads, following family, troubles back home, pure altruism to going there with exploring parties or soldiers out of a sense of adventure.

Did you want military experience? Between Mexican War, Civil War and Injuns, plenty of that to go around.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

He could easily have spent time in Massachussets recently.

Around fifty or so.

I am thinking he was originally a Southern gentleman from Louisiana(maybe?). In his early thirties with a wife and family when the Civil war started. He raised a company of troops and went off to war. Instead of glory and chivalry he found blood and filth and death. His family dead from an epidemic and his holdings ruined from the war he had to make a new start. He took up medicine as penance for what he had seen and done during the war. He went west to escape the memories of his family.

Initial thoughts anyway, subject to change to mesh with other players.

Example characters
 

Just to provide an example of what kind of characters might be appropriate and how they might be contrasted against each other, here are a few random ideas for characters that would fit the game. Anything you like may be freely stolen from there, modified in any way you like or used as inspiration for characters of your own. Also, feel free to riff on themes suggested by this for what you'd like to see in other PCs to better bring out your PC.

Face (Urban survival, Celestial, Hand-to-hand expert):

'Jade Flower' (Song Cui Hua)

Bio: Jade Flower was born in San Francisco in the year of 1853. Her father, Song Han Wei, was an immigrant. Her mother, Susannah Taylor, was, as some bitter ladies of advancing years might put it, no better than she should be. Upon discovering, belately, that she was with child, Susannah might have elected to chance drinking the tea, even though more than four months late. Fortunately for Jade, Song Han Wei had noticed as soon as she did and perhaps even earlier. He offered to support Susannah financially and took to visiting his daughter periodically. When Susannah died three years later, he took the child to raise. He named her Song Cui Hua and she no longer remembers if her mother gave her another name.
Song Han Wei was a man of some standing in San Fransisco's budding Chinatown. He owned a small tea shop and was often visited there by his fellow countrymen, but did no apparent work of his own. Shortly after taking his daughter in hand, the first of a series of female servants who raised Jade appeared in his household. With everyone else, Song was strict, severe and unapproachable. With his dark-haired, green-eyed and beautiful daughter; he was affectionate, kind and playful.

Jade grew up happy, gregarious and irrepressable. She effortlessly added Taishanese Chinese to her early English and later, after the first of part-time tutors was found for her, learned Mandarin in addition to a wide variety of subjects more suitable for an aristocrat than the daughter of a working girl. She has an ear for languages and would continue to pick them up easily.

There was no one time when Jade realised that her father was not only respected in Chinatown, but feared. Once she was old enough to understand, she felt that she had always known. Some of the men who worked for him were big, muscular, arrogant men who carried large knives and razor-sharp choppers, quite unlike the typical mild-mannered labourer. Yet with her sweet nature and ready smile, the child made all of them, even the fiercest hatchetmen, her devoted servants.

She learned the etiquette of the gambling house at the kness of the dealers, the business of moneylending from stone-faced collectors and even, at a precociously early age, she learned what went on in the opium dens and pleasure houses. Jade learned all this not because she was deliberately taught or because she had any purpose in mind, but simply because of her wide ranging curiousity and inquisitiveness.

Jade also learned other things. She loved to watch her father's guards wrestle and spar and wouldn't accept their insistence that these sports were not for her. Since few could deny her anything, she soon had them teaching her their stances and forms; their boxing, locking and the use of their broad-bladed 'life-taking knives'. She learned both the rapid close-range boxing of that most of them favoured, ideal for brawls among boatmen, and the deeper stances and quick, rodent-like footwork practised by her father's most feared hatchetman, Wa Kai, said to be an assassin. When her father found out, he was not angry, but laughed and said that if she wished to dance, she ought to dance more ladylike steps. At the age of ten, therefore, her father engaged a man who called himself Yao Choy to teach her dancing, philosphy and fast-moving, kinetic style of combat. Yao Choy was obviously a man of property and learning, but had arrived in American without wealth or connections. Jade heard whispers that he had been one of the leaders of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and was living in American under an assumed name to avoid the vengeance of the Qing Dynasty.

Jade grew up, happy despite the rather odd existence she had been landed with, and before she was twenty years of age, she was a confident young women for whom San Francisco was a wonderful playground. She had friends from all walks of life, both white and Celestial, and a series of lovers and armies of aspirants for the position. This idyllic existence was shattered by a brutal event in 1874. A sudden nighttime attack tore through the guard and left her father and five of his bravest dead, torn apart. Many others were wounded and she caught only a glimpse of an assailant before a sharp pain and a gathering darkness took her. She saw nothing, really, but remembers it still. It was inhuman.

Her father's strong righthand man, Yue Shan, carried her out of the burning house. As Jade came to, she discounted her vision as being caused by her head wound and instead immediately suspected the hand of rivals of her father in the attack. Through Yue Shan, she attempted to marshal the forces that would have been available to her father. Only a few weeks later; Yue Shan disappeared. There were no witnesses and no clues. She could feel her grasp of the situation weaken. The men who loved her as a little girl were not prepared to follow her as they followed her father. When she was attacked by two hatchetmen, it was merely confirmation of what she had known for a while. She could not stay in San Francisco.
The two men found out that Jade Flower had learned her dancing lessons well. They both died, one with his jugular opened by tiny concealed blade, and the other hacked to death with his companion's broad knife.

Though Jade had not wished to leave, she was too wise not to have foreseen this need. A lover by the name of Desmond McCall takes her by ferry to Oakland and from there by train to Sacramento. In her luggage is a wealth of silver and gold coins. Evans was a professional gambler and for a year or so, she lived with him in Sacramento, living well of the proceeds of his winnings. Eventually, Sacramento paled and so did McCall. Jade went to Virginia City, Nevada, with another gambler the name of George Beauregard. George was more honest than McCall in his games, but far less prudent in other things. He taught Jade to shoot his Lefaucheux pistol, to ride and to swear like a cowboy. When he was killed by a drunken miner in a pointless brawl in early 1877, she was devastated. She murdered his killer the next night, felt no better and decided to return to her home by the Bay.

In Frisco, the men of quiet influence in Chinatown had become comfortably esconsed in a new status quo. Some of her father's old men now worked for his old rivals, but Jade had become too shrewd and too wordly to be offended at that. Some friends remembered her still and welcomed her back, but she was a threat to no one any longer. Her savings had been depleted Beauregard's poor run of luck before his death, but Jade nevertheless established a comfortable enough life with a circle of admirers. Her dreams, however, were dark and she began to sense an unfriendly presence. She started to consult herbalists, astrologers and priests to help her understand her growing sense of anxiety and dispel her fears. In 1878, she began corresponding with a man who claimed to know others with similar stories. Driven by her dread, she left San Francisco again, this time to cross the wide expense of the whole United States.

Personality: Jade Flower enjoys being around people. She is cheerful by nature, but is adept at counterfeiting whatever mood she believes will serve her best. She can be manipulative, but is not malicious about it. She simply usually ends up getting her way. She's perceptive and has grown to be a keen student of human nature. Fortunately, her familiarity with the antics of lovestruck men has not bred contempt, but amused tolerance. She likes to flirt with shy men and play aloof with those who pursue her, perhaps because she enjoys the games for their own sake. Jade has a lively sense of humour and is a sparkling conversationalist in three languages, quite adept in Spanish and French as well as having a minor facility with Yiddish, German and Italian. When danger threathens, the steely resolve and lightning calculation of her mind can surprise those who take her for a decorative flower.

Description: Jade has black hair, but a very light complexion for a Celestial. Her eyes are a vivid green, legacy of her mother and her fine-featured face usually wears an impish grin. She stands around 5'6" and weighs no more than a 110 lbs., but her muscles are finely honed and she can move with lightning speed and grace.

Skills: In additition to her linguistical gifts and social skills, Jade is a master of Wing Chun, Choy Gar and Choy Lee Fut. She is good at reading people and situations and can handle herself among the criminal element quite well. She can also play the part of an aristocratic lady, both among Anglos and the Chinese. Few men can deny her anything. She's swift with her derringers, deadly with knives and dangerous with most any weapon.

Outfit: Jade Flower has a variety of attractive dresses for all occasions, along with parasol and hats. She also has more practical riding clothes. She will usually conceal on her person two mother of pearl-gripped Sharps & Hankins Model 4D derringers in .32 Long RF and a jade-decorated hiltless small knife. She also owns a Lefacheaux Mle 1854 pistol and two wide-bladed fighting knives.

Example character 2
 

Smith/Armourer (Exoduster, Frontier Culture, Shotgunner)

Mose Jefferson

Bio: Born a slave in Jackson, Mississippi in the year 1841, Mose worked as a blacksmith's assistant. He was a quick learner, an amiable fellow and his master had no sons. On his 18th birthday, he was freed and became a journeyman working with John Jefferson, his former master.

When the South began arming itself, he started building cannon, muskets and rifles. After hostiles started, John Jefferson, despite being well over fifty, joined the 5th Mississippi Regiment of the Confederate Army. Mose followed him to war, as a blacksmith and armourer with the Army of Mississippi. After John Jefferson fell at Perryville, Mose contrived to carry an Enfield musket for the rest of the war. The Army of Mississippi was defeated often enough so that the baggage train was no safe place to be and Mose fought in hand-to-hand combat with the Yankees. Under Gen. Johnston in the Army of Tennessee, he marched as a soldier in the ranks and no one thought anything of it. For one thing, Mose was a superlative soldier; stolid, uncomplaining, indefatigable and a fountain of strength to his companions. And in battle, he was a fearless, roaring giant.

Mose's courage and ferocity could not stave off the inevitable and he surrendered with the rest of the Army of Tennessee in North Carolina, in 1865. After the war, he drifted along doing odd jobs, trying to raise the stakes to start his own foundry and livery. Having little success, he joined with other defeated Confederate soldiers and stuck out to Montana, hoping to find gold at Confederate Gulch. He didn't find gold, but he did discover that an accomplish smith could earn good money there and quickly saved up enough to go into business for himself. The gold yield was already declining, so he took his pile and tried his luck elsewhere. Drifting West, he found himself in Bodie in late 1870.

Mose tried mining for a year and his sapper experience from the war enabled him to quickly adopt to the use of dynamite, but he failed to strike it rich. He did have enough money to start his own business and he founded a successful smithy in Bodie. When the Montana fields started failing, many old friends drifted West and Mose established an enjoyable life, despite the rough and tumble nature of the place. In 1877, however, Mose and his friend Llewellyn Evans saw the Badman and after that, nothing was ever the same for either of them.

Mose and Evans left the goldfields in haste and tried to come to terms with their experience. Religion was some comfort, but no priest seemed to have the answers that Mose craved. Mose talked with preachers of every denomination, in every town and city he came to. He even talked to medicine men, Chinese herbalists and heathens of every description. Llewellyn mostly drank, but with time and coaxing, Mose managed to get him to talk about his experience and feel better about it. They both determined that forgetting it was not an option.
Finally, late in the year 1878, the friends found some men of knowledge willing to credit their story. These fine gentlemen wanted the companions to travel East and help them convince the authorities of the existence of the Badman and others like it. They offerend to pay their railway fare and a generous stipend besides, but that wasn't why Mose accepted. He accepted because he hopes that someone will listen and that creatures like the Badman will be destroyed, never to trouble anyone again.

During his time in the East, in addition to meeting with a lot of learned men, Mose found the time to work Daniel LeFever in his Syracuse workshop for a few months and also met an Englishman named Robert Forsythe who had worked for W.W. Greener. Mose tinkered with some designs based on prototypes that Simon had tested and achieved satisfactory results after some weeks, though his design was both heavy and expensive. Mose's craftsmanship impressed LeFever greatly and when Postmaster General Keys made Mose and Evans Special Agents in August, LeFever was sorry to see him go. The two parted on good terms and Mose promised to visit whenever he was in New York State.

Personality: Mose is phlegmatic and radiates a calm assurance. He is not given to complaint or any kind of chatter, but is friendly and has a wry sense of humour. When others might make small talk to avoid the silence, he would rather sing psalms in his deep, rich bass voice. When Mose does talk, he is usually worth listening to, as he has a mine of common sense inside his thick skull. He also has a very strong sense of personal morality, but is not the sort to press his values on his companions, other than perhaps to chide them gentle and with good humour when they fall short and are heading for a fall. In times of danger, he is a pillar of strength and courage.

Description: Standing 6'6" tall and weighing 245 perfectly formed pounds, Mose is a splendid specimen of manhood. He has short, thick and curly black hair, a strong face lined with hard living and placid big brown eyes.

Skills: Mose can drive a wagon like an old hand, shoe any horse, no matter how wild and bang up a servicable tool from any old scraps. He builds beautiful, functional guns and is very interested in keeping up with the newest cartridges and actions. He can handle mining equipment, including blasting caps and dynamite. Despite his bulk, he is neither clumsy nor slow, but he's never been a very good rider. Mose is a very gentle man and doesn't like to fight. He did wrestle for fun in his youth and is adept at grappling men and subduing them with his size and strength. When roused, he can swing a musket with bayonet like a scythe through the ranks of the enemy and he is a fine shot as well.

Outfit: Mose usually travels with a bag of tools and wearing simple clothes that are clean and well cared for. He carries an eight-gauge shotgun with a 20" barrel that he built himself from an 1875 Parker barrel and stock, in addition to LeFever-style internal strikers and autoejectors modelled on the Greener design. Mose also carries a LeFever 1878 10 gauge with the barrel sawn down to 12" and a Dragoon pistol-grip fitted to it. Finally, he wears on his belt a Colt Dragoon he has converted to fire his handloaded 60 grain .45 Long Colt rounds, a LeMat converted to fire .44 Colt and with the 16-gauge smoothbore barrel rigged for side-loading using all-brass shells loaded with 21 pellets of No. 4 buck and a heavy charge. He also carries a heavy Bowie knife with a 15" blade that he made himself.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Very good.

What was his profession until his thirties/forties (end of war)? Plantation owner? Industrialist?

Starting his career in medicine in his late thirties or early forties is going to be rather exceptional. Would he have had any prior experience with medicine before that? Any role models for his choice? Reason why he didn't choose gold miner, cattle rancher, Pinkerton agent, lawman, bounty hunter or railroad executive? Or was he perhaps already a doctor in addition to a land-owner in the Antebellum South?

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Undecided. His family at least were major landowners.

He could have already been a doctor, I suppose.

I was thinking that he had done or ordered done a lot of killing during the war. Afterwards he decided to become a doctor in order to heal instead of kill. Doing penance for his sins in a way.

Example character 3
 

Indian expert (Wilderness survival, frontier culture, sharpshooter)

Llewellyn Evans

Bio: Llewellyn was born 1845 in a cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina, to an old mountain man, trapper and hunter and his part-Cherokee wife. By age twelve, Llewellyn was an accomplished mountaineer, backwood hunter and musket shot. At the age of fifteen, when his father died, he settled comfortably into the role of man of the house and provider for his mother.

When the Civil War broke out, Llewellyn hoped to remain neutral. For almost a year, he and many of his fellow highlanders managed to avoid the war raging elsewhere in the state. After having exchanged fire with a several bushwhackers near his home, however, Llewellyn felt compelled to join a local militia company, composed of both Cherokee and highlanders. Several such companies were then combined into a military unit in September 1862 and given the name Thomas' Legion after the chief of the Cherokee, William Holland Thomas, that was elected its Colonel.

Llewellyn was now a soldier of the Confederacy, without having given much thought to what he was fighting for, beyond defending his home from bushwhackers and Union troops. He was picked out to be a sharpshooter due to his woodcraft and uncanny shooting and received a two-band Enfield rifle-musket for that purpose. This was a great boon to him as he and most of his companions had been using smoothbore muskets. Later in the war he was given a Whitworth rifle with a four-power scope, an excellent weapon that he used to great effect. Llewellyn fought with the Legion through Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia and North Carolina again, until it surrendered at the war's end, the last Confederate unit to do so.

Homecoming was melancholy for more than one reason. His mother had been murdered by a bushwhacker in 1864 and few of his friends had survived the war. Llewellyn made an attempt to track down his mother's killer, but soon found out that he had most likely been killed in a skirmish about a week afterwards. When a smallpox epidemic broke out in the neighbouring Qualla boundary, Llewellyn decided that he would seek out a more congenial climate and greater opportunities to the West.

He went to Kansas in early 1866, planning to become a homesteader. Once he arrived there, however, he heard about the opportunities to be had in providing the railroad workers for Union Pacific (Eastern) with buffalo meat. He signed on and worked for two years as a buffalo hunter. In 1868, the hard work and rough conditions convinced take a vacation. He went to the Indian territory and lived for a while with cousins on Cherokee lands. He married a Chickasaw girl and found work as an assistant to a clerk for the Indian agency. He took part in settling Cheyenne and Kiowa on their new lands and worked a great deal with Chickasaws and Chocktaw.

In the winter of 1871-1872 his wife died of pneunomia and Llewellyn decided that he was ready for another change. He went back to buffalo hunting, this time as a market hunter. He earned good money and bought himself a pair of Sharps rifles more suited for the mass slaughter he was engaged in than the muzzle-loaded Whitworth. When the northern herd started thinning at the end of 1873, Llewellyn went to Red River, Texas to continue his trade. He learned from Cheyenne friends to follow the fleeing herds on horseback and added a Sharps carbine to his arsenal to use at close range.

When Quanah Parker and his Comanches attacked Adobe Falls in 1874, Llewellyn offered to scout for the US army. He served throughout the yearlong campaign, but his initial anger at the attack on his comrades was short lived and he developed great sympathy for Quanah and his men. The market hunting that had so plumped his purse was striking at the livelihood of the Plains Indians. Llewellyn did not go back to his trade after the war was over, but went as a tourist on the Kansas Pacific trains to the Pacific coast. He enjoyed a long soujourn in San Francisco, but the high life and gambling that he learned to appreciate did not come cheap. He found his sizable savings depleted after only a few months. Nothing daunted, he spent the last of it on a prospector's outfit and went to Bodie to try his luck.

In Bodie, he met Mose Jefferson, a black smith and skilled armourer who had often been called to repair the rifles for the battalion-level sharpshooters in the war. They formed a fast friendship which was strengthened when they met the Badman of Bodie together. If not for Mose's kindly strength, constant good cheer and simple faith, Llewellyn might have descended into alcoholic depression. Instead, he joined his friend in seeking answers and ended up working for a very strange outfit under the Postmaster General.

Personality: Llewellyn is crusty, foul-mouthed and irascable. His sense of humour is rough and often offensive. He does not hold with social niceties and judges a man by his actions, not his clothes, wealth or status. He scorns the weak, but respects anyone, no matter his origin or breed, who can meet his standards of toughness. Llewellyn likes whiskey, tall tales and game meat grilled on the trail. When drunk, he'll often make up outrageous whoppers about frontier life or heroes to mock dudes and tenderfeet, but he never brags about his own accomplishments. Those who take the time and effort to earn his respect might discover that Llewellyn is fiercely loyal to his friends, stubbornly honourable and surprisingly tender-hearted behind his uncouth bluster.

Description: Llewellyn stands 5'8" high and weighs in at some 170 lbs. of teak-hard sinew. He has black hair, bushy black brows and beard and a swarthy complexion, but many men who work outside are similarly dark. His one-eight Cherokee ancestry is usually not apparent unless he happens to mention it. His eyes are his father's, gray and cold. Llewellyn usually dresses in buckskins, with bandanna and pork pie hat.

Skills: Llewellyn is a superlative rifle shot, woodwise, seasoned plainsman, intuitive tracker and splendid horseman. He can move silently and fast through almost any kind of natural cover and ride or walk for many days without rest. He speaks Cherokee as well as English, Choctaw and Chickasaw well and is fair in Cheyenne and Comanche as well as knowing a little Kiowa.

Outfit: Llewellyn has exchanged the tools of his former trade for a scoped Remington Number One Long Range Creedmoor in .44-90 Remington Special. He still owns his Whitworth, but more for sentimental reasons than anything else. He kept his Sharps Cavalry carbine in .45-70 Government, as his scoped rifle can be cumbersome. His friend Mose Jefferson has customised that carbine, cutting the barrel down to 16", shortening the stock and shaped the trigger guard to his hand. In his belt he has a Colt M1851 Navy converted to fire .38 Long Colt, a Bowie knife with an 8" blade and a steel tomahawk.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

It is not necessary at all.

That sounds interesting.

So, we've got him down as one mean soldier and as a sharp doctor with no tolerance for the old and reliable methods whose only flaw is that they don't work. What else is he? He's a hunter, apparently, and a good horseman. How does his hunting mesh with his regret over the killing he has done? It doesn't remind him of taking human life?

Is there anything else you see him as being able to do? Something he learned during the first three decades of his life, presumably. Upper class Southern manners, I guess. Maybe managment of his estates, explaining how he took easily to outfitting a large number of men and commanding them.

How's his bedside manner? Courtly? Commanding? Gentle? Irascible?

Had you thought about his supernatural experience? And whether he knows any of the other PCs? Is there any particular type of character that you'd like to see in the group with him, for them to play off each other?

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

He only hunts for food not for sport. He'll kill if he has reason, but war is just a brutal pointless waste.
He could be able to do a lot of things, what things depend on party dynamics. Definitely courtly manners when he chooses.

Gentle but no sugarcoating for patients. Not so gentle with kibbitzers.
Supernatural experience could be with voudon in New Orleans or with something out west. I would like for him to know at least one other character.

He's the cynical, no-nonsense pragmatist. Some one who's excitable/impetuous would be a good contrast. So would an idealist. He's definitely lost his faith so having a devout character would add drama.

Player selection
 

Right, sir_pudding and jmurrell I know and have gamed with before. I am therefore in a position to evaluate their merits as players immediately. I approve them both and tentatively approve their concepts.

The other prospects, Skullcrusher and ErnhamDJ, I do not know. I will therefore need to observe them for longer before I know if I would enjoy gaming with them. To this end it would be good if they could float several concepts, discuss concepts with the already-approved players and otherwise contribute to establishing a party dynamic.

I'm still waiting on answers from several other prospects contacted through physical, analog or alternative digital means. This does not mean that any interested parties should hold off on expressing interest. The number of players is less important than quality and I'd rather go with slightly fewer or slightly more than I'd go with one that I felt didn't mesh with the others or wasn't likely to increase my enjoyment.

Sir-pudding's concept is a former Texas Ranger with experience fighting the Comanches, who lost his entire family to a brutal raid that everyone assumed was Indians. He disagrees and is searching for the true culprit, which he has reason to think is something both more and less than human. Areas of competence would be criminal investigations, interpersonal skills, horsemanship, point shooting and survival on the Great Plains. Might also know the Comanche language and something of their ways. Personality perhaps focused and intense. Possibly even manic. Not yet decided.

Jmurrell's character is a former Confederate officer from Lousiana who became a doctor in the West after the War for a chance to make up for some of the blood on his hands. This would suggest that he has spent at least ten years on the frontier, where he practised in a small town or a series of small towns. Hunts for sustenance, so probably uses a medium-caliber rifle or maybe a shotgun, and is a good horseman. Gentle, but honest with patients. Familiar with Antebellum Southern courtliness, but not necessarily prone to display it with those who waste his time. Cynical, pragmatic, earthy.

I'd like to see these concepts expanded and perhaps related to each other. Is there a connection between them? If not, are there other character types that would be particularly suitable as their friends, foils and colleagues?

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Actually, I've realized I don't want to play in this game. I thought I would have the time, but it's looking like I won't. Sorry.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Me too. I am already commiting to alot already and think i will over extending my time if I commit to this game. Have fun!

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

If there still is room I am interested.

I am unable at the moment to write a long post.

Basic idea, English man, specialist from the old world in old world "fairy" tales and monster stories from eastern Europe. Collector of weird tales.

Both physical strong and well educated. He may have assisted in forming this new division within the Postal service.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Sounds interesting.

When you have more time; you will no doubt elaborate on the concept. For that time, some things to ponder.

Do you have any preference when he would have emigrated to the US? And why?

Would you like him to have any connections to the other PCs prior to the start of play? If he was instrumental in convincing Federal authorities to support their investigations, I suppose it would be only logical that he would have corresponded with some of them and probably met one or more of them. But would you wish a longer association with any of them?

There was strong prejudice in the West against Englishmen, of course. Other PCs could share that, to a greater or lesser degree. What do the players feel about that? Would it be interesting or an uncomfortable distraction for some PCs to heirs to national antagonisms, a la the classic 'Elf-Dwarf', 'Frenchman-Englishman', 'Englishman-Scot', 'Yankee-Southerner', etc. odd couples?

Had you thought about how he formed political connections in New York state, if he was indeed involved in that?

Apart from his scholarship, what else did you imagine him doing? Would he be an adventuring scholar, the sort who might seek out a lost city or King Solomon's mines, or is he more of a library type with upper class manners, adept at making rich friends and influencing important people?

What were your thoughts for personality? Motivations?

How about action? Is a horseman? Fox hunter, perhaps? Does he fence? Box? Did he serve in the British army at any point? Does he shoot and if so, what? Was he a hunter in some colonial land?

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

I'm willing to give this a shot.

At the moment I'm thinking engineer. Might be Irish or Scottish, recently (within the last decade or so) moved to the States.

Got his engineering education at Chatham, Kent and served for several years after that.

All I got so far. Must sleep on it.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Very good.

Once you get back to this; some thoughts.

Why did he emigrate to the States? Engineers were sought after in mining, of course, so he could easily have become a mining engineer, either in the big Comstock silver mine or in some of the gold rushes of the period. Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Dakotas, Bodie (California) are all possibilities for gold, to say nothing of a variety of places in British Columbia.

Mining engineer would be a nice adventuring background, with him of necessity being used to operating fast and rather improvising solutions than waiting for the perfect manufactured part to arrive. Also, some (very few, but the most interesting) mining camps were extremely rough-and-tumble, with brawls, knife fights and shootings being almost commonplace.

Another possibility is a naval enginner, of course. Though that might be better if it was a former occupation, before he started working on something more likely to be of use in adventures set on some very dry land.

Had you thought about personality? Congenial and large-hearted, if blustery, in the grand tradition of Star Trek shipboard engineers? Louder, drunker, more violent and black-bearded version of same? A sober-minded Presbyterian Scot, lanky, tough and kenning the value of money a mite too well? An adventureous sort always on the look for another challenge?

What about the supernatural experience? Of what sort? What effects did it have on his life? Did he seek out people to listen to him or did someone (perhaps another PC) find him and worm the story from him?

How would he fit into the party? Any particular character types who'd be interesting to pair him with? Anything that wouldn't work with him?

What about weapons? What would you like him to favour? Does a carry a frontiner six-shooter and lever-action rifle to fit in with the roughest crowd among miners? Has he some more exotic affectations, carrying with him older British models or even ordering the newest from London, as part of following the exciting new developments in machining and gunsmithing? Does he perhaps not carry a weapon unless he has good reason to know he'll need one?

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Thought about this some more. Overnight my engineer became an American. His family moved from Scotland when he was young (lets call it at most 10 years old).

His father moved the family there seeking better employment. He was a professional of some sort, the cliché would be that the father was an engineer and the son intended to follow in his footsteps. I'm thinking he grew up in an Scottish/Irish community in say, New York or Pennsylvania.

At about the time he finished his education the Civil War broke out, he volunteered, and ended up serving as an engineer (doing combat engineering stuff).

I see him as a serious, calm man. Practical, has a strong preference for solutions that work right now, instead of a long way down the road.

As for weapons, any firearm that will go BANG! when you really need it to do so works for him.

And I want a sword.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

The 1st New York Volunteers (Engineers) sound like they would do you? More combat experience than the other NY engineering regiments, I think.

Very good. So it would work well to pair him with someone less serious, so he could act as a straight man? Anything more about his personality?

As the engineer of the group, it will be his job to see that everyone's guns go bang at the appropriate time. Including custom-made stuff and exotic handloads that might be needed.

So it would be extremely good if he had experience with that sort of stuff. His father could have been a London or Birmingham (or Dublin) gunmaker, of course. New York state has many gunsmiths in the period and opportunities in that field were booming. Could have worked as an apprentice somewhere. LeFever is working there in the 60s and 70s.

Surely. Will this do? That's if he was an NCO in the War. Another possibility for an engineer officer. Or were you thinking something more substantial?

Artillerymen carried this and the engineers often served side-by-side with them.

This one could also work for an engineer officer. Or a privately bought blade, actually more likely for a volunteer officer.

Of course, being issued or buying a blade in the Civil War doesn't mean he knew how to use one. Fencing isn't a common sport for practical sons of professionals in the industrialised North, you know. More of an aristocrat thing in the South, maybe.

But his father could have taught him. For that matter, his father could have served in the British Army. If your character was 20+ in the Civil War, he emigrated before 1841. That still allows for a father who fought in Anglo-Sikh or Anglo-Afhan wars. Or in China. He could even have been in a Highlander Regiment, even earlier. Your character could carry his old claymore.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

I am quite interested in joining your game. my basic Idea is as follows:

definitely Celestial

immigrate from japan. probably brought over because of his skills?

quiet guy, follows orders, hand-to-hand expert as well with blades and stealth...

ok so he is a ninja so shoot me! :D

none the less I was thinking of a quiet guy who knows things others don't really know, helps fill in the gap with info and is good at getting in and out of places.

hasn't been in america long but is quick to pick things up. I will post more later. :)

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

I am leaving for the country over the weekend and will be very busy until then so I don´t think I can commit to this game enough as it is.

So I think I must drop out. Thanks for considering me.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

We will not start gaming until after the weekend, I am sure. If you are free after that, we will see if the roster is full by then or not.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

This is problematic for several reasons.

Reason the first. How would a few politicians in New York and Washington hear about a quiet, secretive stealth and hand-to-hand expert in far-away Japan?

Reason the second. Even if one of the few politicians, bureaucrats and potential PCs that are involved in setting up this small team somehow did hear about this person, how would they go about bringing him over because of his skills? The world is not as small then as now. If he has any loyalties, they will be to people he lives with or at most, to his local government. Certainly not to a foreign government half a world a way. Even if they did contact him, they would not expect him to want anything to do with them.

Not to mention, if his skills are so valuable, why are the Japanese letting him go? It is not as if the government of Japan in the era encouraged their citizens to become engaged with the outside world. They only allowed trade with it at gunpoint, a mere 25 years before the start of play!

Reason the third, the people appointed to this team are the people who have been agitating for it and perhaps a few others that these agitators have heard about and contacted. There is no extensive recruiting phase, no worldwide search. Not to mention no training, no language education and nothing else of that nature. A foreigner of a race that is negatively perceived, who doesn't speak the language and does not have citizenship is not going to be appointed to Federal office (Special Agent).

This is why the character cannot have been specially brought over. Now we move over to the idea that he may have emigrated to the US for other reasons, had a supernatural experience and the other PCs heard about it and brought him to Washington to be another witness for their petition.

This is slightly more plausible, but runs into other problems. The first immigrants from Japan to the United States* went in 1868. There were only about 150 of them and they went to Hawaii. Several other groups went to Hawaii between that year and the start of gameplay in 1879, but the number of Japanese in the US is still incredibly small. And nearly all of them are manual labourers in Hawaian sugarcane fields.

To put this into context, at the time, Iceland had less than 100,000 people. Yet the number of Icelandic settlers in the United States outnumbered the number of Japanese there by an order of magnitude.

*Other than perhaps individual travellers.

I will not forbid you from playing a ninja. If we suppose that the premise of the setting includes shamans with actual magical powers as well as cryptids surviving into the 19th century, the existence of actual ninja clans, while historically dubious, is at least as plausible.

Nevertheless, combining the problems with Japanese ancestry above and the strange confluence of circumstances needed to make it plausible that a highly trained ninja from a secretive clan of assassins and spies would emigrate to work as a field hand, let me float another possibility.

If the important core of your concept is martial arts and hand-to-hand expert with stealth skills who starst off as somewhat out of place in Old West society, why not consider a Tong boo how doy (hatchet-man)? These men certainly did use knives (up to sword length), hatchet and various blunt weapons to carry out murders and assissinations. They belong to a criminal fraternity and must hide their deeds from authorities, so would certainly know stealth and specialists could be good at breaking and entering or disguise. The Chinatowns in San Francisco and Sacramento are large enough so that many of them will speak only Taishanese or Cantonese in their daily lives.

Also, a boo how doy is not yet as cliched in Western culture as a ninja. So there is that.

If you must play a Japanese ninja, work up a description that explains his presence there well. If it is original, plausible, interesting and well done, perhaps it will not seem cliched to me and the other players. But I think that it would be very difficult.

Just a note, Asian immigrants to the US did not have the right to become naturalised citizens in the era. If citizenship is desired, it would therefore be beneficial if the character is born there.

Without citizenship, the characterwould not be made a Special Agent. This would mean less authority than the other characters and nominally, at least, a subservient position to them.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Looks like the regiment is found.

Serious, calm, cool under pressure. But if he loses his temper it's really really lost.
Father was a Birmingham gunsmith, and perhaps dabbled in other areas of engineering.



Well, now we're talking...



Oh, and Real World considerations. I'm leaving the country on the 16th, will return on the 27th. IF that's a reason to boot be, then so it shall be.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

'tis not, I should think.

I'd rather have a week or two in scheduling conflicts than months of unsatisfactory playing performance.

So, we've established that he carries a claymore, a family blade that may well have a history back to the 74th at Assaye. For other weapons we could get creative, given his background. He could have new-fangled weapons or old and rare ones. A coach shotgun in the largest bore he can comfortably handle would be a very practical weapon, of course. Good against anything from waterfowl to foul creatures from the nether realms. And road agents.

Did he fight as an officer or enlisted in the war? From his social position, I'd say that both were possible, determined as much by his personal abilities and forwardness as anything else.

Have you thought about what he did from the end of the Civil War until the start of play? That's fourteen years, the vast majority of his adult life, probably. Did he go back to New York, work as a factory manager or in civil engineering? Gunsmith?

Did he go to rebuild the industrial capacity of the South? Carpetbagging? There would have been opportunities galore if he had any capital or could offer his skills to go into partnership with one.

Or did he go out West? Mining engineer?

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

You might start with the US trade fleet in '54.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Here is were I am at with Dr Armand Villeneuve.

Before the War Between the States he studied law and banking at university and handled business contracts and financial affairs for his family. He has always been a keen amateur scientist so medicine wasn't totally new to him.

Personality wise he is the brake not the gas. He is cool and laid back but not serious. He has a dry wit than can turn sharp. He is forthright and truthful. He will call a spade a spade but isn't good with the softsoap. He is a cynic.

He could certainly have moved west to Texas if we want to posit him and the Ranger as friends. He probably retains enough legal knowledge to advise on the law.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Just poking my head in to say I really like the idea for this game. I don't have time to join in myself, but I'm filing away the concept for future use.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Very good. That will certainly be useful to you at some point.

And when the war breaks out, is he the head of household? The Villeneuve at the family estates?

So he goes and raises a couple of companies, perhaps making up a nice little regiment along with other leading citizens.

Is this far outside New Orleans? A rural setting, rather than urban?

The Villeneuves have probably been there for a long time. Any interesting family history of note?

In TvTropes lingo, he is likely to become The Lancer of a typical five-man-group of heroes. If another character is better suited for that role, could also do duty as The Smart Guy.

Works best if paired with a hard-charging, self-confident Hero who can benefit from cynical advice to take things slowly sometimes. The Bones to Captain Kirk, in other words.

As I said, I would like if some characters in the group are friends. Doesn't have to be sir-pudding's Texas Ranger and Dr. Villeneuve, but it would work well that way.

Hell, if he was a friend of sir-pudding's PC, he could not have had any supernatural experiences of his own, not proper ones. Instead, he could have gotten involved to help his friend. Used old family connections, reached out to Democratic politicians trying to end Reconstruction and eventually gotten some of them to listen to him in time for the Compromise of 1877. One of the behind-the-scenes concessions made would then have been the financing of the team of PCs.

What does sir-pudding think? Would he like Dr. Armand Villeneuve and his character to have a pre-existing friendship, probably from having lived in the same frontier town the in the past decade?

Okay, more general things.

A Southern gentleman could be a good horseman even before the war and a frontier doctor would keep it up, as he makes housecalls on horseback.

Would you like to be a swordsman? New Orleans was probably the city in the US with most fencers per capita in the Antebellum years. Smallsword proficiency is very likely, with techniques adapted for military swords in the War (or not, a smallsword can certainly kill unarmoured men well enough).

New Orleans is the home of Dr. Jean Alexandre LeMat, inventor of the LeMat grapeshot pistol (and cousin of Gen. Beauregard). Is Villeneuve familiar with him? Does he perhaps carry one of these exotic and interesting weapons? They are percussion revolvers, but if Þorkell's character is a good enough gunsmith, a cartridge conversion is not out of the question.

Hunting in the Antebellum would have been with a fowling shotgun or a small caliber muzzleloading rifle, neither of which is especially useful on adventures. On the frontier, Dr. Villeneuve could have adopted a more modern weapon, such as a new Winchester lever-action in a medium cartridge like the popular .44-40 Winchester. It's too much for most small animals, but right for javelina, coyetes, small deer and humans. Depends on what he hunts, of course. He could own a .22 rifle as well and a fowling shotgun, just wouldn't take them on adventures.

Dr. Villeneuve is a widower. Is he a sad, lonely widower or is he actively seeking a new wife? Or perhaps a shorter term accomodation? It would be nice if some PCs were social and prone to making new friends or love interests. Adds new elements. Not that it has to be Dr. Villeneuve. Just some of the characters.

The more I think about it, the more I like Dr. Villeneuve and a former Texas Rangers as friends. While the silent loner is a Western trope, all good Westerns that work for gaming inspiration for groups have a very strong male friendship(s) at the center. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The Wild Bunch. Unforgiven.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Sounds great to me. Perhaps the good Doctor nursed the Captain back from the edge of madness after his family died.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Okay, to start:
Capt. Cornelius "Con" Marten, Texas Rangers (ret.)
Bio: Con was born in western Virginia in 1834, the son of a second generation Irish blacksmith. His parents emigrated to Texas and settled in Laredo in '41. His mother died in childbirth in '43. His father was devastated and began to drink heavily. Con and his brother Theo were basically raised by their older sister Margaret. Maggie was ultimately unable to control the rambunctious Con who ran with gangs and ultimately ran away at 17 to join the Rangers. She was however able to impress on him the importance of reading and a lifelong joy of books.

As a young Ranger he gained a reputation for easy humor, nigh suicidal bravery, and a strange studious bookishness. He rode against criminals and Indians, rising through the ranks of the Rangers, and making his fortune. Dr. Villeneuve and he became good friends, when the doctor settled on the frontier. In '69 he married Caroline Harlow, the daughter of a local cattle baron. In '70 his daughter Margaret was born. His son Philip was born a year later. He retired from the Rangers in '71 and set up a ranch on the New Mexico border with help from his father in law.

After to a series of brutal raids in '73 he was asked to assist the Army in pursing a band of Commanches. When he returned home, he found his cattle lying in the field gutted, his wife eviscerated and drained of blood, and his children missing.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Cornelius is joining the Texas Rangers on the eve of the War Between the States, yes? The vast majority of the Rangers joined the Confederate armed forces, but there were some who continued to defend the frontier from Indians, jayhawkers and ordinary criminals.

From 1865-1870, the Rangers were distrusted as armed militia under a defeated state government. In 1870, they were disbanded (to be reformed in 1873, as part of Reconstruction coming to an end in Texas). I doubt that any promotions or new hires were made in the Reconstruction era.

Captain is a very high rank, obviously. Before or at age 21 or so, he's risen to the highest rank that active Texas Rangers in the era held, as leader of one of the bands of hardened frontiersmen, some of whom would be in their forties. This means that he is remarkable in intelligence, self-reliance, assurance and moral courage. Which, I add, suits us very well.

Very good. Did you have some idea about the six years after this?

You might consider having him set up the farm in 1870, when the Rangers are disbanded, but rejoin in 1873. That way, he could serve for two or three more years and the tragedy could have happened in 1875 or 1876. This allows him some more years to become a Captain and more time to work as a genuine cop, not as a militia-member in the war. That is, if you don't have plans for the years after the tragedy.

Between 1860-1870, Texas Rangers would probably have carried percussion revolvers. Cartridge conversions become possible around 1869, but not likely until a couple of years have passed. The Colt Single Action Army mostly went to... the Army, in the first two years it was made, so for a civilian to have it before 1875 would be unusual. Less so if he was working as an Indian scout for the Army, of course.

This means that any gun that Captain Marten used in his frontier riding days would be slightly outdated by now. He may be perfectly fine with this, of course, as an older gun will still kill people dead, even if it takes longer to reload and is more prone to misfires. Or he may have picked up one of the excellent new six-shooters available from 1875 on or some of the even newer double-action pistols that have now been on the market for a year or two.

Same applies to the rifles. A rifle used during the war years would be seriously outdated by the time the Winchester '66 arrived and outclassed by a mile once the Winchester '73 and Model 1875 are available. As a saddle rifle, you pretty much can't beat the Winchester '73, chambered in .44-40, in the era.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Well he could be older. 45 seemed about right for the character, but he could easily be in his 50s (or a lower ranked Ranger).
Trying to convince people that what happened wasn't Indians. Going crazy. Chasing shadows. Getting his stuff back together. Talking to big-shots. Joining the postal service.
Works for me.
I suspect he's bought something reasonably state-of-art after he joins the Postal Service.
Yeah, Winchester '73 is perfect.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Nah, he's a younger son. He could even be the seventh son, if you want to have that as a hook (waves at Brett).

Yep.

Far enough away that he's had experience out in the bayou's.

Not that I've thought of yet.

Exactly.
Make it so!
I think he had an encounter with the work of a voudon bokor out in the backwaters.


Not a great swordsman, but he certainly fenced. Smallsword? not Saber?

He's a sharpshooter, I believe target shooting was quite popular (or I'm mixing up my era's). The grapeshot pistol is bit gimmicky for pragmatic shootist. I think he has a fine quality Rolling Block (probably with a scope) for serious shootin'. Probably a Winchester carbine for horseback use.

Shorter-term accommodations. He certainly dances and will mingle socially. I can see him taking payment in kind for doctoring work at the local bordello.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Oh, he's born in 1834?! My apologies, I thought that said 1844. In this case, he's 31 by the time the War begins and could easily have made Captain by then.

Let's say he's been doing that since 1875. Sound okay?

Unless it's particularly important to you that he has a long twilight period of sanity during which his reputation would take a plunge. You know, for that has-been old gunfighter vibe?

How is his mental state in the latter half of 1879, start of gameplay? How does he strike strangers who meet him?

State of the art; hmmm, I guess that depends on his tastes.

The Colt SAA 'Peacemaker' is a solid gun. Available in .44-40 WCF, which means it can share ammo with the saddle rifle. Probably the most practical choice, for a no-nonsense character who doesn't trust fiddly actions.

A serious gunfighter, one who cares about maximising the effect of his first shot, would get the Peacemaker in .45 Long Colt, probably the 4.75" barrel length 'Fast-Draw' model. This does have better wounding potential than the .44-40 in real life and it is the shootist's pistol.

The S&W No. 3, is faster to reload than the alternatives. Break-open, so you can eject all the cartridges at once. But the .44 Russian or the .45 S&W, while both fine rounds, are not quite as hot as the .45 LC. Half a ____'s hair.

You can get a double-action Colt in .38 LC, .41 LC and .45 LC as well. New and untried, at this time. The two lighter calibers come in a smaller gun, which is about the size of a modern service weapon. The major benefit is that you can shoot more than once per second without needing special training. The disadvantages is that unless kept immaculate and well-oiled, the double-action mechanism may break. That doesn't ruin the pistol, but does reduce it to SA.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Sure, sounds fine.
Personable. High energy. Funny, yet somehow sad. He doesn't really give a darn about peoples sensibilities anymore; he'll call a duck a duck or wereduck or what-have-you.

The Peacemaker in .44-40 is fine.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Sure. It is my philosophy never to turn down hooks, as they could become scarce some day. It does mean that you have to account for all these brothers and whether he has any contact with them today.

Very good. More on that as it comes to you.

GURPS is odd here, in that Saber and Smallsword make little sense as seperate skills. Smallsword fencing techniques were what civilians would practise and then adapt to their military sabers, which in GURPS terms use Broadsword skill.

Very good. The Remington Rolling Block made some excellent target rifles, some of which were used to beat the Irish and British teams of long range shooting in the 1870s. Also, because what you need for long range accuracy in the era are heavy bullets moving fast, it makes a damn fine buffalo rifle.

A cast-iron ____ to maintain, though. Such a fine weapon can't handle damage much and must be kept in a case when not in use.

Does he carry a pistol? Maybe something for the pocket?

Perfect.

Any other Lotharios among the group?

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

One died young at 11 or 12, two were killed and one crippled during the war, the eldest surviving is trying to rebuild, and the last left the country and was last known to be in Paris. He has some contact by mail with the one brother in Louisiana.

Yes, just tell me which one you think best fits.

I'm reminded of the "Missouri boat ride" scene in Josey Wales

Not a gunslingers pistol, maybe a pocket pistol. Converted Remington new model army maybe. Using a cartridge round (.44 Colt? probably couldn't handle a .44-40) and shortened for pocket carry. If he carries a pistol. He could easily think that if you need a gun you need a real gun, not a pop-shooter. Like a pistol-gripped whippet-length shotgun.

Another point of contrast would be with a devout character. Villeneuve has lost his faith, it seems to him that God has betrayed him.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Well, I think that anyone who practises fencing ought to be able to use a range of swords, ranging from what GURPS calls smallswords, through what it calls sabers (whatever that represents in real history) and on to cavalry sabers. Spadroons are thicker-bladed smallswords, some sabers are thin bladed and straight, etc.

Smallsword is the gentlemanly sportive version.

Even with a shortened barrel, the Remington New Model Army is still a hell of a lot of gun. Heavier than the Peacemaker usually seen in movies, in fact. As a Southern officer, Dr. Villeneuve is most likely to have carried a Colt Navy in .36.

The .31 pocket pistol seen next to the Remington New Model, though, would be pretty common. Either cap and ball or converted to .30 Rimfire. That or a pepperbox stingy pistol. Or a derringer. Available from .22 Short to .41 Rimfire.

A heavier, more useful pocket pistol would be a British Bulldog.

A pistol-gripped shotgun would be a neat piece of gunsmithing. Pretty useful, I guess. Requires a largish man to use in one hand effectively, of course. The engineer and Captain Marten might be physically stronger than Dr. Villeneuve. Or not, of course. Something to negotiate among the players.

Good point. How do the other potential PCs stand on their religion?

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Con's probably something of a closet deist or pantheist. He was raised Catholic, but abandoned it as a boy, the idea of a personal God seems rather absurd to him. Remember that he's actual fairly well read, probably especially in philosophy.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

He has it. I have not made up my mind if he's Catholic or not.

And it also occurs to me that maybe I should name the character....

And it has a certain... gravitas.

Well, you see...I'm thinking. His father fought in an Highland regiment and carried a sword doing so. That to me suggests officer. The son can't do worse than the father, can he?
He helped rebuild the capacity of the South for a while (period longer than five years but less than ten), there'd certainly be enough of that in say Georgia.

Then he went back home to work in the family business of gunsmithing. One night something went BUMP in the night. He and his father were working late one night, the son steps out for some reason (to stretch his legs, go fetch some part, or something like that). He returns to find his father losing a fight with some strange beast. He rushes to his father's help, together they vanquish the beast but sadly the father dies of his wounds.

Review of where we stand on party composition
 

Okay, let's take a look of what we have so far.

Sir-pudding: Captain (Ret.) Cornelius Marten, of the Texas Rangers.
Tough frontier lawman in his mid-forties who can ride, shoot and stare down lawbreakers. In his time with the Rangers, has served as peace officer, paramilitary border patroller, Indian scout, investigator and manhunter. Can handle unruly cowboys, buffalo hunters and desperados by force of personality, brawling or shooting.
Personable, confident and assertive, but tinged with sadness to those who come to know him. Lost his family in a mysterious and brutal tragedy that he is convinced was not caused by Indians of any sort. Surprisingly knowledgable about a variety of subjects and able to discourse intelligently on them. Long time friend and ally of Dr. Armand Villeneuve.
Appearance unknown, but probably weathered, sun-bronzed and lean-muscled. More likely to wear Spanish-style saddles, clothes and hats than other characters. Hobbies, other than reading, unknown. Not religious, but can discuss philosophy of religion in a way that indicates that he has not only read Emerson and Thoreau, but is reading many of the same books that they are. Surviving family and relationship with them, unknown.

jmurrel: Dr. Armand Villeneuve MD, Esq.
A Lousiana gentleman with a background in business, law and amateur science who fought in the War Between the States and was disgusted by the brutal waste of war and the harvest of death that he had wrought. Turned to medicine as a way to make amends by healing instead of harming and went to practice in the West, first in Texas and then followed his friend Conn Marten when he went to homestead on the New Mexico frontier.
Has lost his faith after the War and takes a cynic's view of human nature. In the Antebellum years, he observed some strange doings in the bayous that led him to lend credence to tales of the supernatural. Belief in evil supernatural forces but lack of belief in the existence of benevolent forces is very cynical and, perhaps, a depressing point of view.
Keen long-range target shooter, competent amateur fencer and a fine rider and hunter. Raised in society, but his forthright nature, dry, sometimes savage, wit and lack of patience with foolishness means that he may not be the best flatterer and manipulator in the party. During his sojourn to the cities of the East, he was fortunate enough to be able to attend lectures by some of the brightest scholars of the day, as well as study under Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. The fact that he only started the study of medicine in his adulthood has led him to approach the profession without any preconceived notions about old remedies and he embraces new ideas about germ theory and keeps his tools and operating areas scrupulously clean as result. He is a very talented doctor.
Appearance, unknown. Hobbies, other than socialising, target shooting and probably keeping up on the newest scientific advances in the East and Europe are not known. Had six brothers and an unknown number of sisters. Limited contact with surviving brother who is still in America.

Þorkell: Robert McAllister
Scots engineer from New York. Ancestors likely to have been blacksmiths for a long time. Father gunsmith who also taught his son to use a claymore, passed down to him. Might have been made by a grandfather who was an armourer in the 74th Highlanders, used by the father in his military service and passed down to the son when he joins the 1st New York Volunteers (Engineers) for the Civil War. Served as officer in the War, but might have started in the ranks.
After the War, he went with a few partners to invest in rebuilding the industry of the South and there built factories. He moved back home to New York, to join his father's gunsmithing business as a full partner, at about 1871. In 1875 or so, he came across his father in a struggle with someone. Shooting said person did not work, but when character grabbed his sword from the wall, he found that it caused the creature grievous wounds and caused it to retreat hissing. Hacked at it, driving it outside, until it fell into the Hudson River. His father died of his wounds.
Character can build and maintain guns as well as do machining and smithing work of many kinds. Good at mechanical and materials engineering. Military experience, big and strong man.
What are his relations to the above two characters? Met them while they were back East trying to get someone to listen to them? Corresponded with them? Contacted some of the same politicians trying to share details of his experience?

We also have Hannes, who is out of town and who may still want to play when he comes back. His idea for a character was an English academic and student of the occult.

It occured to me that if said academic has the typical British reserve, belongs to a Royal Society or another, is prodigiously intelligent and educated in Oxford or Cambridge, he would make of the last of our Star Trek archetypes. Con Marten is the leading man cowboy, otherwise known as Captain Kirk. Dr. Villeneuve is cynical and drily witty Dr. Bones. A Scottish engineer, well, need I elaborate? And in the 1870s on our Earth, there can be no better fit for a Vulcan Science Officer than a British member of the Royal Society who meets even the most outlandish events by starting to analyse them and write down notes, our very own Spock.

Then there was a request to play a ninja. I outlined the problems with that concept and suggested a Chinese hatchetman as an alternative, but we'll wait and see whether the player still wants to play.

Now, obviously, I'd like more of everything, in detail ;), from Þorkell so that the other players can take his character into account when they firm up their concepts. I'd also like to see sir-pudding and jmurrel think about how their characters look, dress, act and behave. Let's see some brainstorming.

And remember that commeting on other people's characters and suggesting ways you think that they could fit better into the group or allow for more interesting hooks, grommets or contrast with the other PCs, is not only allowed, it is expected.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

If he's Scottish, the odds are against it. Only the most stubborn northern Highlanders held out. There was an influx of Irish immigration into Scotland in the 19th century, of course. He could be Scots-Irish if you want.

The religion most people in the era associate with the Scots is Presbyterianism, of course. Along with good, practical sense and frugality, work ethic and strength of character to the point of asceticism. Of course, his family could have emigrated because of their lack of these things.

Half the officers of the 74th Highlanders when it was raised were named Campell. It was the same for the other Highlander regiments, in that they were raised by certain clan chiefs and their families and the families of their supporters formed most of the officer corps. Select a regiment and we'll have an idea of the clan.

Of course, even the most clannish Highland regiments were almost 50% Lowlanders, Irish and even the occasional Sassenach. Just generally not the officers. His grandfather could have joined as a Lowland Scot in the ranks, I suppose.

That it does. An 8-gauge double with 20" barrels loaded with 0000 Buck will take care of nearly anything up to 50 yards and at extremely close range, a 10G double with the barrels sawn down to 10" and a pistol grip firing 00 Buck is hard to beat. And if there is something further away, load the big 8-gauge with buck and ball or even just a single pumpkin ball and plug it with some 800 grains of lead. Hell, or even 700 grains of silver wrapped in paper, if you've got the moolah.

That might seem like overkill in the firepower department, but he has seen things that go bump in the night and eat pistol bullets like they don't feel them. And he's a gunsmith. So I'd be surprised if he hadn't tooled up with some monster killers already.

One thing he could do, instead of carrying some sissified revolver as a backup to the shotguns, is buy a LeMat when he's down South. Convert it to cartridge fire. Emulate the side-twist action of the Belgian post-war LeMats to get the smoothbore barrel to take brass shells and load it with a high-pressure load of No. 4 Buck. Then rebore the cylinder to take centerfire cartridges. If you get a .36 or a .42 (most common) model, it would be best to chamber it in .38 Long Colt. If you manage to find a .44 (very rare), you could chamber it in .44 Colt, though that's a rimfire round. Some fancy gunsmithing might allow you to chamber the .44 Russian, though, and that's a wonderful round.

Of course, using the a LeMat as a model, but building a gun from scratch, with some of the better steels available, you could chamber it in anything you liked. .44 Russian, for size, is maybe best, but if you don't mind scaling it up a bit, you could go .45 Long Colt. A nine-round revolver with a shotgun blast to spare is nothing to sneeze at as a backup gun.

I suppose not. Though if he was very young when he joined, it would have made sense to start off in the ranks and advance to officer as he showed ability. The Union Army was rather ad hoc at the start, especially the state volunteers.

The character is born in 1839 to 1844, I suppose, depending on whether he was 17 or 22 when he went to war. I got the feeling he was not much older, at any rate. This means that the father would need time to learn his trade in Birmingham as well as serve in the British army before 1849-1854, depending on when they emigrate. If the father had served in the Napoleonic Wars, he might be a bit long in the tooth to have a young son at that age and be emigrating to a new world, but anything is possible.

A plausible story would have been a grandfather who was a 'gentleman ranker' with the 74th Highlanders during India and the Peninsular War. Was an armourer who eventually got a comission as a quartermaster. Forged his own claymore and ended as a Lieutenant. Moved to Birmingham and started the family arms business. Bequethed the sword to his son, who used it to fight in one of the small wars between 1830-40 for the British Empire, insert regiment to taste.

After his father's war service, he moves with his family to the New World. There he teaches his son to use the claymore and the son ends up drawing it for his adopted country. If you are okay with a very old father, though, you could skip one generation and have the gentleman ranker from the 74th be the father. He'd have been maybe 90 when he died, in that case.

Home by 1870-1871, or so?

Do you want to detail this further, or can I do it?

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Well, I was aware that there are currently Catholics in Scotland, and have been for some time. Wasn't aware of the background. Consider the Catholic issue dropped.

Well, the 74th Regiment of Foot looks like the regiment for the grandfather. Father in that or some other Highland regiment in order to get him into a small war.

FWIW, I'm leaning towards the family name McAllister, however I'm stuck on a first name.

I like the gun stuff.



Yes, this looks like it'd fit

Yep

You can do it.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Villeneuve is a homely in appearance but with a definite presence. Not particularly large, average height and a wiry build. Hair at a fashionable length and a goatee, both turning gray. Economic of movement, no gestures or unnecessary movements. Doesn't move any faster than he has to, but will move as fast as he needs to.

Cynical definitely, but lightened with an 'enjoy the moment' attitude.

I haven't decided about pistols. He's definitely not a pistolero. He could take Quigley's "Don't much care for 'em" attitude. He could be If you carry a gun, carry a real gun, and carry a sizeable pistol. Or he could carry pocket pistol or derringer 'just in case'. What makes the best contrast?

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Robert (Robb Roy and Robert the Bruce) or William (William Wallace) are two obvious ones.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Regarding his relation to the other characters. Two of them are from the South, he spent some time in the South. Maybe they met/had reason to work together before. Then when they go wondering about monsters they contact him, and it just so happens the first letter arrives the week after his monster incident.

Also, Hannes is playing an English gentleman. Maybe that family was friends with the McAllister's in Birmingham? Or their fathers met while in the army.

Just throwing some ideas on the table.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Robert it is.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Con Marten is a shootist who carries a Colt SAA Fronter in .44-40 and Robert McAllister will carry a big LeMat copy that he built himself. So I think that carrying a pocket pistol for self-defence would be good contrast, as well as good sense. You don't carry a rifle around in towns, but there are towns that you would be a fool to walk around unarmed.

By far the most popular guns in the Old West were various pocket guns in .22, .30, .32 and the anemic .41 Rimfire. Or the older cap-and-ball derringer or pocket revolvers in .31.

Probably the best pocket guns of 1879 would be a Webley British Bulldog or a high-quality copy, or the smallest Colt or S&W revolvers of the day, maybe even in double-action. These are not quite as small as derringers, but small enough for most purposes.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

My preference for a connection here would be that after the incident with the revolver-resistant gentleman that McAllister had, he went to the police like a good citizen. They had the river dredged, made all the appropriate noises of sympathy, generated paperwork and so forth, but McAllister found himself losing confidence in their ability to find any answers. So he tried various other officials, going all the way to the chief of police, also writing letters and meeting with his local alderman, congressman, senator, etc.

After months and months of this and finally meeting an aide to his Senator, he is listened to politely and told that his experience sounds like it would be just in the line with the interests of a country doctor down South, a Dr. Villeneuve. Further conversation reveals that this worthy had been bombarding his local representatives with letters to get them to investigate a brutal slaying of a family down in New Mexico and has collected rumours and tales of various other weird happenings.

McAllister wrote to him, they corresponded for a while and McAllister undertook to take some of the letters with him and plead Dr. Villeneuve's case as well as his own when he went the rounds among officials and the good Doctor undertook to do likewise.

When Dr. Villeneuve managed to reach a sympathetic ear in New Orleans, outgoing Lieutenant-Governor Cesar Antoine, he managed to convince outgoing Governor and newly-elected Senator William Pitt Kellog to plead his case in Washington. As a result, Dr. Villeneuve and Capt. Cornelius Marten travelled East in mid-year 1877 to meet with a series of Republican politicians.

During this time, Robert and the other two PCs would have spent some time together as they went between Washington and New York to meet with men who could help them. Dr. Villeneuve took a house in Boston for the duration and used this time to further his education. Þorkell and sir_pudding will perhaps have some idea what their characters were doing, in between meeting with politicians and telling them the same stories again and again. They would usually not have to make more than one trip to New York and a couple to Washington in an average month over that time, so they'd have plenty of time to do something else on the East Coast.

I suppose that Dr. Villeneuve and perhaps they as well started following all stories of the uncanny that they heard about and probably corresponded with a lot of people about it. Either or both could have started systematic study of it and even tried to investigate a few cases that happened to be located nearby. They would have had to do something for money, of course, so perhaps they worked?

That sounds good to me. Alternatively, perhaps Hannes' character would be older and he could have known the father, not Robert.

This is good. I always like to see ideas.

Other things I'd like to see ideas for is what character will be good at what skills and other abilities. If anyone wants to write up a character sheet and send to me, that's fine, but I'll probably adjust them all to tailor them to the challenges ahead. A more efficient use of time would be for players to just list their prefered areas of competence, expertise and mastery as well as ideas about Ads, Disads and Attributes.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Hi, just came back from the country. I have been working in my mind a character but I have to much going on in PbP as it is and real life is getting in the way for the moment. So I must say pass as it is, though I would Love to play it in a real life Tabletop game.


Thanks for the invite.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Here's a draft. I am thinking he is the tough as nails character. With the Cornelius as the lightning-quick gunman and Robert as the burly strongman (and originally with Hannes as the brilliant scientist). Is that acceptable?

Dr Armand Villeneuve

5’10” 155 lbs Age 51

Attributes [170]
ST 11 [10]
DX 12 [40]
IQ 13 [60]
HT 14 [40]

HP 11
Will 13
Per 15 [10]
FP 14

Basic Lift 24
Damage 1d-1/1d+1

Basic Speed 7 [10]
Basic Move 7

Social Background
TL: 5 [0]
Cultural Familiarities: Southern (Native) [0].
Languages:
Bayou Creole (Accented/None) [2]
English (Native/Native) [0]
French (Accented) [4]
Spanish (Broken) [2].

Advantages [115]
Acute Vision (2) [4]
Charisma (2) [10]
Courtesy Rank (Military) (3) [3]
Fearlessness (2) [4]
Fit [5]
Hard to Kill (2) [4]
Hard to Subdue (2) [4]
Healer (2) [20]
High Pain Threshold [10]
Independent Income (4) [4]
Night Vision (2) [2]
Pitiable [5]
Resistant (Disease) (Occasional) (+8) [5]
Sensitive [5]
Signature Gear (Rifle, scope, case and accessories.) (2) [2]
Status (0) [0]
Wealth (Wealthy) [20]

Perks [17]
Cutting-Edge Training (Physician) (1) [1]
Cutting-Edge Training (Surgery) (1) [1]
Dabbler (Connoisseur) [1]
Dabbler (Cultured) [1]
Dabbler (Educated) [1]
Dabbler (Independent Bachelor) [1]
Dabbler (Manager) [1]
Deadeye [1]
Haughty Sneer [1]
Patience of Job [1]
Robust (Vision) [1]
Standard Operating Procedure (Cleaning bug) [1]
Style Adaptation (French Smallsword to Broadsword) [1]
Style Familiarity (Fencing - French Smallsword) [1]
Style Familiarity (Sharpshooter) [1]
Sure-Footed (Slippery) [1]
Weapon Bond (Guns (Rifle)) [1]

Disadvantages [-60]
Appearance (Unattractive) [-4]
Bad Back (Mild) [-15]
Code of Honor (Professional) [-5]
Gluttony (15 or less) [-2]
Insomniac (Mild) [-10]
Nightmares (15 or less) [-2]
Post-Combat Shakes (12 or less) [-5]
Sense of Duty (Large Group) [-10]
Slow Riser [-5]
Truthfulness (15 or less) [-2]

Quirks [-5]
_Unused Quirk 1 [-1]
_Unused Quirk 2 [-1]
Broad-Minded [-1]
Careful [-1]
Congenial [-1]

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Jeff, your skill list is missing. If you're going to post the character sheet for the other players to see, might be better if they could see what skills you have in mind.

I'll make some changes to the character sheet when I have more information from Þorkel and sir_pudding about desired capabilities of the other PCs.

I'll note that on the theme of toughness and resilience, Very Rapid Healing would be both appropriate and useful in the game. Even DR 1 (Tough Skin) would be okay, as long as there is an approriate Special Exercises Perk for it.

Playing polo as a hobby probably doesn't work. It's introduced to the West in 1868 by British officers back from India service. It was nearly exclusively British at the start and the first match played in the US takes place only three years before the start of play. And that's in New York. He could theoretically have been one of the first men to pick it up in the US, but he couldn't have played it while he lived in Lousiana.

Horse-racing, jumping and dressage are more likely equestrian sports for him. All just Riding and Animal Handling.

Do you mind if I tart up his fencing a bit? Maybe his boxing as well? As is, none of those skills are high enough for him to tangle with even a single Yankee veteran with a bayonetted Springfield musket-rifle, let alone an inhuman horror of some sort.

I'll also want a long post with a good description of Dr. Villeneuve. Looks, personality, hobbies, personal bio. Everything I need to know about him to represent him on a character sheet and also stuff that doesn't cost points, but is still nice to know, like how he dresses and in what way he's Unattractive.

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

What did I miss?

Anyway, he served as an engineer in the Civil War, so obviously should know something about combat engineering. Also how to build roads, bridges, and stuff like that. Since he was an officer, he should know something about command of men. He spent years taking part in the rebuilding of the South, which could be either infrastructure or factories. The former seems more likely since that was what he did in the army, but the latter might lead to more money. And you know the stereotype about Scots and money...

He then returns to work in the family business. So gunsmithing and related skills are the obvious thing here. He also should know at least something about how to run a business. And he should know how to use the stuff he makes.

Trained by his father in the use of the claymore.

Adequate horseman.

I think I've described his personality before.

Robert emigrated from Scotland at a young age, but he spent some years there. Maybe he heard all sorts of stories about all sorts of things from his grandparents in Scotland. About Sottish heroes and mythology.

And...ummmm.....eh....

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

This:

Dr Armand Villeneuve

5’10” 155 lbs 51 Years old.

Attributes [185]
ST 11 [10]
DX 13 [60]
IQ 13 [60]
HT 14 [40]

HP 11
Will 13
Per 15 [10]
FP 14

Basic Lift 24
Damage 1d-1/1d+1

Basic Speed 7 [10]
Basic Move 7

Ground Move 7
Water Move 1.4

Social Background
TL: 5 [0]
Cultural Familiarities: Southern (Native) [0].
Languages: Bayou Creole (Accented/None) [2]; French (Accented) [4]; Spanish (Broken) [2].

Advantages [143]
Acute Vision (2) [4]
Charisma (2) [10]
Courtesy Rank (Military) (3) [3]
Damage Resistance(Tough Skin -40%)(1)[3]
Fearlessness (2) [4]
Fit [5]
Hard to Kill (2) [4]
Hard to Subdue (2) [4]
Healer (3) [30]
High Pain Threshold [10]
Independent Income (4) [4]
Night Vision (2) [2]
Pitiable [5]
Resistant (Disease) (Occasional) (+8) [5]
Sensitive [5]
Signature Gear (Rifle, scope, case and accessories.) (2) [2]
Status (0) [0]
Very Rapid Healing [15]
Wealth (Wealthy) [20]

Perks [17]
Cutting-Edge Training (Physician) (1) [1]
Cutting-Edge Training (Surgery) (1) [1]
Dabbler (Connoisseur) [1]
Dabbler (Cultured) [1]
Dabbler (Educated) [1]
Dabbler (Independent Bachelor) [1]
Deadeye [1]
Haughty Sneer [1]
Patience of Job [1]
Robust (Vision) [1]
Special Exercises [1]
Standard Operating Procedure (Cleaning bug) [1]
Style Adaptation (French Smallsword to Broadsword) [1]
Style Familiarity (Fencing - French Smallsword) [1]
Style Familiarity (Sharpshooter) [1]
Sure-Footed (Slippery) [1]
Weapon Bond (Guns (Rifle)) [1]

Disadvantages [-60]
Appearance (Unattractive) [-4]
Bad Back (Mild) [-15]
Code of Honor (Professional) [-5]
Gluttony (15 or less) [-2]
Insomniac (Mild) [-10]
Nightmares (15 or less) [-2]
Post-Combat Shakes (12 or less) [-5]
Sense of Duty (Large Group) [-10]
Slow Riser [-5]
Truthfulness (15 or less) [-2]

Quirks [-5]
_Unused Quirk 1 [-1]
_Unused Quirk 2 [-1]
Broad-Minded [-1]
Careful [-1]
Congenial [-1]

Skills [145]
Accounting IQ/H - IQ-1 12 [2]
Administration IQ/A – IQ+0 13 [2]
Animal Handling (Equines) IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Area Knowledge ((some part of) Texas) IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1]
Area Knowledge (Mississippi Delta) IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1]
Armory/TL5 (Small Arms) IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Artist (Drawing) IQ/H - IQ-2 11 [1]
Astronomy/TL5 IQ/H - IQ-2 11 [1]
Biology/TL5 (Botany) IQ/H - IQ-2 11 [1]
Biology/TL5 (Zoology) IQ/H - IQ-2 11 [1]
Boating/TL5 (Unpowered) DX/A - DX+1 14 [4]
Body Language Per/A - Per-1 14 [1]
Boxing DX/A - DX+1 14 [4]
Brawling DX/E - DX+1 14 [2]
Broadsword DX/A - DX+2 15 [8]
___ Feint (Broadsword) Tech/H - def+1 16 [2]
___ Retain Weapon (Broadsword) Tech/H - def+1 16 [2]
Carousing HT/E - HT+0 14 [1]
Chemistry/TL5 IQ/H - IQ-1 12 [2]
Climbing DX/A – DX-1 12 [1]
Connoisseur (Dance) IQ/A - IQ-3 10 [0]
includes: +2 from Connoisseur
Connoisseur (Food) IQ/A - IQ-3 10 [0]
includes: +2 from Connoisseur
Connoisseur(Guns) IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [0]
Connoisseur (Music) IQ/A - IQ-3 10 [0]
includes: +2 from Connoisseur
Connoisseur (Wine) IQ/A - IQ-3 10 [0]
includes: +2 from Connoisseur
Cooking IQ/A - IQ-2 11 [0]
includes: +3 from Independent Bachelor
Current Affairs (High Culture) IQ/E – IQ-2 11 [0]
Includes: +2 from Cultured
Current Affairs (Politics) IQ/E – IQ-2 11 [0]
Includes: +2 from Cultured
Current Affairs (Science & Technology) IQ/E – IQ-2 11 [0]
Includes: +2 from Educated
Dancing DX/A – DX-1 12 [1]
Detect Lies Per/H - Per-1 14 [1]
includes: +1 from 'Sensitive'
Diagnosis/TL5 IQ/H - IQ+3 16 [4]
includes: +3 from 'Healer'
Esoteric Medicine Per/H - Per+1 16 [1]
includes: +3 from 'Healer'
Expert Skill (Military Science) IQ/H - IQ-1 12 [2]
Fast-Draw (Knife) DX/E - DX+0 13 [1]
Finance IQ/H - IQ-2 11 [1]
First Aid/TL5 IQ/E - IQ+3 16 [0]
includes: +3 from 'Healer'
Fishing Per/E - Per+0 15 [1]
Gambling IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Games (Cards) IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1]
Games (Chess) IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1]
Games (Smallsword Sport) IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1]
Gardening IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1]
Geology/TL5 (Earthlike) IQ/H - IQ-2 11 [1]
Gesture IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1]
Guns/TL5 (Rifle) DX/E - DX+3 16 [8]
___ Mounted Shooting (Guns (Rifle)/Horse) Tech/H - def+3 15 [4]
___ Precision Aiming/TL5 (Guns (Rifle)) Tech/A - def+4 14 [4]
Guns/TL5 (Musket) DX/E - DX+1 14 [0]
Guns/TL5 (Pistol) DX/E - DX+1 14 [0]
Guns/TL5 (Shotgun) DX/E - DX+1 14 [0]
Hiking HT/A - HT-1 13 [1]
History (Classical) IQ/H - IQ-4 9 [0]
includes: +2 from Educated
Housekeeping IQ/E - IQ-2 11 [0]
includes: +2 from Independent Bachelor
Interrogation IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Knife DX/E - DX+1 14 [2]
Knot-Tying DX/E - DX+0 13 [1]
Law (Louisiana Contract) IQ/H - IQ-1 12 [2]
Law (Napoleonic) IQ/H - IQ-1 12 [2]
Leadership IQ/A - IQ+1 14 [1]
includes: +2 from 'Charisma'
Literature IQ/H - IQ-4 9 [0]
includes: +2 from Educated
Mathematics (Applied) IQ/H - IQ-2 11 [1]
Merchant IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Meteorology/TL5 (Earthlike) IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Musical Instrument (Violin) IQ/H - IQ-4 9 [0]
includes: +2 from Cultured
Naturalist IQ/H - IQ+0 13 [4]
Navigation/TL5 (Land) IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Observation Per/A - Per-1 14 [1]
Performance IQ/A - IQ-3 10 [0]
Pharmacy/TL5 (Herbal) IQ/H - IQ+1 14 [1]
includes: +3 from 'Healer'
Pharmacy/TL5 (Synthetic) IQ/H - IQ+1 14 [1]
includes: +3 from 'Healer'
Philosophy (Classical) IQ/H - IQ-4 9 [0]
includes: +2 from Educated
Physician/TL6 IQ/H - IQ+3 16 [4]
includes: +3 from 'Healer'
Physiology/TL5 IQ/H - IQ+1 14 [1]
includes: +3 from 'Healer'
Poisons/TL5 IQ/H - IQ-1 12 [2]
Psychology IQ/H - IQ+2 15 [2]
includes: +3 from 'Healer'
Public Speaking IQ/A - IQ+1 14 [1]
includes: +2 from 'Charisma'
Research/TL5 IQ/A – IQ+0 13 [2]
Riding (Equines) DX/A - DX+2 15 [8]
___Hands-Free Riding (Riding (Equines)) Tech/H - def+3 15 [4]
Savoir-Faire (High Society) IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1]
Savoir-Faire (Military) IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1]
Search Per/A - Per-1 14 [1]
Sewing/TL5 DX/E - DX-2 11 [0]
includes: +2 from Independent Bachelor
Sex Appeal HT/A - HT-1 13 [1]
Shadowing IQ/A - IQ-3 10 [0]
Singing HT/E - HT-2 12 [0]
includes: +2 from Cultured
Smallsword DX/A - DX-1 12 [1]
Smallsword Art DX/A - DX-1 12 [1]
Soldier/TL5 IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Spear DX/A - DX-1 12 [1]
Stealth DX/A - DX+1 14 [4]
Surgery/TL6 IQ/VH - IQ+2 15 [4]
includes: +3 from 'Healer'
Survival (Swampland) Per/A - Per+0 15 [2]
Survival (Other Land) Per/A - Per-3 12 [0]
Swimming HT/E - HT+0 14 [1]
Tactics IQ/H - IQ-1 12 [2]
Teamster (Equines) IQ/A - IQ+0 13 [1]
Throwing DX/A - DX-1 12 [1]
Tracking Per/A - Per-1 14 [1]
Veterinary/TL5 IQ/H - IQ+1 14 [1]
includes: +3 from 'Healer'
Writing IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]


Stats [185] Ads [143] Perks [17] Disads [-60] Quirks [-5] Skills [145] = Total [425]

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Well, in order to make a character sheet, I'll have to fill in a lot of things. You say he's big and strong. Does that mean 6' tall and 200 lbs. including small paunch (and ST 14 or so) or 6'6" and 255 lbs. of rock-hard muscle (and ST 17+)?

Is he somewhat slow or deceptively fast for a big man? In decent physical shape or literally indefatigable and unstoppable?

Does that mean that he ought to have Greed in GURPS terms? Perhaps more appropriately for the stereotype, Miserliness? Or maybe just at Quirk-level?

Any other Disadvantages? I'd prefer loyalty to friends and it sounds like a Code of Honour would be likely.

By his father and grandfather. And probably trained in practical self-defence by them, as well.

In the chronology we have, he would have grown up in Birmingham, his grandfather having settled there with his family after selling his commission after the Peninsula. Of course, 'exiles' are even more prone to telling stories of their homeland than those who still live there, so likely enough his grandfather filled his head with all sorts of Scottish tales.

Robert's father, whom we shall name Hector McAllister, would have been born in India around 1798. His mother was one of the wives on the regimental strength. She died of fever before the 74th left India, when Hector was only four years old, and the other wives on strength pitched in to help to take care of him.

We shall name Robert's grandfather Jock McAllister. The 74th spent three years between 1805 and 1808 in Scotland, recruiting, and Hector could live with a maiden aunt during that time. He remained there when the 74th was sent to Ireland in 1809, but finally won permission to join his father there in late 1809 as a drummer boy. When the 74th sailed to the Peninsula, Hector went with them as part of the regiment.

During Waterloo, the 74th was in Cork, Ireland and preparations were being made for its going to Belgium, but events obviously overtook that intention. Hector sold his commission shortly after that (in 1816, the year the 74th abandoned Highland dress) and father and son went into the gunsmithing business together. Jock was a very talented swordsmith and his son Hector had always been interested in guns, so they formed a profitable partnership, outfitting officers with personal swords and pistols.

By 1823, Hector convinced his father to use their increasing profits to buy him the rank of Ensign in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Scots. He fought with them in the Anglo-Burmese War and did garrison duty in Scotland and Canada. As the regiment was posted to the West Indies in 1843, Hector sold his Captain's commission and returned home with a Canadian bride, Rose McAllister, neé Connerly. He worked with his father at McAllister and Son, making high-quality swords and pistols for officers, hunting weapons for the well to do and target weapons. A son was born to the couple in 1844.

When Jock McAllister died of a stroke in 1853, Hector and his young wife emigrated to the United States. Hector saw opportunities in the rapidly growing former colony and the innovation in firearms was exciting to him. He established another McAllister and Son in New York, even though Robert was hardly yet old enough to count as a partner.

Does Robert have any other siblings? Does his mother still live?

Are there any Advantages and Disadvantages that characterise Robert? What are his most remarkable Attributes?

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Well, he's not as active as he was when he was younger, so the former might be more appropriate. I don't quite see him as 6'6" and 255 lbs. of rock-hard muscle.

Decent physical shape, maybe not quite at the Energizer bunny level of energy, but hard to stop when he gets going.

And he's not slow.

Quirk level Miserliness.

Yeah, a Code of Honor is likely. And I guess a Sense of Duty to friends and family. Maybe an Obsession to find out more about whatever killed his father.

At least one brother, and a sister. I see the mother as the one that keeps the family going (maybe poorly phrased here). Oldest woman in the family, people come to her for news and advice etc.



Snipped stuff that I agree with

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

The MinST of an 8-gauge shotgun or a 10-gauge with a pistol grip is ST 14†. Load it with high-pressure rounds and ieither is ST 15†. A longer buck-and-ball load firing a full three ounces of lead is ST 17†.

We can do any ST above 14, I suppose. Given that Robert is likely to be physically largest of the group, it might be good to go high enough to allow Con Marten to be robust without being too close to Robert in ST. But it's up to you. What ST, Lifting ST and HP would you prefer?

The man responsible was named Jack Arrans, a miner from Dakota. From what Robert could tell during their brief encounter*, he was a small gap-toothed man with dark hair and a wrinkled, unpleasant face. He wrote** Hector McAllister several letters specifying the design and ornamentation of two pistols that he had commissioned from him.

They were Merwin, Hulbert and Co. bird's-head grip pistols in .44-40 Winchester (with a 7" barrel, but also comes with a 3.5" barrel which can be quickly exchanged), but he wanted every surface of the weapon, even the ones only visible when it is taken apart to be cleaned, to be covered with silver and gold. He also wanted an innovative folding hammer design and a neat double-action system added to the weapon and provided meticulous drawn plans for these designs. Those were all drawn by the same hand, but included no written instructions.

Eight ounces of gold and more than twice that of silver were delivered by Wells, Fargo messengers to the McAllister smithy as a deposit.

When Robert came home and found his father struggling with the man, who did not appear slowed in the least from having taken five .442 Webley slugs to the body, he grabbed the nearest weapon, which happened to be the claymore his grandfather Jock had carried in India and the Peninsula, his father Hector had carried in India, Burma, Afghanistan and Canada and he himself had worn in the Civil War against the South. A mighty slash sent the small unpleasant man flying to the side, hissing. He moved to grab a poker, but Robert attacked him with great scything cuts of the sword and forced him backwards.

Following him closely outside, Robert was almost deceived when the little man reversed his backward flight into a leaping tackle with a bloody knife still in his hand. Only luck allowed him to grab his knife hand and escape with a slight cut to upper arm. Wrestling with the little man proved queerer than Robert could have imagined. Despite not weighing more than 120 lbs., he was stronger than Robert and started to inexorably force the knife toward his side. Drawing on every dirty trick he'd learnt from two generations of soldiers, and a few he discovered on his own, Robert butted him in the face several times, kneed him in a very sensitive area and bit the fingers of the knife hand savagely.

None of that seemed to cause that queer little man more than a moment's discomfort. It wasn't until Robert managed to get the blade of the claymore between them that he gave another hiss and staggered backward. A heavy two-handed cut of the blade carved into the little man's collarbone and bit deep into his chest. He fell into the Hudson, screaming in pain, with a wound that no man could have survived.

Hector McAllister was still alive when Robert came back inside. He told his son that when Arrans had come to fetch his weapons, he had engaged him in conversation about selling the rights to the folding hammer and double-action system to Merwin & Hulbert. Arrans had refused to have anything to do with them or any other industrialists. When the older McAllister told him that Milan Hulbert had already expressed interest by letter and was coming down to visit in the next morning, Arrans was furious. In a low-voice, he inquired what McAllister had told Hulbert about his private business.

When he heard that he had merely been discussed as 'a customer' with 'innovative new ideas on the hammer', he smiled. It was a terrible, terrible smile, Hector McAllister said. Then he saw a blur of motion and instinctively raised his hands to defend himself. That deflected the knife so it skidded on his ribs instead of sliding into his heart, but in the furious melee that followed, he received several other stab wounds. Hector managed to draw his RIC revolver and empty it into Arrans, but it seemed that he hardly noticed it.

*Which occured when Robert came home to find Arrans and Hector McAllister struggling, with Hector bleeding from stab wounds in his stomach and side and Arrans having been shot five times with a revolver.
**Had written for him, none of the letters are in the same hand and the signature is a scrawled X under the name Jack Arrans written by the same hand as wrote the latter.

Rose would be in her early fifties, but that's no barrier to being established as the matriarch of her family.

What do the brother and sister do? Are they married with families? Do they both live in New York?

Re: [OOC] The Silent Service, Very Special Agents
 

Erm, I read again over all I've written here. Nowhere do I mention that he's big and strong. Hannes' idea was to play a strong gentleman, maybe you have those two confused.

Anyway, I see Robert as well, not a weakling but not quite the bull of a man he'd have to be to pull off that ST17.


As for siblings....One brother is in New York running the business while Robert is going hither and yon about his father's killer. Another is a teacher at a respectable educational institution in New England. The sister is.....I'll get back to that later.