HymnOfRagnarok
Let's Rock
Now now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Just look at our backstory!
Now now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Just look at our backstory!
dash931
Conil
Revy is street smart but she has a problem of a huge temper but I would say she can't come up with clever ideas or do manipulations. Just look at how she roped Shenhua and the irish guy into helping her save Rock with the lie that he had the important documents when she had them on her all along.
Anyway, Revy isn't really that hax. Hax belongs to Roberta or that ninja guy from the Black Lagoon light novels.
HymnOfRagnarok
Let's Rock
Okay, okay.
We're not completely nucking futs.
Well, not right now....
I would not be surprised at all if there was a hidden Limit Break system a la Exalted, like Revy and Whitman fever, and we have our own hidden triggers.
It's fun! Like Dwarf Fortress! And there will be blood! And beer! And death! Like Dwarf Fortress!
But seriously, we haven't finished chargen yet. We need to wait and see what the guy is like.
dash931
Conil
Ehh, Revy's done some stupid stuff. Heck, kidnapping Rock in the first place 'Because ransom' without any sort of plan is an episode 1 example.
That said, thinking about it, yeah, Rock did explicitly start rubbing off on her over time. That snapfire improvised lie you mentioned is a good example.
yeah, she ain't a genius but she is not stupid. She is street smart but has a high temper and is very impulsive that she does things without thinking them through first.
Ninja guy I mentioned:
The only problem is that the guy is an imbecile, he is so easily deceived. But then if he wasn't like that he wouldn't have believed that the "manuals' he received weren't real and were a scam as per what his manuals are:
The only problem is that the guy is an imbecile, he is so easily deceived. But then if he wasn't like that he wouldn't have believed that the "manuals' he received weren't real and were a scam as per what his manuals are:
Kornet
Quite possibly a sloth abomination
- Location
- Mother Russia
[X] Curiosity. Who had the audacity to carry out such a ruthless and thorough strike? It wasn't the rivals on the island, you're certain. Someone else was involved, and you want to know who and why.
[X] A handsome face, with aquiline nose and square jaw, dark hair kept closely cropped, and eyes of emerald green concealing hidden depths.
[X] The consiglieri, the boss's confident and advisor, a negotiator and a compromiser and sometimes even a lawyer, forever distanced from the initiated blood-brothers of the family?
[X] Guns. Pistols, shotguns, long rifles, assault rifles, submachine guns, it doesn't matter. You're a crack shot and quick on the draw.
[X] Parkour is a parlor's trick to you. You've always been extraordinarily dexterous, whether it was climbing up trees as a child or slipping unnoticed along the roofs of a hostile dockyard.
[X] You've been steadily building favors from all sorts of people in the Underworld. Not just criminals, though plenty owe you, but also retired (?) spooks, mildly corrupt government bureaucrats, information brokers, and gun runners. How far into Roanapur their influence extends is an open question, though.
I want us to be the guy who knows a guy. Which guy? Any guy.
And he is not here for revenge, not as such. He feels insulted that he doesn't know who killed his boss. And is determined to prove to himself that he is still the best one in the game.
[X] A handsome face, with aquiline nose and square jaw, dark hair kept closely cropped, and eyes of emerald green concealing hidden depths.
[X] The consiglieri, the boss's confident and advisor, a negotiator and a compromiser and sometimes even a lawyer, forever distanced from the initiated blood-brothers of the family?
[X] Guns. Pistols, shotguns, long rifles, assault rifles, submachine guns, it doesn't matter. You're a crack shot and quick on the draw.
[X] Parkour is a parlor's trick to you. You've always been extraordinarily dexterous, whether it was climbing up trees as a child or slipping unnoticed along the roofs of a hostile dockyard.
[X] You've been steadily building favors from all sorts of people in the Underworld. Not just criminals, though plenty owe you, but also retired (?) spooks, mildly corrupt government bureaucrats, information brokers, and gun runners. How far into Roanapur their influence extends is an open question, though.
I want us to be the guy who knows a guy. Which guy? Any guy.
And he is not here for revenge, not as such. He feels insulted that he doesn't know who killed his boss. And is determined to prove to himself that he is still the best one in the game.
Kornet
Quite possibly a sloth abomination
- Location
- Mother Russia
Well, my vote still has the other stuff. And I was unsure if the questmaster called the vote on these topics, or was simply commenting voting trends.
- Location
- the netherlands
[X] Curiosity. Who had the audacity to carry out such a ruthless and thorough strike? It wasn't the rivals on the island, you're certain. Someone else was involved, and you want to know who and why.
[X] A pretty face, with noble cheekbones and a brilliant smile, straw-colored hair running over your shoulders, and sky blue eyes capable of piercing steel.
[X] An enforcer, sworn to an oath sealed in blood, privy to the ancient traditions of the family and initiated in the old style, responsible for taking on any and all threats to your liege?
[X] Guns. Pistols, shotguns, long rifles, assault rifles, submachine guns, it doesn't matter. You're a crack shot and quick on the draw.
[X] Parkour is a parlor's trick to you. You've always been extraordinarily dexterous, whether it was climbing up trees as a child or slipping unnoticed along the roofs of a hostile dockyard.
[X] You've been saving up for quite some time. The end result is a pretty impressive Swiss bank account. You're not filthy rich, but you don't have to worry too much about trivial costs like first class plane tickets or large bribes. And yet, it still hasn't let you find those responsible for the massacre.
You can't tell me fist are more deadly then guns.
[X] A pretty face, with noble cheekbones and a brilliant smile, straw-colored hair running over your shoulders, and sky blue eyes capable of piercing steel.
[X] An enforcer, sworn to an oath sealed in blood, privy to the ancient traditions of the family and initiated in the old style, responsible for taking on any and all threats to your liege?
[X] Guns. Pistols, shotguns, long rifles, assault rifles, submachine guns, it doesn't matter. You're a crack shot and quick on the draw.
[X] Parkour is a parlor's trick to you. You've always been extraordinarily dexterous, whether it was climbing up trees as a child or slipping unnoticed along the roofs of a hostile dockyard.
[X] You've been saving up for quite some time. The end result is a pretty impressive Swiss bank account. You're not filthy rich, but you don't have to worry too much about trivial costs like first class plane tickets or large bribes. And yet, it still hasn't let you find those responsible for the massacre.
You can't tell me fist are more deadly then guns.
- Location
- Southern Virginia
Let me assure you all that even if you don't focus at all on Mental Attributes, putting them solidly in the Tertiary category, you won't be an idiot. You'll be at least Intelligence 2, which is perfectly average. Where it will hurt is when it comes to roll for finding subtle connections and tracing obscure clues. You'll be better off either taking a lot more direct approach when it comes down to finding answers, or trying to convince other people to help you. There's certainly hooks for either route.
Likewise if you don't focus on Social Attributes you won't be a pariah. You just won't have as large a dicepool when it comes time to convince people to do what you want them to, if they are dubious or it goes against their inclinations or whatever. I'm not going to turn this into full-on Social Combat where people fire mind-control-rays at each other, ala Exalted, though. A good write-in, with a clever argument, will go a long way; and making deals the other party gets what they want out of helping you, can obviate the reluctance. But in general you're not going to be making amazing rolls to turn your enemies into friends and such-like that SB tended to go for really hard.
Likewise with Legendary Dexterity your Physical Attributes are by definition well above those of the common man. What I'm probably going to do, though, is get you to Dexterity 6 by burning through your available dots first. If you don't have enough, you'll still have Dexterity 6, but you won't get any extra dots in Stamina or Strength. Stamina in addition to increasing Soak will also give you an extra HL per dot, while Strength is obviously very important for dealing damage with one's own hands or melee weapons or for breaking objects, breaking through objects, lifting stuff, etc. The reason I went "are you sure" with the Mental/Social build was because you all also chose Savate, and while that's still potentially a very interesting build, it's also probably the least mechanically sound for combat... not that you wouldn't still go through mooks like a bulldozer with that autosuccess and high Dexterity and Martial Arts Skill.
So I don't want to discourage any build as such I do at least want to be sure you guys know the implications of your choices and so can make them deliberately.
Likewise if you don't focus on Social Attributes you won't be a pariah. You just won't have as large a dicepool when it comes time to convince people to do what you want them to, if they are dubious or it goes against their inclinations or whatever. I'm not going to turn this into full-on Social Combat where people fire mind-control-rays at each other, ala Exalted, though. A good write-in, with a clever argument, will go a long way; and making deals the other party gets what they want out of helping you, can obviate the reluctance. But in general you're not going to be making amazing rolls to turn your enemies into friends and such-like that SB tended to go for really hard.
Likewise with Legendary Dexterity your Physical Attributes are by definition well above those of the common man. What I'm probably going to do, though, is get you to Dexterity 6 by burning through your available dots first. If you don't have enough, you'll still have Dexterity 6, but you won't get any extra dots in Stamina or Strength. Stamina in addition to increasing Soak will also give you an extra HL per dot, while Strength is obviously very important for dealing damage with one's own hands or melee weapons or for breaking objects, breaking through objects, lifting stuff, etc. The reason I went "are you sure" with the Mental/Social build was because you all also chose Savate, and while that's still potentially a very interesting build, it's also probably the least mechanically sound for combat... not that you wouldn't still go through mooks like a bulldozer with that autosuccess and high Dexterity and Martial Arts Skill.
So I don't want to discourage any build as such I do at least want to be sure you guys know the implications of your choices and so can make them deliberately.
- Location
- Southern Virginia
Well then. Looks like things won't change much in the meantime. So you can gaze upon the character that your votes have wrought.
Pierre Bourcet
Concept: Ronin mafia enforcer.
Motivation: Avenge his liege.
Virtue: Fortitude
Vice: Wrath
XP: 0/0
Willpower
7 (7)
*Regains all spent Willpower once per scene played out according to his Virtue.
*Regains +1 temporary Willpower once per scene when succumbing to his Vice.
*Must spend 1 temporary Willpower once per scene to suppress Vice.
*Recovers +1 temporary Willpower after a night's rest.
Health Levels
[ ] [ ] x -0
[ ] [ ] [ ] x -1
[ ] [ ] [ ] x -2
[ ] x -4
[ ] x I
[ ] x D
Mental Attributes
Intelligence: 2
Wits: 3
Resolve: 3
Physical Attributes
Strength: 3
Dexterity: 6 (Legendary)
Stamina: 4
Social Attributes
Presence: 2
Manipulation: 2
Composure: 3
Mental Skills
Academics: Untrained
Computer: Untrained
Craft: Untrained
Investigation: 2
Medicine: 2
Occult: Untrained
Politics: Untrained
Science: Untrained
Physical Skills
Athletics: 4 (Parkour)
Brawl: 4 (Savate)
Drive: 2
Firearms: 3
Larceny: Untrained
Stealth: 3
Survival: Untrained
Weaponry: 2 (Improvised Weaponry)
Social Skills
Animal Ken: Untrained
Empathy: Untrained
Expression: Untrained
Intimidation: 2
Persuasion: 1
Socialize: Untrained
Streetwise: 2
Subterfuge: 2
Merits
Jack of All Trades
*Ignore Untrained Penalties to Skills.
Avenger
*Gain two successes for each 10 on rolls directly related to pursuing revenge. Stacks with Specialties to provide 9-again. +1 free WP.
Dressed to Kill (Unique Equipment)
*Stylish black trenchcoat with kevlar-weave providing 10L soak against bullets.
Legendary Dexterity
*Can buy up to Dexterity 6. Provides one autosuccess on all Dexterity rolls. Ignores all environmental, wound, equipment, or other penalties to Athletics for movement purposes.
Enhanced Dodge
*Add Brawling Dice to the lower of Wits or Dexterity to determine DV. Dodge may be used against firearms from a distance if character is aware he is being attacked.
Iron Stamina 2
*Character ignores up to -2 penalties from Wound Penalties inflicted by Bashing Damage or Fatigue/Hunger, but must rest twelve hours to recover from doing so and does not recover WP. The character may spend 1 WP to ignore Wound Penalties inflicted by Lethal Damage for the duration of a scene.
Resources 1
*Each dot provides $25,000 in accessible form.
Contacts 2
*Can call on support from fellow survivors of Corsica.
Languages (French, Italian, English)
*Native language is French.
*Speaks Italian proficiently.
*Speaks English proficiently.
*Has a tourist's French-Thai dictionary and phrasebook.
Savate
*Openhanded Slap: +2 accuracy bonus, chance to stun opponent.
**Roundhouse Kick: +3B Damage bonus, knockback effect.
***Savate de Rue: Sweeping and grappling attacks can be made without penalties.
****Stickfighting: Can use form-style Improvised Weapons with Brawling instead of Weaponry.
*****Power Attack: Doubles Bashing Damage of Savate attack, but halves DV until refreshed.
Pierre Bourcet
Concept: Ronin mafia enforcer.
Motivation: Avenge his liege.
Virtue: Fortitude
Vice: Wrath
XP: 0/0
Willpower
7 (7)
*Regains all spent Willpower once per scene played out according to his Virtue.
*Regains +1 temporary Willpower once per scene when succumbing to his Vice.
*Must spend 1 temporary Willpower once per scene to suppress Vice.
*Recovers +1 temporary Willpower after a night's rest.
Health Levels
[ ] [ ] x -0
[ ] [ ] [ ] x -1
[ ] [ ] [ ] x -2
[ ] x -4
[ ] x I
[ ] x D
Mental Attributes
Intelligence: 2
Wits: 3
Resolve: 3
Physical Attributes
Strength: 3
Dexterity: 6 (Legendary)
Stamina: 4
Social Attributes
Presence: 2
Manipulation: 2
Composure: 3
Mental Skills
Academics: Untrained
Computer: Untrained
Craft: Untrained
Investigation: 2
Medicine: 2
Occult: Untrained
Politics: Untrained
Science: Untrained
Physical Skills
Athletics: 4 (Parkour)
Brawl: 4 (Savate)
Drive: 2
Firearms: 3
Larceny: Untrained
Stealth: 3
Survival: Untrained
Weaponry: 2 (Improvised Weaponry)
Social Skills
Animal Ken: Untrained
Empathy: Untrained
Expression: Untrained
Intimidation: 2
Persuasion: 1
Socialize: Untrained
Streetwise: 2
Subterfuge: 2
Merits
Jack of All Trades
*Ignore Untrained Penalties to Skills.
Avenger
*Gain two successes for each 10 on rolls directly related to pursuing revenge. Stacks with Specialties to provide 9-again. +1 free WP.
Dressed to Kill (Unique Equipment)
*Stylish black trenchcoat with kevlar-weave providing 10L soak against bullets.
Legendary Dexterity
*Can buy up to Dexterity 6. Provides one autosuccess on all Dexterity rolls. Ignores all environmental, wound, equipment, or other penalties to Athletics for movement purposes.
Enhanced Dodge
*Add Brawling Dice to the lower of Wits or Dexterity to determine DV. Dodge may be used against firearms from a distance if character is aware he is being attacked.
Iron Stamina 2
*Character ignores up to -2 penalties from Wound Penalties inflicted by Bashing Damage or Fatigue/Hunger, but must rest twelve hours to recover from doing so and does not recover WP. The character may spend 1 WP to ignore Wound Penalties inflicted by Lethal Damage for the duration of a scene.
Resources 1
*Each dot provides $25,000 in accessible form.
Contacts 2
*Can call on support from fellow survivors of Corsica.
Languages (French, Italian, English)
*Native language is French.
*Speaks Italian proficiently.
*Speaks English proficiently.
*Has a tourist's French-Thai dictionary and phrasebook.
Savate
*Openhanded Slap: +2 accuracy bonus, chance to stun opponent.
**Roundhouse Kick: +3B Damage bonus, knockback effect.
***Savate de Rue: Sweeping and grappling attacks can be made without penalties.
****Stickfighting: Can use form-style Improvised Weapons with Brawling instead of Weaponry.
*****Power Attack: Doubles Bashing Damage of Savate attack, but halves DV until refreshed.
Last edited:
HymnOfRagnarok
Let's Rock
Wow. We're gonna be really hard to put down in a fight. Especially we can block/parry shots to our head with the sleeve of our coat.
Although shouldn't our autosuccess show up as something in the character sheet?
Although shouldn't our autosuccess show up as something in the character sheet?
God and the Snake
A Swamp of a Human Being
We Corsican Trenchcoat Batman.
This should be fun, in the Black Lagoon sense of the word.
Why are we listed as Ronin?
Is that what the natives will think, cause we're from a French/Mediterranean island.
Just seems odd, and requesting clarification.
Is that what the natives will think, cause we're from a French/Mediterranean island.
Just seems odd, and requesting clarification.
God and the Snake
A Swamp of a Human Being
I believe it means that we are currently unemployed by any person or organization.
- Location
- Southern Virginia
It's listed in the Merits. Your Dexterity score also has a note beside it that it is Legendary. All Legendary Attributes and Skills provide an autosuccess.
Concept is just a brief shorthand sketch of the archetype of the character. Ronin simply refers to him being masterless and out on his own.
Chargone
Invisable operator
- Location
- New Zealand
It also implies that his normal role Should have someone as his boss. Hard to be an enforcer without a boss who's will you enforce, for example, while a ronin (leader of some sort) wouldn't make much sense. Culturally out of place, but actually a pretty fitting useage.
- Location
- Southern Virginia
It seems it may be useful to go over some of the important rules and mechanics before we start.
Rolls
I will call for rolls as needed, providing the Attribute and Skill as well as any modifiers. The Target Number will always be 7; that means any die that rolls up as 7+ is counted as a Success. Each roll will also have a Difficulty, which is the number of Successes needed for the action. Difficulty for rolls is determined based largely on how complex the action is. If you exceed the number of successes demanded by the Difficulty, the action takes place. More successes may add an additional margin of victory. If not enough successes are obtained the action fails, with all the consequences (or none) that entails. If the number of 1s rolled exceeds the difficulty of the roll and the roll fails, it is considered a Botch.
Modifiers
Aside from Attributes and Skills, you can gain dice for a roll from other sources. The most common bonuses are Equipment Bonuses, which provide additional dice due to having superior capabilities available. Situational bonuses are also possible if conditions are particularly favorable. Merits may also provide extra dice or even an automatic success (autosuccess) to the roll. Not all modifiers are positive, however. Sometimes bad conditions subtract from the available dice. Trying to multi-task almost always involves a penalty. Certain actions also impose penalties, such as trying to make a Called Shot or Disarm an opponent. Wound penalties may also come into play.
Stunts
Write-ins can also provide bonus dice. A sufficiently compelling write-in can provide up to 3 extra dice. More than just providing bonuses, though, Stunts also allow a certain degree of narrative control by establishing details about the environment or the setting. Detailed stunts will also be necessary in order to spend XP accumulated as part of play.
Willpower
Characters have a Willpower Track consisting of dots of Willpower and an equal amount of Temporary Willpower. Players may elect to spend a Temporary Willpower to gain one autosuccess on any roll. The amount of Willpower is always capped by the number of dots of Willpower. Temporary Willpower can be regained by a night's rest, by indulging Virtues and Vices, by making significant progress toward the character's Motivation, or through Merits.
Combat
Rolling in combat is not like rolling elsewhere. The target's Defense Value is directly subtracted from the number of dice available to roll against them. A Difficulty may also be assigned if the target is taking cover or other circumstances warrant it. If the remaining dicepool for the attack provides enough successes to exceed the Difficulty (normally 1) then the attack succeeds.
Defense Value
The defense value is the lower of Wits or Dexterity. Wits establishes how quickly the character can recognize a threat and Dexterity establishes how well they can act to dodge it. Most characters of any significance have Merits that greatly improve their Defense Values. Ordinarily an attack with a dicepool lower than a target's Defense Value has no chance to succeed, but every time in a round a target is attacked, one die is subtracted from their Defense Value. Most low level mooks are not coordinated enough to take advantage, but higher level or elite mooks led by named characters can develop that level of tactical cohesion. The Defense Value refreshes at the end of a round, or potentially under certain other circumstances if the character has a relevent Merit.
Damage
All Damage is expressed as Health Levels and is indicated to be either Bashing or Lethal. Bashing Damage is blunt trauma, while Lethal Damage represents more serious forms of injury that cause bleeding. An attack does a designated amount of levels of Bashing or Lethal Damage based on the type of weapon being employed. All Firearms do Lethal damage according to the power of the gun, roughly falling into categories based on caliber of round and type of firearm. Melee Weapons and Brawl attacks generally do [Strength] damage plus a bonus added by the Equipment or type of blow. Characters may have Merits to increase Damage. While Bashing Damage is "less serious" it still incurs Wound Penalties when a character's Health Levels drop, and if all of a character's Health Levels are filled with Bashing Damage any further Bashing Damage will become Lethal Damage. Severe fatigue, hunger, or dehydration may also cause Bashing Damage leading to death if not checked.
Health Levels
Mooks have three Health Levels. Named characters generally have seven Health Levels plus additional levels for every dot of Stamina over 1. The Health Levels have different Wound Penalties associated with them. As a character takes damage the Health Levels are filled in descending order, with Wound Penalties assigned when the first box in a row of Health Levels is marked off. Wound penalties subtract from Defense Values, though never below the lower of Dexterity or Wits. Certain Merits may allow characters to ignore some or all Wound Penalties, but Health Levels are still lost. Bashing Damage stops at the Incapacitated Health Level, but Lethal damage that fills the dying Health Level kills a character.
Healing
Bashing Damage heals automatically, at a set rate of one Health Level every four hours as long as the character does not incur any more Damage. Medicine Rolls and rest can speed up recovery to one Health Level every two hours. Lethal Damage is significantly more difficult to heal, and must first be Stabilized by a Medicine roll at the Difficulty of the Wound Penalty inflicted by it or by seeking assistance from qualified medical personnel. Lethal Damage that is not Stabilized may lead the character to bleed out. Once Stabilized the damage heals at the rate of one Health Level every twelve hours, though further Medicine rolls and dedicated rest may speed the process up. Somce Lethal Damage may inflict Crippling effects, like the loss of an eye or a limb, that cannot be healed properly and which will impose lasting Penalties due to the permanent loss of capability.
So this'll go up somewhere Front Page. If there are any other mechanics questions, please ask and I'll go over them. Probably needs a section on XP, but basically I award it for completing goals, amazing Stunts, finishing plots arcs, etc. You spend it by stunting how you can justify using it. Sometimes you may be offered an opportunity to spend it on something as a result of a +3 Stunt that utilized the Skill (or very unlikely, the Attribute) in some way which would justify showing off a new and superior level of that Skill. Some Merits can be earned in-game, especially Resources, Contacts, Allies, and other externally-focused ones, though any Merit that is internal to Pierre will have to be justified by Stunt.
Anyway hopefully first post tomorrow as an introduction and then a "how do you want to get your feet wet" vote.
Also, nerfed Iron Stamina just a bit because letting it ignore Lethal Damage penalties without a cost was way too potent for it.
Rolls
I will call for rolls as needed, providing the Attribute and Skill as well as any modifiers. The Target Number will always be 7; that means any die that rolls up as 7+ is counted as a Success. Each roll will also have a Difficulty, which is the number of Successes needed for the action. Difficulty for rolls is determined based largely on how complex the action is. If you exceed the number of successes demanded by the Difficulty, the action takes place. More successes may add an additional margin of victory. If not enough successes are obtained the action fails, with all the consequences (or none) that entails. If the number of 1s rolled exceeds the difficulty of the roll and the roll fails, it is considered a Botch.
Modifiers
Aside from Attributes and Skills, you can gain dice for a roll from other sources. The most common bonuses are Equipment Bonuses, which provide additional dice due to having superior capabilities available. Situational bonuses are also possible if conditions are particularly favorable. Merits may also provide extra dice or even an automatic success (autosuccess) to the roll. Not all modifiers are positive, however. Sometimes bad conditions subtract from the available dice. Trying to multi-task almost always involves a penalty. Certain actions also impose penalties, such as trying to make a Called Shot or Disarm an opponent. Wound penalties may also come into play.
Stunts
Write-ins can also provide bonus dice. A sufficiently compelling write-in can provide up to 3 extra dice. More than just providing bonuses, though, Stunts also allow a certain degree of narrative control by establishing details about the environment or the setting. Detailed stunts will also be necessary in order to spend XP accumulated as part of play.
Willpower
Characters have a Willpower Track consisting of dots of Willpower and an equal amount of Temporary Willpower. Players may elect to spend a Temporary Willpower to gain one autosuccess on any roll. The amount of Willpower is always capped by the number of dots of Willpower. Temporary Willpower can be regained by a night's rest, by indulging Virtues and Vices, by making significant progress toward the character's Motivation, or through Merits.
Combat
Rolling in combat is not like rolling elsewhere. The target's Defense Value is directly subtracted from the number of dice available to roll against them. A Difficulty may also be assigned if the target is taking cover or other circumstances warrant it. If the remaining dicepool for the attack provides enough successes to exceed the Difficulty (normally 1) then the attack succeeds.
Defense Value
The defense value is the lower of Wits or Dexterity. Wits establishes how quickly the character can recognize a threat and Dexterity establishes how well they can act to dodge it. Most characters of any significance have Merits that greatly improve their Defense Values. Ordinarily an attack with a dicepool lower than a target's Defense Value has no chance to succeed, but every time in a round a target is attacked, one die is subtracted from their Defense Value. Most low level mooks are not coordinated enough to take advantage, but higher level or elite mooks led by named characters can develop that level of tactical cohesion. The Defense Value refreshes at the end of a round, or potentially under certain other circumstances if the character has a relevent Merit.
Damage
All Damage is expressed as Health Levels and is indicated to be either Bashing or Lethal. Bashing Damage is blunt trauma, while Lethal Damage represents more serious forms of injury that cause bleeding. An attack does a designated amount of levels of Bashing or Lethal Damage based on the type of weapon being employed. All Firearms do Lethal damage according to the power of the gun, roughly falling into categories based on caliber of round and type of firearm. Melee Weapons and Brawl attacks generally do [Strength] damage plus a bonus added by the Equipment or type of blow. Characters may have Merits to increase Damage. While Bashing Damage is "less serious" it still incurs Wound Penalties when a character's Health Levels drop, and if all of a character's Health Levels are filled with Bashing Damage any further Bashing Damage will become Lethal Damage. Severe fatigue, hunger, or dehydration may also cause Bashing Damage leading to death if not checked.
Health Levels
Mooks have three Health Levels. Named characters generally have seven Health Levels plus additional levels for every dot of Stamina over 1. The Health Levels have different Wound Penalties associated with them. As a character takes damage the Health Levels are filled in descending order, with Wound Penalties assigned when the first box in a row of Health Levels is marked off. Wound penalties subtract from Defense Values, though never below the lower of Dexterity or Wits. Certain Merits may allow characters to ignore some or all Wound Penalties, but Health Levels are still lost. Bashing Damage stops at the Incapacitated Health Level, but Lethal damage that fills the dying Health Level kills a character.
Healing
Bashing Damage heals automatically, at a set rate of one Health Level every four hours as long as the character does not incur any more Damage. Medicine Rolls and rest can speed up recovery to one Health Level every two hours. Lethal Damage is significantly more difficult to heal, and must first be Stabilized by a Medicine roll at the Difficulty of the Wound Penalty inflicted by it or by seeking assistance from qualified medical personnel. Lethal Damage that is not Stabilized may lead the character to bleed out. Once Stabilized the damage heals at the rate of one Health Level every twelve hours, though further Medicine rolls and dedicated rest may speed the process up. Somce Lethal Damage may inflict Crippling effects, like the loss of an eye or a limb, that cannot be healed properly and which will impose lasting Penalties due to the permanent loss of capability.
So this'll go up somewhere Front Page. If there are any other mechanics questions, please ask and I'll go over them. Probably needs a section on XP, but basically I award it for completing goals, amazing Stunts, finishing plots arcs, etc. You spend it by stunting how you can justify using it. Sometimes you may be offered an opportunity to spend it on something as a result of a +3 Stunt that utilized the Skill (or very unlikely, the Attribute) in some way which would justify showing off a new and superior level of that Skill. Some Merits can be earned in-game, especially Resources, Contacts, Allies, and other externally-focused ones, though any Merit that is internal to Pierre will have to be justified by Stunt.
Anyway hopefully first post tomorrow as an introduction and then a "how do you want to get your feet wet" vote.
Also, nerfed Iron Stamina just a bit because letting it ignore Lethal Damage penalties without a cost was way too potent for it.
What Roanapur fears is government/public attention from the world whether that be Thailand or NSA and thus America. I wonder, if this quest will allow us to know about and interact with the CIA presence here.Everyone need to realize one thing.One faction that even Balalaika don't want to fight,One faction that open to bribe and eat form every faction in Ronapur.
ThailandRonapur police,If we can bribe him with money then we can survive for sometime until we can figure out mystery.
Ronapur police maybe not good in straight fight but they are very good at connection and man power.
The downside is we need money to bribe them to do our biding.
I think the church have connection with CIA.
The police always fine with you if we paid money.They will comedown if you fight in public like Revy but if you want some manpower,then they can provide some because they are the host and not foreigner.
The police know more about the area and can recruit the native of Ronapur people to do the job.
- Location
- Southern Virginia
Welcome to Roanapur
Day 1, Morning
Pierre Bourcet dried off his face with a hand-towel and stepped back from the sink. He ran a hand over his chin, feeling the dark stubble that grown in last night. It would be fine, he thought, and shrugged in the mirror before stepping back out into the bedroom.
He had a single room with a bed that was at least clean, a small color television with a handful of channels of programming he mostly couldn't understand, a refrigerator that barely worked, a microwave that didn't, and a tiny closet barely sufficient for even his light packing. On the bed he had laid out his usual black suit, though he would eschew the usual tie, a pair of comfortable black running shoes, and his trench coat. It would be pretty uncomfortable as the day went on, but then such was the price of fashion.
He dressed silently, and as he slipped on the trench coat he felt its too-dense weight as a reassuring mantle. It was a gift from the boss, a custom-ordered and all but unique kevlar-weave garment rated bulletproof against anything short of a machine gun. The wheres and hows of the coat's history were unknown to him but it was his most valued possession. It was a token of the esteem of his liege and of his service as a soldier, and it would aid him in avenging the destruction of the family. Eventually, anyway.
Pierre left, locking the door and slipping the door key into an inner pocket of his coat. Claude was waiting for him and he had no intention of wasting any time. The sooner he was out of Roanapur, the better.
There was a restaurant-bar on the ground floor, down a hall at the back of the hotel. It was mostly empty this time of day, though a breakfast spread was set out buffet-style for the benefit of guests. A couple of waitstaff looked on disinterestedly from the bar and a pair of obvious smugglers were piling their plates with watermelon, durrian, and gooseberries from the buffet. The sweet breakfast rice was mostly untouched, he saw as he passed by, heading instead for a table with coffee service.
Nescafe. He grimaced when he saw it, but fixed himself a cup anyway. It was warm and there was caffeine in it, and that's as much as he required.
"Pierre!" He looked around to his left, and saw Claude waving at him from a table by the window. The other Corsican was wearing a tropical white suit, with a rose-pink shirt kept unbuttoned. A straw panama hat covering up his wavy blonde hair completed the ensemble. It probably was a lot cooler than his choice in attire, Pierre admitted.
He walked over to join his comrade, cup in hand, lifting it as a greeting. "Morning."
"Welcome, welcome" Claude said. "I was up earlier. Had some of the fruit. You might want to grab something a bit more substantial yourself than that terrible coffee. And with your sense of fashion, I'd worry about dehydration."
Pierre shrugged, then sat down at the table. "I've faced worse. So tell me, why am I here?"
"Laconic as always," Claude replied. He smiled and shook his head, then looked around and lowered his voice. "I have a lead on those events years ago, and I need help following it up. You see, a contact of a contact of mine, who I believe can lead us to those responsible, has requested a favor. A very large favor. If we pull it off it we will be taking a big step toward a final reckoning."
Pierre nods. "I assume you know what you are doing. So what is this favor?"
"The contact of a contact is a collector of antiquities, you see," Claude explains. "There is a manuscript of great interest to them here in this city. They want it retrieved and will provide a handsome reward for doing so." Claude's eyes narrowed and his smile turned into a wolfish grin. "They can tell us what happened in Corsica. Who was responsible. I trust I can count on your support here, then?"
"Of course." He nodded in agreement. "So where is this manuscript? We should only need a couple of days for this."
Then Claude shook his head. "I don't know who has it is. Only that it will be up for auction here in Roanapur in sixteen days. I do know it was last seen in the city in 1944, since a Japanese officer reported about it in a missive to Tokyo, and the trail dies there. Neither does this contact of a contact know the precise chain of transmission, though I was told that it had taken by an Ottoman admiral to Aceh in the 1500s."
"This complicates things," Pierre said sourly. He much preferred to have a clear target to be pointed at. But this was not the first time he had been faced with a person or object to be found. And in the end he had found them. Save one. "What can we do?"
"We can wait for the auction," Claude replied, but waved his hand dismissively at the notion. "It will be heavily guarded and there are many parties who will be there with their own bodyguards. Not at all ideal. If they are storing it at the auction house beforehand we might be able to break in, but from my own investigations it seems likely it will not be brought over before the day it is to be sold."
"A last resort, then."
"Yes." Claude paused, then looked out the window beside them in thought. "Then we should look to track down the manuscript here in the city. There can't be too many gangsters with an interest in antique books and medieval objet d'arts. But first..." He pauses and looks back at Pierre. "What did you bring with you to Roanapur? How much money do you have on hand?"
"You know me, I travel light." Which was to say, almost nothing but the essentials. Claude obviously got the message, because he shook his head in exasperation.
"Well, to undertake such a task we need local connections, money, and equipment." He actually smiled a bit. "And the situation here in Roanapur is unsettled. That makes things both easier and harder. In truth, I'm not just going on that contact of a contact. I can feel it in the air..."
"Feel what?"
"It's just like the days before the massacre, back on Corsica. You weren't there, but I was in Bastia when it was going down. George, too. We felt a tenseness come over the city before the assassins struck. And I feel that same way. Whoever was responsible for it is at work here, too."
Pierre's eyes narrowed as he took in Claude's claim. Could it be possible that his vengeance was closer at hand than expected? "What do you think is going on?"
"Well, how much do you know about what has been going on in Roanapur of late?"
"Not much," he admitted. "There's that civil war in the other part of Indochina, and talk of a coup in Thailand, but since the family was disbanded I haven't had any interest in the region."
"I thought so," Claude sighed. "Well, four days ago the various local gangs fought a little battle in the city marketplace. Shot the place up with their Kalashnikovs and killed quite a good many bystanders. While this city is renowned for its violence, usually it only involves the big four international syndicates. For the local street gangs to act so out of control is rare and should normally bring down the bigger players on them, but it hasn't happened yet. Something must be staying their hands."
"That doesn't sound like Bastia, though. When I left for Paris everything was quiet."
"Dead quiet," Claude corrected. "Our rivals, even those Bonapartist bastards in Ajaccio were keeping their heads down. We were keeping quiet too after the Sicilians canceled the customary shipments through Marseilles. The independence movement shot up some police offices and carried out a dockyard bombing in the meantime, since we were not keeping their hotheads under control. It was as if everyone was afraid to act before the buildup of electricity in the air was discharged. As it was."
"I suppose," Pierre conceded.
"The Pattani Liberation Organization has also expanded operations into this province," Claude noted. "That might just be incidental, or it might speak to the major syndicates being unable or unwilling to keep them away. So that is why I think there might be something going on here underneath the surface."
Pierre drained the rest of his coffee and sat the mug back down on the table. "Then we need to be prepared. Even if there is nothing else going on here, we need to find that manuscript."
"Quite so." Claude laughed. "And even if this city is in the eye of the hurricane, there will be needs that require some mercenary assistance. I also have a lead on a top quality supplier of arms in the city. But perhaps what we really need is more information, first. What do you think?"
Prioritize...
[ ] Resources. (How?)
[ ] Equipment. (How?)
[ ] Information (How?)
[ ] Or do something else. Write in.
You may need to roll depending on what you choose. Stunts aka elaborate narrative write-ins will net bonuses and give you the chance to establish some things about the setting. Any particular elements that run afoul of plot can be adjusted or edited by myself when I use it in the next post, so don't worry too much about keeping it "canon" for the Quest.
Day 1, Morning
Pierre Bourcet dried off his face with a hand-towel and stepped back from the sink. He ran a hand over his chin, feeling the dark stubble that grown in last night. It would be fine, he thought, and shrugged in the mirror before stepping back out into the bedroom.
He had a single room with a bed that was at least clean, a small color television with a handful of channels of programming he mostly couldn't understand, a refrigerator that barely worked, a microwave that didn't, and a tiny closet barely sufficient for even his light packing. On the bed he had laid out his usual black suit, though he would eschew the usual tie, a pair of comfortable black running shoes, and his trench coat. It would be pretty uncomfortable as the day went on, but then such was the price of fashion.
He dressed silently, and as he slipped on the trench coat he felt its too-dense weight as a reassuring mantle. It was a gift from the boss, a custom-ordered and all but unique kevlar-weave garment rated bulletproof against anything short of a machine gun. The wheres and hows of the coat's history were unknown to him but it was his most valued possession. It was a token of the esteem of his liege and of his service as a soldier, and it would aid him in avenging the destruction of the family. Eventually, anyway.
Pierre left, locking the door and slipping the door key into an inner pocket of his coat. Claude was waiting for him and he had no intention of wasting any time. The sooner he was out of Roanapur, the better.
There was a restaurant-bar on the ground floor, down a hall at the back of the hotel. It was mostly empty this time of day, though a breakfast spread was set out buffet-style for the benefit of guests. A couple of waitstaff looked on disinterestedly from the bar and a pair of obvious smugglers were piling their plates with watermelon, durrian, and gooseberries from the buffet. The sweet breakfast rice was mostly untouched, he saw as he passed by, heading instead for a table with coffee service.
Nescafe. He grimaced when he saw it, but fixed himself a cup anyway. It was warm and there was caffeine in it, and that's as much as he required.
"Pierre!" He looked around to his left, and saw Claude waving at him from a table by the window. The other Corsican was wearing a tropical white suit, with a rose-pink shirt kept unbuttoned. A straw panama hat covering up his wavy blonde hair completed the ensemble. It probably was a lot cooler than his choice in attire, Pierre admitted.
He walked over to join his comrade, cup in hand, lifting it as a greeting. "Morning."
"Welcome, welcome" Claude said. "I was up earlier. Had some of the fruit. You might want to grab something a bit more substantial yourself than that terrible coffee. And with your sense of fashion, I'd worry about dehydration."
Pierre shrugged, then sat down at the table. "I've faced worse. So tell me, why am I here?"
"Laconic as always," Claude replied. He smiled and shook his head, then looked around and lowered his voice. "I have a lead on those events years ago, and I need help following it up. You see, a contact of a contact of mine, who I believe can lead us to those responsible, has requested a favor. A very large favor. If we pull it off it we will be taking a big step toward a final reckoning."
Pierre nods. "I assume you know what you are doing. So what is this favor?"
"The contact of a contact is a collector of antiquities, you see," Claude explains. "There is a manuscript of great interest to them here in this city. They want it retrieved and will provide a handsome reward for doing so." Claude's eyes narrowed and his smile turned into a wolfish grin. "They can tell us what happened in Corsica. Who was responsible. I trust I can count on your support here, then?"
"Of course." He nodded in agreement. "So where is this manuscript? We should only need a couple of days for this."
Then Claude shook his head. "I don't know who has it is. Only that it will be up for auction here in Roanapur in sixteen days. I do know it was last seen in the city in 1944, since a Japanese officer reported about it in a missive to Tokyo, and the trail dies there. Neither does this contact of a contact know the precise chain of transmission, though I was told that it had taken by an Ottoman admiral to Aceh in the 1500s."
"This complicates things," Pierre said sourly. He much preferred to have a clear target to be pointed at. But this was not the first time he had been faced with a person or object to be found. And in the end he had found them. Save one. "What can we do?"
"We can wait for the auction," Claude replied, but waved his hand dismissively at the notion. "It will be heavily guarded and there are many parties who will be there with their own bodyguards. Not at all ideal. If they are storing it at the auction house beforehand we might be able to break in, but from my own investigations it seems likely it will not be brought over before the day it is to be sold."
"A last resort, then."
"Yes." Claude paused, then looked out the window beside them in thought. "Then we should look to track down the manuscript here in the city. There can't be too many gangsters with an interest in antique books and medieval objet d'arts. But first..." He pauses and looks back at Pierre. "What did you bring with you to Roanapur? How much money do you have on hand?"
"You know me, I travel light." Which was to say, almost nothing but the essentials. Claude obviously got the message, because he shook his head in exasperation.
"Well, to undertake such a task we need local connections, money, and equipment." He actually smiled a bit. "And the situation here in Roanapur is unsettled. That makes things both easier and harder. In truth, I'm not just going on that contact of a contact. I can feel it in the air..."
"Feel what?"
"It's just like the days before the massacre, back on Corsica. You weren't there, but I was in Bastia when it was going down. George, too. We felt a tenseness come over the city before the assassins struck. And I feel that same way. Whoever was responsible for it is at work here, too."
Pierre's eyes narrowed as he took in Claude's claim. Could it be possible that his vengeance was closer at hand than expected? "What do you think is going on?"
"Well, how much do you know about what has been going on in Roanapur of late?"
"Not much," he admitted. "There's that civil war in the other part of Indochina, and talk of a coup in Thailand, but since the family was disbanded I haven't had any interest in the region."
"I thought so," Claude sighed. "Well, four days ago the various local gangs fought a little battle in the city marketplace. Shot the place up with their Kalashnikovs and killed quite a good many bystanders. While this city is renowned for its violence, usually it only involves the big four international syndicates. For the local street gangs to act so out of control is rare and should normally bring down the bigger players on them, but it hasn't happened yet. Something must be staying their hands."
"That doesn't sound like Bastia, though. When I left for Paris everything was quiet."
"Dead quiet," Claude corrected. "Our rivals, even those Bonapartist bastards in Ajaccio were keeping their heads down. We were keeping quiet too after the Sicilians canceled the customary shipments through Marseilles. The independence movement shot up some police offices and carried out a dockyard bombing in the meantime, since we were not keeping their hotheads under control. It was as if everyone was afraid to act before the buildup of electricity in the air was discharged. As it was."
"I suppose," Pierre conceded.
"The Pattani Liberation Organization has also expanded operations into this province," Claude noted. "That might just be incidental, or it might speak to the major syndicates being unable or unwilling to keep them away. So that is why I think there might be something going on here underneath the surface."
Pierre drained the rest of his coffee and sat the mug back down on the table. "Then we need to be prepared. Even if there is nothing else going on here, we need to find that manuscript."
"Quite so." Claude laughed. "And even if this city is in the eye of the hurricane, there will be needs that require some mercenary assistance. I also have a lead on a top quality supplier of arms in the city. But perhaps what we really need is more information, first. What do you think?"
Prioritize...
[ ] Resources. (How?)
[ ] Equipment. (How?)
[ ] Information (How?)
[ ] Or do something else. Write in.
You may need to roll depending on what you choose. Stunts aka elaborate narrative write-ins will net bonuses and give you the chance to establish some things about the setting. Any particular elements that run afoul of plot can be adjusted or edited by myself when I use it in the next post, so don't worry too much about keeping it "canon" for the Quest.
Last edited: