The Peacemakers - Alternity, Star*Drive (OOC Discusssion)

[Samnell]

Samnell - would your character make a better engineer than a pilot? How about navigator? Before I write up the NPCs to fill out the roster, we can juggle around PC positions so they at least have some skill in their assigned roles.

Yes and no. I can move some skill points around, certainly.

Skills [separated by key ability, total points spent 81]

Athletics 7/3/1 +d4 – free

Vehicle Operation 12/6/3 +d4 – free

Stamina 10/5/2 +d4 – free
*Endurance 1 11/5/2 – cost 4

Computer Science 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 6
*Hacking 3 20/10/5 – cost 12
*Programming 3 20/10/5 – cost 9
Knowledge 17/8/4 +d4 – free
*Computer Operation 3 20/10/5 – cost 6
*Language: Hatire 3 20/10/5 - free (native language)
*Language: Galactic Standard 3 - cost 3
*Hatire Knowledge 3 20/10/5 - free (native area) Star*Drive p.233
*Insight Knowledge 1 18/9/4 - cost 1
Security 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 5
*Security Devices 1 18/9/4 – cost 2
System Operation 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 4
Technical Science 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 4
*Juryrig 1 18/9/4 – cost 2
*Repair 3 20/10/5 – cost 6

Awareness 9/4/2 +d4 – free
Street Smart 9/4/2 +d4 – cost 5
*Grid Savvy 10/5/2 - cost 2 [from Dataware]

Ineraction 8/4/2 +d4 – free

Cybergear training – cost 10

As you can see, he has the repair and juryrig skills that a good engineer should have, but no ranks in any system operation specialty skill. He spent some time earning his keep on a freighter that he originally stowed away on, so I could certainly skim some points off Grid Savvy and toss them into a more ship-friendly skill. I'm pretty flexible on it. I can play up the fresh off the farm aspect (well, about five years off) and take out street smart entirely (getting back 7 points) and tossing 'em into Engineering (which I can afford a lot of) or piloting (where I can afford a little).

I could also buy a flaw (I've considered several) and get the points that way. I could see infamy (from his criminal record), poor looks (as an expansion of his mutation drawback, I found a picture of the major veins in the face and he's not going to be all that appealing and he'll be sweating all the time and so forth) or both.

As my background for him is developing, he spent a few years with this freighter doing odd jobs and that can justify any of the piloting or system operation. I'd lean more towards the engineer angle, but if you want I can wrangle up the points to do both. Let me know.

EDIT: Got nothing else to do, so I'm going to try a few things and post 'em up as Draft 3.

 

[Samnell]

Heck, most of the time (In transit, and whenever else he can get away with it) I intend to have Van walking around in casual fatigues (his general response is "What? Fatigues are totally military"). He hates wearing a uniform as much as the rebellious crew, and it stays in the closet when he's not having to make some kind of official appearance.

Fatigues are still way too military for Lucas at this point in his development.

 

[Samnell]

Lucas Tyler, Draft3

This is with a reworking that adds some flaws and moves some points around to make him slightly more useful than a screen door on a spaceship. I dropped the Street Smart and specialty skill and added two flaws, giving me enough skill points to buy 1 rank of space vehicle operation, 3 ranks of engineering, and 1 rank of technical knowledge.

Stats-wise, I think he works out as a chief engineer (he's as good as a first level PC can get) and a pilot's mate/apprentice pilot or something to that effect. He has the huge Int that would probably let him pull off most other stations with the broad skill too. Let me know how he looks.

EDIT: Decided the whole poor looks thing took the heat issue further than I wanted to and got a bit ickier than intended. So I dropped the flaw out (kind of overlaps with the mutation anyway) and snipped the specialty skill for piloting. He's an ace engineer, though. This left me with one stray skill point that I put into Insight knowledge for flavor.

[sblock]
Lucas Logan Karoczek
Aka “Lucas Tyler” (assumed name)
Aka “Dataswimmer” (grid name)

Species: Human Engineered Mutant
Gender: Male
Height: 1.7m (5’8”)
Weight: 50kg (110 lbs)
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Age: 21 (biological), unknown (chronological)

Career: Tech Op
Level: 1
Profession: Gridpilot
Last Resorts: 1
Last Resort Cost: 3

Attributes
Motivation: Deeper Meaning
Lucas isn't sure who or what he really is or should be. He's an Inseer! Really! You have to believe him! Even though he's not entirely sure himself.
Moral Attitude: Anti-Authority
Lucas thinks he got royally screwed last time he followed orders. If he's going to go along, it has to be on his terms.
Trait: Curious
Information born free aside, Lucas desperately needs to know things and figure things out.
Trait: Egotistical
A mask for his inner confusion.

Abilities/Untrained Res. Mod.
Strength 7/3 0
Dexterity 12/6 +1 step
Constitution 10/5 -
Intelligence 17/7 +4 steps
Will 9/4 0
Personality 8/4 -

Action Check Score
Marginal 16+
Ordinary 15
Good 7
Amazing 3
Actions per Round: 2
Die: +d0

Combat Movement Rates
Spring 20
Run 12
Walk 4
Easy Swim 2
Swim 4

Durability
Stun 10
Wound 10
Mortal 5
Fatigue 5

Skills [separated by key ability, total points spent 86]

Athletics 7/3/1 +d4 – free

Vehicle Operation 12/6/3 +d4 – free

Stamina 10/5/2 +d4 – free
*Endurance 1 11/5/2 – cost 4

Computer Science 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 6
*Hacking 3 20/10/5 – cost 12
*Programming 3 20/10/5 – cost 9
Knowledge 17/8/4 +d4 – free
*Computer Operation 3 20/10/5 – cost 6
*Language: Hatire 3 20/10/5 - free (native language)
*Language: Galactic Standard 3 - cost 3
*Hatire Knowledge 3 20/10/5 - free (native area) Star*Drive p.233
*Insight Knowledge 2 19/9/4 - cost 2
Security 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 5
*Security Devices 1 18/9/4 – cost 2
System Operation 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 4
*Engineering 3 20/10/5 - cost 6
Technical Science 17/8/4 +d4 – cost 4
*Juryrig 1 18/9/4 – cost 2
*Repair 3 20/10/5 – cost 6
*Technical Knowledge 1 18/9/4 - cost 2

Awareness 9/4/2 +d4 – free

Ineraction 8/4/2 +d4 – free

Cybergear training – cost 10

Perks & Flaws
Faith-Insightful. Lucas is a serious convert to the Inseer religion and he gets this free for being originally of Hatire rearing. I'm not sure if he's serious enough to really warrant the perk, though. Likewise he has had bad experiences with religion that might put a damper on the fervor, namely being stuck on an agricultural backwater doing exhausting physical labor under the hot (for him) sun from dawn until dusk every day to keep him from using his "sinful proclivities".
Infamy-Criminal record. Lucas is a convicted criminal for his hacking into the auxiliary datacore of a Galactic Bank branch well off the beaten path. His conviction caused a minor media splash due to the high-profile target. +2 skill points

Mutations - Engineered
Hyper Intelligence
Lucas's brain is amazingly efficient and overdeveloped. Int +3
Minor Physical Change
Lucas's skin is a flat, chalky white. Large veins show through it easily. Short of full concealment, his altered genetics are obvious. +2 penalty to all Personality skills and any other skills used to interact with others.
Moderate Environmental Sensitivity, Hot
Lucas's body operates at well above normal human temperatures. As a result he's warm to hot where others would be comfortable and truly hot temperatures cause him to overheat. He sunburns easily. +3 penalty to all skill and action checks in hot temperatures.

Cybertech
Marginal Nanocomputer [1]
Wireless NIJack [1] ($1000)
Subderman Comm [1] ($500)
Good Biowatch [0] ($100)

Cybertolerance 5/3/5
Remaining: 2/3/5

Signature Equipment: Marginal Gridcaster, Marginal Nanocomputer, Ordinary Shadow Form Program, Ordinary Antivirus Program, Marginal Break-in Program [self-made].

Other Equipment:
Ordinary Datascan Program ($200)
Ordinary Shadow Form 2 Program ($2000)
Ordinary Toolkit ($100)
Athletic shoes ($150)
1 set casual dress ($50)

Appearance
If not for his skin tone, Lucas would be a near-stereotypical farm boy of medium build. He's just a bit short and a bit too introverted to pull it off. His blonde hair is slightly long and permanently sun-bleached. He avoids eye contact with authority figures and is usually uncomfortable in their presence, unless talking about his specialities. Then he becomes animated, speaking quickly with great confidence and often throwing hair back out of his eyes.

His mutant skin and heat sensitivity work at contrary ends. Lucas isn't comfortable showing off his skin and prefers to keep it covered, but wearing heavy clothes leaves him quickly overheating. His normal compromise is a skintight bodysuit that keeps him covered and draws away the sweat, with loose clothing on top of it as needed. He prefers synthetic clothes to the exclusion of natural fibers as a result of being forced for years to wear ill-fitting, rough homespun clothing on the farm.

Allegiance: Concord
Lucas doesn't like it all that much, but he's legally obligated to work with the Concord in lieu of a lengthy prison sentence for getting caught breaking into a banking datacore that was way out of his league.

Authority: 2 (+2 Tech Op, +2 Allegiance, -2 Infamy)
Wealth: 5 (+2 Tech Op, +1 Gridpilot [used entry for Hacker], +1 Allegiance) $2,500/month
Fame: 0 (+1 Tech Op, -1 Gridpilot, +1 Allegiance, -1 Infamy)
[/sblock]

 

[jkason]

Likewise, I can re-configure Van a little to get some better medical stats. I'm vaguely certain that expensive armor isn't signature (I still don't know what signature equipment is, actually. Is that Alternity or Star Drive specific?), so I could drop armor operation and put a few levels in surgery and / or treatment. And it's probably more likely Van could sneak in med training in a military academy than actual xenobiology, so to start with I could trade off the levels in that if need be and add them in later (doesn't change the concept, since he's still fascinated by it, just means he hasn't had a chance to interact much with it at this point, which works from a character perspective).

I'm not sure exactly how the med stuff works in-game (I'm used to fantasy RPGs where you just say a few obscure words and announce "all better." ), so let me know what kind of things you'd really need in a medical person, and I'll see what I can do.

I figure maybe during crew assignment, Van took a counselor rather than a doctor. A non-traditional choice for a small crew, but it gives him an excuse to practice his biomed, so he took the opportunity and just didn't mention it in his letters home.

jason

 

[Prof Yeti]

I have a question and it shows just how long its been since I last played Alternity. But would a non-human get the game benefit for hailing from a Stellar Nation? (ie. a Fraal from the Orlamu Theocracy) Or are they strictly for the Human characters?

 

[Samnell]

Likewise, I can re-configure Van a little to get some better medical stats. I'm vaguely certain that expensive armor isn't signature (I still don't know what signature equipment is, actually. Is that Alternity or Star Drive specific?), so I could drop armor operation and put a few levels in surgery and / or treatment.

Signature equipment is the gear that you get for free for having a certain career. Lucas is a gridpilot, so he gets his nanocomputer and gridcaster for free. Neither is top-of-the-line, but they let him do what he's supposed to do. A soldier would get some kind of sidearm, that kind of thing.

This gear can be prohibitively expensive for starting PCs, but the rationale is that you shouldn't have to start out saving up for the bare basics, just like you wouldn't make a starting wizard pay to scribe all 15 cantrips into his spellbook. The Alternity PHB has lists.

 

[Samnell]

I have a question and it shows just how long its been since I last played Alternity. But would a non-human get the game benefit for hailing from a Stellar Nation? (ie. a Fraal from the Orlamu Theocracy) Or are they strictly for the Human characters?

I think they're meant to be human-only, but I'm not sure on it.

 

[Prof Yeti]

Signature equipment is the gear that you get for free for having a certain career. Lucas is a gridpilot, so he gets his nanocomputer and gridcaster for free. Neither is top-of-the-line, but they let him do what he's supposed to do. A soldier would get some kind of sidearm, that kind of thing.

This gear can be prohibitively expensive for starting PCs, but the rationale is that you shouldn't have to start out saving up for the bare basics, just like you wouldn't make a starting wizard pay to scribe all 15 cantrips into his spellbook. The Alternity PHB has lists.

Except for the Mindwalker careers. They were left out of the Players book.

But I agree the use of signature equipment is a great idea.

 

[Prof Yeti]

I think they're meant to be human-only, but I'm not sure on it.

Just as I received the email I found where it states it in the back of the Star*Drive book. People really have to work hard for answers sometimes.

 

[Samnell]

Just as I received the email I found where it states it in the back of the Star*Drive book. People really have to work hard for answers sometimes.

You mean I was neck-deep in reading entrails and the answer was in the book all along? Gah!