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Fallout: Grandma Plays The Numbers

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Eh, I'm closing the Vote. Tallying...

Edit: Issue with Tallying. Vault 43 Pantera Claw won. +6 XP
Adhoc vote count started by Novus Ordo Mundi on Dec 19, 2017 at 7:17 PM, finished with 11 posts and 3 votes.
  • [X] RIW&A Value 10 MM Special (13 Damage, Medium Range, Medium Speed. Requires 10mm. Bullets. 12 Clip)
    [X] Hunting Rifle. (30 Damage, Very Long Range, Very Slow Speed. Requires .308 Bullets. 5 bullets/reload)
    [x] Vault 43 Pantera Claw Enhancer (15 Damage for Claws, Unarmed Ranged, Fast Speed. No bullets needed.)
Click to expand...

Adhoc vote count started by Novus Ordo Mundi on Dec 19, 2017 at 7:18 PM, finished with 11 posts and 3 votes.
  • [X] RIW&A Value 10 MM Special (13 Damage, Medium Range, Medium Speed. Requires 10mm. Bullets. 12 Clip)
    [X] Hunting Rifle. (30 Damage, Very Long Range, Very Slow Speed. Requires .308 Bullets. 5 bullets/reload)
    [x] Vault 43 Pantera Claw Enhancer (15 Damage for Claws, Unarmed Ranged, Fast Speed. No bullets needed.)
Click to expand...
 
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Huh. I was just looking at our statline. We'are actually just as close to 12 endurance as we are to 12 int (closer if we use the base endurance implant). There's almost certain to be somethign juicy and implant-boosting in the 12-perks for endurance. Might be worth at least thinking about heading for that one first.

Also, @Novus Ordo Mundi - would the equipped Pantera claw stack with the cyberarm damage increase, if we got cyberarms?
 
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3 - A Merchant, a Granny and a Wannabe-Ninja Walk Out of a Vault...
  • Threadmarks
    • But it's not just that, but who's also on the platform…

    Your granddaughter Sheila stands next to Janet.

    Even though she's obviously trying not to just pounce on you in overexcitement, you can see she is positively vibrating at the prospect of being able to leave the Vault for a few days to go see the world beyond Providence, getting to see her idol, and to do it all while spending time with you.

    "Sheila, come here and give your grammy a hug!" You say, holding out your arms.

    Sheila doesn't need to be told twice. She quickly bounds off the lift and runs over to you. In a second, you're fully hugged by the young Pantera. You're grateful for the restraint she's showing. You're eighty, damn it! You're pretty sure your bones can't take a full on tackle-hug like you used to.

    You playfully rub Sheila's hair. "So, how's my birthday girl doing? Already get showered with lots of presents?"

    Sheila lets go of you, though she's still obviously filled with excitement. "Oh yeah. Everyone's been giving me presents and stuff. Dad gave me a bunch of caps and a fancy new lock to pick! Oh, and Hal improved my paddle ball for free!" She holds it out for you to see. Sure enough, her paddle ball - her personal weapon of choice, considering her father really doesn't want her carrying a gun ever - has indeed been improved. The paddle's been repainted, the multiple cords are longer and more firmly attached, and there's a small battery now hooked to the back, electrifying the bouncy ball. "Oh, and Janet said I can get half off my next order of tea!"

    You look at Janet, the 40-something tan Pantera with that fuckhuge grin on her mug. You're not surprised. Even as a birthday gift, the money-hungry merchant still has to make money off it somehow. Because God forbid she actually do something for free.

    "But I actually get to go with you through the Veil! That's the best gift of all!"

    You raise an eyebrow. "Really? You want to spend time with me? Or with a certain young do-gooder with cat ears who walks Rhode Island…"

    "Grandma!" Sheila wails, a light blush crossing her cheeks.

    "Maybe reading books together with a nice hot tea." You continue, bringing her under your arm so she can't escape."Or maybe side-by-side as the two of you save a settlement from some raiders…" You pull your granddaughter closer, even as she squirms in protest... "Or maybe you're hoping she'll become more then just your hero…"

    Your granddaughter is cute when she's flustered from a light teasing. "Grams, she's already got a girlfriend!"

    You laugh as you let her go. "I'm only teasing. I completely understand. Hell, I once had my own hero I looked up to…" You say, as the memory of a young woman in a circus ringmaster's getup floats through your mind. Ah, the Inspector. You still have a couple of those old comics collecting dust somewhere... "It's normal to want to meet your heroes. And it could be worse. You could end up wanting to be like Janet here, willing to sell her own family out for a few more caps."

    Janet Longtail - the owner of the Longtail Trading Empire - lets a cap dance between her claws, her smile never wavering. "Now be fair, I wouldn't sell out my own family. I'd rent them out for labor. Better long term investment."

    "See what I mean? Caps are the only thing on her mind." You reply, watching a Pantera wheel a cart near you. "Don't be like Janet."

    "I'm not all bad." Janet purrs out. "I'm providing the security and the Rad-X after all."

    You and Sheila look over at her security: The Red Shirt Mercenaries. The cheapest and most desperate protection money can buy. You watch one of them trying to look cool by putting his gun down the front of his pants. Another is spinning the chamber of his revolver every so often, even though there is no reason to do so. And a third is talking to her gun like it's her master, and is asking it if she can blow it's mind. A quick look tells you she's the commander of the lot.

    Don't you feel safer already?

    "Dad could take them." Sheila says, not impressed with what's she seeing. She's not wrong. Your son-in-law could take any of them if he was angry enough. Or if he ever left the damned Vault.

    "The Rad-X?" You ask.

    "We'll all dose up right before we hit the Veil." She lightly slaps your arm. "Everything is going to be fine. We'll need to get some RadAway once we get to the Paw, but other then that? We make good with the locals, trade them some goods, and soon enough we've got a profitable relationship! Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy!" Janet pauses for a moment here. "But I do need to talk you about the goods." And before you can say anything, she points over to a Nuka-Cola dealer nearby. "Hey, can you get the three of us something to drink? I'll buy."

    Sheila looks to you, and you nod. If Janet is actually willing to pay for drinks, something's up. A quick handing over of caps, and she's off to go wait in line.

    Once Sheila's out of earshot, Janet entire demeanor shifts. Gone is the smile, and a worried expression crosses her face. "I didn't want to say this with her around, but I'm surprised Gerald is letting her go at all."

    You sigh. Yeah, you knew this was coming. "Yeah, it took both me and Dick to convince him to let her go on her birthday. Hell, if he had his way, she'd never leave the damn Vault. He's still afraid every time she goes topside that one day she won't come back."

    "Like Barbara."

    "...yeah. Like Barbara."

    Your daughter - Sheila's mother - was one of ten who volunteered to go scout the surface when the decision was made to open the Vault five years ago. She was the only one to never return. No one saw where she'd gone. No body was ever found.

    You and Sheila had, after some time and a lot of help from each other and friends, eventually made your peace with it. Gerald never completely got over it, though. Oh, he didn't become a broken Jet-addict or emotionally cold. No, he became more protective of what he had, which was Sheila. In his mind, there was nothing good on the surface, and nobody from the Vault ever needed to go topside more than absolutely necessary.

    But he knew, in his heart, that Sheila wanted to see the world. And as time went on, he understood it wouldn't be fair to her to keep her from experiencing the world if she wanted to. Even letting her cross the Veil at all was a rather large step for Gerald, though he'd probably fret the entire time she was gone.

    "All bullshit aside, I'm glad you're with me on this. Sheila likes you."

    Janet scoffs a bit. "I think you mean she likes the stories I tell her. Or that I taught her how to pick locks…"

    You slightly chuckle. "Yeah, she wants to pick every lock she comes across now. Test of her abilities or something like that." You look over, and see Sheila is still patiently waiting in line. "So, anyway, you wanted to show me some goods? "

    "Yep. Mainly, the goods you'll be trading with." Janet says, as another Pantera wheels yet another cart full of stuff up to you. "Now, I'm bringing my own things to sell. But since we need to get all buddy-buddy with the White Fangs, we'll probably have to make an initial investment to get on their good side."

    "You mean, give them stuff for free." You clarify.

    Janet involuntary shudders at that. "Please don't use those combination of words again." She replies in a most serious voice. "And it is in investment. You give those to the right people, they'll trust us more. They trust us, more people come to Providence. That happens, we get more caps. And more contacts means finding more things to sell, which means more caps."

    You nod, knowing that for all of Janet's rationalization in order to not have to say "free", she's not wrong. "Alright, whatta you got for investment?"

    Janet gets that smile again, as she waves her paw at the nearest carts. "This!"

    --

    1500 Caps
    10mm ammo - 300 bullets
    Shipments of 50 Steel - 20
    Shipments of 50 Wood - 20
    Med-X - 30
    Stimpak - 30
    Tatos - 100
    Corn - 100
    Makeshift Batteries - 20
    Mole Rat Jerky - 100
    Bobby Pins - 100
    Shipment of 50 Ceramic - 20
    Thrillstreaker 25A - "Momentum" - 1 - +2 to Agility. Gain +25 to running and jumping checks. Every time you pass an Agility check, you gain additional XP equal to XP gained by passed Agility checks after your last failed Agility check. Requires 3 slots, but takes 1 slot less for each cybernetic leg limb you have, minimum 1.

    --

    Most of it seems to be simple necessities. Food. Medical supplies. Ammo. Building supplies The batteries are interesting, as they can be used to power things. Not as good as a standard generator, but still useful. You'll be able to procure some very favorable deals with this.

    And the caps. No matter the customs, the language, or the species, caps are a universal language that everyone understands. And that is a lot of caps.

    But it's the implant that has your attention. A Thrillstreaker 25A? One of the rarer cybernetics from Vault 43?

    "Janet, how the fuck…" You manage. Hell, if you had one of those things, your old ass could easily sprint across Rhode Island.

    "Yeah, I had to convince both the Overseer and Roddy to let me part with this baby. This right here…" she holds up the implant, two strips that go in a person's legs, meeting right above a person's backside. "Hell, I'm even bringing in some guys who can install it, so no worries on that front. This is the key. Whoever we give this to will give them an edge and us an in. So I am trusting you'll make the right decision on who to give it to, and not just bet it in a Poker tournament."

    You continue to look at the implant as the words weigh in. This is the Vault's, and by extension Providence's first high-scale diplomatic meeting of this scale. And it's falling on your shoulders. Damn.

    "Do you think I'd bet it in a simple game of Hold 'em?"

    Janet crosses her arms. "Margaret, I heard you once bet the entire Vault on a card game."

    Oh God, not this story. You don't know how it spread, but it's simply not true. "Janet, that wasn't what happened at all. It was…"

    "Who wants a Nuka-Cherry?"

    You stop your protests to see Sheila right besides you, having come back with a bunch of fresh Nuka-Cherries, straight from the bottlers of Nuka-World. You gladly take one from her, and pop the cap. "So, you ready for a fun four days with Granny?"

    Sheila smiles as she opens up her own Nuka-Cherry. "Yep. This is going to be the best time ever! Nothing can possibly go wrong!"

    You involuntarily shudder, feeling like something just took that as a challenge.

    Eh, fuck 'em.
    --


    [Sidequest Started: Angel Inversor][Strike Investment deals with 3 people]
    [Sidequest Started: Market Expansion][Help Janet get her claws in Pawtucket]
    [More Sidequests unlocked]

    Companions Gained:

    Sheila - Granddaughter. Carries a Pip-Boy and an upgraded paddle Ball. Has access to Vats. Does not count against companion count.
    Janet Longtail - Merchant. Carries a Pip-Boy and an upgraded shotgun. Has access to vats.

    Temporary Protection Gained!

    6 Shopkeepers, each hauling a cart of stuff being moved by Brahmin. They each have a pistol. 2 of them have Pip-Boys, and access to Vats.
    2 Doctors / Implant Specialist - They hold no weapons.
    8 Red Shirt Mercenaries - carries various weapons.
    1 Red Shirt Commander - carries her own weapon. Very attached to it. Has a Pip-Boy and access to Vats.

    Vote: How do you wish to cross the Veil?

    [] In one single group. The Mercenaries will travel to the sides of the group, with the commander in lead. Can handle groups easier, though Area Of Effect attacks are more effective. A loss of the group is a total disaster
    [] In a split of two groups. First group will be about 60 feet in front of the other. One group will have a heads up in case the other gets into danger. Less vulnerable to AOE attacks, but the individual groups will have less firepower themselves
    [] In a split of four groups. Each group about 100 feet in front of the other. A loss of one group is not a total disaster, unlike the other options. AOE attacks can't catch more then one group, but the groups are individually weakest.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [x] In a split of two groups. First group will be about 60 feet in front of the other. One group will have a heads up in case the other gets into danger. Less vulnerable to AOE attacks, but the individual groups will have less firepower themselves

    If we get ambush-hit by an AOE, it might be real important to have at least a decent chunk of people who *weren't* hit who can respond to the situation, and 60 feet is close enough to join in pretty quickly if stuff starts going down. I dislike the "split in 4" plan. It's too much like thinking of people as expendable.
     
    [x] In a split of two groups. First group will be about 60 feet in front of the other. One group will have a heads up in case the other gets into danger. Less vulnerable to AOE attacks, but the individual groups will have less firepower themselves
     
    [x] In a split of two groups. First group will be about 60 feet in front of the other. One group will have a heads up in case the other gets into danger. Less vulnerable to AOE attacks, but the individual groups will have less firepower themselves
     
    [x] In a split of two groups. First group will be about 60 feet in front of the other. One group will have a heads up in case the other gets into danger. Less vulnerable to AOE attacks, but the individual groups will have less firepower themselves
     
    The Sandman said:
    Is that guy spinning his revolver an Ocelot?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Just to make sure I've got this right, you mean this guy?




    You know, originally he wasn't. But I like the idea enough to run with it. To find out more, you'll need to get his sidequest. (Yep, the Red Shirts have a few side quests in Pawtucket themselves. Do some things for them, and they may become more important. They could also die horribly. They are Red Shirts. :p )

    Also, on Metal Gear Solid, Psycho Mantis is somewhere in the world.
     
    Alright, few things.

    First thing: When you hit a level up, there has been a change. Not only do you get a perk, but you may raise 1 SPECIAL stat by 1 as well. This will take the place of most You're Special books, though I still have one guaranteed for you once somebody has killed things.

    Second thing: Our ad's been approved! I meant to mention it earlier, then forgot. Sorry.

    Third: Merry Christmas!

    I want to thank everyone who is following this quest. I've not been the best with quests. But I feel like I do try and make a fun experience for everyone involved, and a story that people can enjoy and characters who are interesting. I want everyone to know that if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I may not always be able to answer (Spoilers, for example), but I will do my best to be an interactive and communicative QM.

    I also want to thank @Xalgeon for being my beta. It's been very fun when the two of us get together, and he's usually the one who keeps me from going completely off the deep end, like having everyone act like they're high. It's always great to have his help.

    May there be another full year of quest goodness coming up! Both for this quest and Blood and Money, which will update next year!

    Fourth: As a time of peace and goodwill towards men... ah, who the fuck am I kidding? It's time for presents! And as such, you may choose 1:

    [] Double your current XP! [This total is calculated after this vote ends.]
    [] The encounter die is rerolled [Currently sitting on: 11/100]
    [] Upgrade your starting weapon [My choice on Upgrades]
    [] One OOC Question, to be voted upon.

    Vote ends at 8:00 AM PST December 26th.
     
    [X] Upgrade your starting weapon [My choice on Upgrades]

    Double XP at level one isn't much, encounter die is impossible to tell due to lack of context, and OOC questions are... Eh... It'll get wasted on something not much useful.
     
    [x] Upgrade your starting weapon [My choice on Upgrades]

    ...because it would be Really Handy if we could crank our combat potential back up above "lousy".
     
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