Forgotten Futures Setup Thread

I'm looking to start a game which will be set in Victorian England (at least to start) and utilize elements of steampunk and magic. The game system itself will be based on third edition D&D, but I'll be simplifying it and managing the game mechanics myself. All the players will have to do is, well, play.

The basic premise to begin is that it is the year 1872 and technology has made several dramatic leaps forward. Though Charles Babbage is dead, his analytical engine is fully functional. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas is not science-fiction, but a true account. As weird science has advanced, archaic mysticism has begun to resurface as well.

I'm looking for about six characters. Despite the magic and D&D present, only human characters will be allowed to start. The chance for characters to develop magic will be available later. Engineers and scientists will definitely be good choices in this setting.

I'll need character name, gender, ethnicity and occupation to begin with, then I can generate your sheets.

And just to warn people, I'm a student and I've got a job so it might be kind of slow with me only able to update about three times a week. I'll do my best to keep it interesting, though!

I would be interested, most definitely.

I could be interested...

Steampunk and I don't have to run it myself? I'm in!

Interested indeed. If you have trouble filling a gap, count me in.

No chance of it being Forgotten Futures?

I am interested but also willing to stand aside if it fills up.

I am in.

Okay, I'll give it a try.

Quote:

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Originally posted by CatInASuit

No chance of it being Forgotten Futures?

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I'd had some steampunk stuff for third edition D&D picked out, but Forgotten Futures might actually work better for what I have in mind. I'm going to make a couple of NPC sheets and roll some fights to be sure I can use this. Forgotten Futures basics for anyone interested.

So I have four definites and three maybes? I can probably handle up to eight players, but I don't want to go over that.

Considering the time period and culture, any female characters are probably going to face a lot of adversity and will be subject to chivalry whether they like it or not. That isn't a discouragement at all, as I really want to see female characters in play. They'll just need to deal with their environment in some realistic ways. Characters who aren't English will also be facing some difficulties. Similarly, class will matter quite a bit in character interactions. I'm not going to allow any royalty and if you want to play nobility or someone who is fabulously wealthy we'll need to negotiate that.

I'd prefer to have engineering, medicine, airship piloting, and big game hunting specialties covered by player characters.

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Originally posted by Peeta Mellark

... any female characters are probably going to face a lot of adversity ... Characters who aren't English will also be facing some difficulties.

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I've shot myself in both feet, then. Excellent. :sci:

Quote:

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Originally posted by Orual

I've shot myself in both feet, then. Excellent. :sci:

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That's the kind of ingenuity I like!

I read The Mysterious Island for the first time recently so would like to play as a Cyrus Harding (or Cyrus Smith depending on the edition) type - a resourceful engineer who, if stranded on a large rockpile somewhere in mid-ocean, could figure out, given help and time, how to make anything from fire to nitroglycerine. :sci: An officer in the Corps of Royal Engineers would be just the thing.

Would a gentlemen airship designer and pilot be possible? Someone very good with steam engines and design and someone experimenting with better designs. This would be Ian Spencer cousin to Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill. He would be quite English and male.

The other thought I had was a magician detective. Excellent at slight of hand and early Holmes-like science oriented investigative skills. Zebulon Smith is the name and he is probably Scottish but has worked hard to adopt a fairly upper crust accent an the brogue only comes out rarely. He would actually have made a study of accents for that matter.

BTW: A handy guide to popular names of the time.

Btw, if 20,000 Leagues is fact, how about Robur the Conqueror? Because, fun as airships may be, I think an aeronef would take it up to eleven.

http://www.freewebs.com/steamnoir/Albatross.gif

I'll happily take the post of surgeon for our merry band here. Considering the state of medical science at the time it'll likely be one who has dabbled somewhat in vivisection and zoology, as well as exploring the theories of inheritance surrounding this evolution business, since Gregor Mendel's research is yet to be rediscovered. I'm thinking Docteur Lefèvre, so Orual isn't all alone in the cultural handicaps.

Also:

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Originally posted by Malacandra

http://www.freewebs.com/steamnoir/Albatross.gif

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This please?

Klara Weber is the daughter of Professor Ernst Weber of the Universität Wien. She assists him in his work in applied mathematics, currently focused on building robots improvements and new applications for the Babbage engine. Because of her father's position, she is (grudgingly) permitted access to the school's libraries and lectures, though not as an official student.

Unsurprisingly, she is an enthusiastic admirer of the Countess of Lovelace.

Everyone's ideas so far sound perfect for the setting. The combination of a Cyrus Harding type and a gentleman pilot could be quite useful indeed.

I hadn't considered an aeronef, with that book being a couple of years ahead of our setting, but I've been swayed. So many propellers...

I will be using Forgotten Futures. Everyone will have 25 points to start out with and the characteristics will be BODY, MIND, SOUL, and MAGIC. Skills will be just as they are here. Wizardy is not currently available as a skill, but if you don't have any points in magic when wizardy becomes available you will only be able to use spells with an outside magical source. If anybody needs any help making their sheets, let me know and I'll walk you through it.

Normal human characteristics are in the range 1-6, with 1 exceptionally poor, 3 or 4 average, and 6 very good, the top percentile of normal human performance. No one is currently allowed characteristics of 7, though it may be possible to achieve this if a special event happens.

Skills cannot be raised above 10, which would signify "near perfection."

I would like to introduce to you, Wilfred "Will" Smythe, a man roughly aged forty covered in mementos of his past victories, not the least of which is the Victoria Cross. A former member of the 1st Ballation, 60th Regiment, "the King's Royal Rifle Corps", he is a veteran of many storied battlefields, not the least of which was during the Indian mutiny in 1857, for which he was awarded his medal by Her Majesty Queen Victoria herself. After separation, he was invited to employ by the Captain who's life he saved, Wilton, as a gameskeeper for the man's large estate. After some quarrels with his friend-and-employer, souring their relationship, he left the man's employ and began to embark upon his own explorations the world over armed with much of the knowledge of beast gained from Wilton and his own history as a farmhand in Staffordshire, and with his knowledge of men from his deployments wildly abroad.

He became a hunter and explorer by 1864, and has been battling foes and beasts for coin and glory abroad the world over since, armed with a variety of weapon, but none more proudly touted than his military Snider-Enfield rifle, which was the very source of the Indian mutiny... and the weapon with which it was brought down.

A sample sheet:

Character Name: Lord Leoendithas Shieldheart the Merciless
Profession: Gentleman Adventurer
Age: 40
Sex: Male
BODY [4] (this spends 5 points)
MIND [3] (this spends 3 points)
SOUL [4] (this spends 5 points)
MAGIC [0] (Unlike the other characteristics, I'm making this one cost a point for the first level. Otherwise it adds up the same as the others.)

Athlete [5] (base is his BODY rating plus one, 1 point spent)
Brawling [4] (base is his BODY rating. You get this automatically without spending points, but can add more.)
First Aid [4] (base is his MIND rating plus one, 1 point spent)
Marksman [4] (base is his MIND rating plus one, 1 point spent)
Mechanic [6] (base is his MIND rating plus one [4], 3 points spent)
Melee Weapon [5] (base is the average of body and mind rounded up plus one, 1 point spent)
Pilot [7] (base is the average of body and mind divided by two and rounded up plus one, 5 points spent)
Stealth [2] (base is his BODY rating divided in half and rounded up. You get this automatically without spending points, but can add more.)

I'll work out damages and you'll have a chance to choose equipment as well.

A little bit of background explaining who the character is and where (s)he comes from will be good, so I can interweave the stories and explain how you came to be working together.

Are Skills the same cost per point as Attributes? IE, 6 would cost 10?

Not in character creation. It'll get more expensive to buy new skills later. When you buy a skill during character creation it should be the base level listed on the chart to start with, and then for every point after that you get one more added to the skill. To get 6 in, say, Pilot for a character who has a 5 in BODY and a 4 in MIND would cost 3 points.

You purchase Pilot for 1 point. Your base level is (BODY + MIND)/4, rounded up and with one point added. That comes out to 4. Then you spend an additional two points to bring it up to 6.

Lore O'Cuinn was born into a family of mongrel Travelers roaming the British Isles. He grew up with an affinity for shiny things and a deep seated wanderlust, keeping him from settling in one place too long. As a boy he found employ on ships, mainly merchant vessels. He set foot on his first airship at seventeen and hasn't touched much ground since then. Lore has no formal education but years of experience. He is a skilled navigator in the air, on land, or at sea, handy with repairs and rope, and has just enough of a sense of self preservation that he hasn't died yet (although there have been a few close calls).

He may currently be under the employ of another character, or be looking to join a new crew.

Peeta, that's exactly what I was trying to say, kind of. Sorry for the confusion! Lack of clarity on my part.

Your point only goes to the extent of 3, which doesn't help clarify things: if I want to ADD 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 points in a Skill, let's say, what are the costs?
Let's, for the sake of argument, say I have 2 in Body.
This gives me a basis of 2 in Athletics (3 as soon as I buy the skill to let me use it).
I want to have 9 Athletics, despite only being of 2 in Body for some reason.
To raise the 7 points, I spend what?
Do I spend A) 7 points (having added 7 ranks past my default Body)
Or, do I spend B) 14 points (where 1 is 1, 2 is 2, 3 is 3, 4 is 5, 5 is 7, 6 is 10, 7 is 14 as per Attributes)

Trying to clarify that part.

Or, simply: to add six skill points to a skill, would it cost the same as taking an Attribute to six? I understand how I wasn't clear enough because I had said "six skill points" basically, which is vague, since the system counts them inclusively.

During character creation, skills are a simple one to one purchase. They aren't like Characteristics. You get a bonus because of your base levels, but other than that it's just spending one point for one point.

So you start with BODY 2.

You buy Athlete. Your base level costs one point and you start with 3 in Athlete (BODY rating + 1).

You want to raise Athlete to 9, so you purchase six more points in addition to your base of 3. In all, you have spent seven points on Athlete.

So it's one point for Athlete [3], another point for Athlete [4], another point for Athlete [5], etc.

I have changed his name because I realized it was "Will Smith" in Ye Olde Naming. Wilfred Smythe. Ugh. So now Wilfred is his middle name and James is his first name, instead of the reverse which was true.

Player Name: Bowie
Character Name: "Smythe", James Wilfred Smythe
Profession: Adventurer
Sex: Male
Age: 41
Profile: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...dom/smythe.jpg

Characteristics
BODY: 5
MIND: 4
SOUL: 2
MAGIC: 0

Skills: Athlete 6[1], Brawling 5[0], Linguist 5[1], Marksman 9[4], Melee Weapons 6[1], Riding 5[1], Stealth 6[3]

Weapon ---------- Multiple? - Effect -------------- A B C
Snider-Enfield Rifle - No --- 7 ---------------------- F|I|C/K
Elephant gun ------- No --- 9 ---------------------- I|C|K
.38 Revolver ------- Yes* - 6 ---------------------- I|I|C/K
Boomerang --------- No - Marksman ------------- B|F|KO/I
Sword --------------- No - Melee Weapons+1 --- F|I|C/K
Axe ------------------ No - Body+2m/Body+1r - F|I|C/K

*Fire at 2 (-2 attacks), or two at 1 (no mod)

History / Notes
James Wilfred Smythe, was born at Hadley, near Yoxall, in Staffordshire in the December of 1830. As was the practice in his parish of many small villages, the vicar only performed christenings on certain days of the year. Edward and Lydia Smythe had the good fortune to have their son christened at St Peter's Church, Yoxall, on 25 December, a good omen for the future, they thought.

Edward Smythe was a farm labourer and with his wife had moved to the Midlands in the late 1820s from Scotland, possibly as a result of the depopulation of the Highlands, a deliberate policy of the new Scottish landlords when creating their vast private estates.

James, in his youth, worked with his father, but was never really satisfied with the life of a farmer. He was determined to join the army. Such was his ambition that in the winter of 1850 he left home and walked to Derby (some 15 miles) to enlist. He lied about his age so that he could enlist as a young regular. He succeeded and on 18 August 1851 he was enrolled into the 1st Battalion, 60th Rifles, later the King's Royal Rifles. His training was extensive, and he toured many battlefields during his time, including Burma and South Africa, before he was redeployed again to India.

In April 1857, he was serving with his regiment in India. That month, Indian troopers, under the command of British officers, were arrested for refusing to use the bullets issued to them. Among other complaints, stories had been spread that the bullets were smeared with cow grease and in biting off the protective covering you had to swallow some of the grease of the sacred animal.

The situation worsened and, on 10 May, British Officers were shot at Meerut; the Mutiny had begun. The Indian rebels marched to Delhi where the aged Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah XI, was declared the new ruler of India. As there were no British troops at Delhi, a relief force had to be quickly dispatched to recapture the city. Private James Smythe was in the regiment which marched on Delhi, together with regiments of the 2nd Gurkhas and their guides.

On 9 June, Major Charles Reid of the Sirmoor Battalion of Gurkhas occupied the Ridge, northwest of the city. For the next three months he was based in the main piquet at Hindoo Rao's House. There, and in four other piquets, his three regiments withstood 25 separate attacks on the Ridge. Under constant enemy artillery fire, his troops sustained more casualties than any other regiment involved in the siege and capture of Delhi.

It was one of those enemy assaults which led to Private Smythe being awarded his Victoria Cross (a total of seven being awarded to members of the 60th Rifles).

On the morning of 9 July, at about 9 am, the enemy attacked Hindoo Rao's House. Lieutenant Norman, who was commanding the Mound Battery piquet, tried to rally his troops, but not before the enemy had broken through. In a letter to his wife he described the action.

The Carbineer piquet was taken by surprise and for the most part fled, the two horse artillery guns were unprepared and ridden clean through, and the enemy's horse rode through the lines of Olphert's troop and that of the Native Horse Artillery - it appearing as if their principal object was to carry off the latter.

Young Hills of Tombs' troop commanded the gun on the piquet and was knocked over and on the point of being killed when Tombs, running up from camp, shot his assailant with a revolver. Hills and Tombs then went to another fellow and the former was severely cut over the head, but Tombs killed the man.

Hills, having ordered the guns to unlimber alone charged the leading rebels so as to give his men time. He and Tombs, Smythe and Turner won the VC.

During that assault and its eventual defeat, Private Smythe had saved the life of his officer, Captain Wilton, who had been surrounded by the enemy, Ghazees. Without thought for personal safety he had rushed on the enemy alone, rescued the officer and had killed two of them before reinforcements had arrived. For that action, and continued bravery during the Siege of Delhi Ridge, he was elected by the privates of his regiment to be awarded the Victoria Cross.

His medal was officially awarded on 20 January 1860, being recorded in the London Gazette. On 9 November 1860, he had the honour of being decorated with the Victoria Cross by Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, at a parade in Home Park, Windsor. Unfortunately for their continued romance, James Smythe and the British Army did not continue to see eye to eye after this. The mutiny was due to the indifference of British leadership to just clarify the truth to the locals, and many died - many of his friends died - for their arrogance. After serving tens years of service, in August 1861, he was officially separated out of the Army.

With no skills but military interests, Smythe might have found life very difficult in "civvy street", but fortune was smiling on him. Deeply grateful for his life, Captain Wilton took the disaffected private back to Scotland with him to work on his family's estate as a gamekeeper. There he stayed until the winter of 1863 when, once again, he walked away. Due to considerable differences in ideology and opinion of British military righteousness, Wilton and Smythe did not get along well and despite Wilton's deep fondness for the heroism that saved his life, it was not enough to mend their relationship. Smythe was adrift again, and chose to fall back to the only thing he knew well - shooting and animals. The evolution from there seemed natural.

Spending years abroad, he opted to engage in another activity of monetary benefit and of pride, and became a big game hunter, touring Europe, Africa, India, South America and the Far East. He captured and killed many great beasts, and found employment also as a proper guide and explorer, tasked to find this, tasked to guide them, and tasked to kill this. Stopping short of outright mercenary work, he still found himself often enough aiding in searches or recoveries or simply forays into dangerous territories that resulted in many bandits or violent locals descending upon him. Smythe stands today, still, largely unmarred - and it is not for his skill with diplomacy.

His pride grows, and James seeks to prove himself nobler, stronger, more able than ever before. Women, luxuries, moneys, they are pleasant distractions born incidentally of his actions and while appreciated, are not the goal. He seeks to distance himself from the middling life of a cog within an empire's wheels that grind up those for whom it cares the littlest. With his skills, this affords only fame and adventure - and so he seeks it with great passion.

Languages: English, Swahili, Hindi, Mandarin

If anybody needs help making their sheets or just doesn't want to bother, you can hit me up in a PM. I'll be happy to make a sheet to match your character bio and then we can tweak it from there.

I think I'd like to play, if there's still room. I have in mind a former Royal Marine, forced out by a crooked aristocratic superior on trumped-up charges. He's a crack shot and experienced outdoorsman with a chip on his shoulder and a thirst for adventure.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Elendil's Heir

I think I'd like to play, if there's still room. I have in mind a former Royal Marine, forced out by a crooked aristocratic superior on trumped-up charges. He's a crack shot and experienced outdoorsman with a chip on his shoulder and a thirst for adventure.

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Assuming everyone who's shared interest so far is still in, I do have room for one more player. This sounds like a good character for the group so far, too.

If you have room for one more, I'm interested.

I was thinking a PC who represents more of the streetwise criminal element of Victorian England. Not in the violent way, (at least not if it can be avoided), but in a "if it's not nailed down it's mine, and if it can be pried loose, it's not nailed down" sort of way.

I will probably never be found in a fight, though, I have no doubt started a few as a distraction as I slink away. And if I do happen to be in a fight, it's probably not going to be a fair one, at least not on my side.

But there's honor among thieves, and I never cross anyone I work with. It's bad for business. (Unless, of course, the offer is just too lucrative to pass up.)

Male, English, and no doubt of fairly low-station. But has friends in low places. If I'm in, I'll come up with a bio in a bit.

Here's my bare-bones. Fuller notes/bio to follow.

Character Name: Fräulein Klara Augusta Weber
Profession: Scholar/research assistant
Sex: Female
Age: 20

Characteristics:
Body [2]
Mind [5]
Soul [3]
Magic [1]

Skills: Babbage Engine 8, Detective 6, Linguist 7*, Scholar 6#, Psychology 5, Artist 5, Riding 3 (Stealth 2, Brawling 2)

*Languages: German, Hungarian, Latin, English, French
#Fields of Study: applied mathematics, cryptography, music

Cannot resist Forgotten Futures. :)

A brief character idea.

Character Name: Lucius Nathaniel Barnaby
Profession: Medium and Mystic
Sex: Male
Age: 32

Characteristics:
Body [2]
Mind [4]
Soul [6]
Magic [2]

Skills: Actor [6], Detective [6], Psychology [6], Scholar [5] (Occult), Medium [4], Riding [4], Brawling [2], Stealth [1]

Languages: English

Bio: Life has not been good to Nate, as he prefers to be know, so why does everyone insist on calling him Lucius. Maybe his family's run-in with the gypsies was a mistake, and certainly there was no need for some of the language they used. But did they honestly think that he would believe in curses. After several years, Nate is no longer sure.

However, for the last decade or so, he has been playing a trade for the upper classes, and contacing the far side on their behalf. A mystic, a medium and a showman, giving the gullible a performance to believe in. Yes Aunt Maud is happy where she is, no your Grandfather will not mention where the secret will is. Unfortunately, his standing has been enhanced by getting it right just a few too many times. Both from his skill of reading people and...and... well just getting it right.

It wasn't his fault he predicted someone's death on a stage in Manchester in front of an audience who was promptly killed when the chandelier fell on him. It certainly wasn't his fault that the gentleman was a well-known and well liked person. It may have been his fault when the lantern was knocked over when trying to get away from the murderous crowd, but how was he to know it would set fire to the theatre.

It's time to move on and make way to London. Looking for things to quieten down, perhaps the bad times to blow over and start again with people who want to believe.

Peeta: If you would prefer more of a fake huckster than a true medium, I can amend the above.

Player Name: Zuul
Character Name: Dr. Raoul Lefèvre (Rachel Lefèvre)
Profession: Surgeon
Age: 30
Sex: Female (but appears to be male)
BODY [4]
MIND [4]
SOUL [4]
MAGIC [0]

Skills: Actor 5, Athlete 5, Doctor 5 [Surgeon], Linguist 5 [French, English, German, Latin], Martial Arts 3, Psychology 5, Riding 5, Scholar 5 [Chemistry], Scientist 5 [Zoology]

Brawling 4, Stealth 2

Rachel came from a fairly checkered background. Her mother was a Parisian courtesan and the mistress of a successful writer from a bourgeois family. It was somewhat expected that she'd follow in her mother's footsteps and find herself a wealthy man to support her. Instead, she hungered for something more. Her father was a scientifically minded man without any sons and indulged her, despite her mother's protestations. With his monetary support and guidance, she was able to educate herself in things entirely unfeminine, such as the sciences and medicine. Of course, once she moved beyond private tutoring and needed to enroll in school to take her education further, she found there were far too many stumbling blocks in her way. As a young woman of indelicate origins, there were only a few things society considered her good for.

And so Rachel became Raoul. If women couldn't practice medicine or live as they pleased, then she would simply no longer be a woman. Being an illegitimate daughter meant that no one had ever paid much attention to her besides, and so it was easy enough for a bastard son to use his* father's influence to gain a better education. It would be the last thing Raoul would ever manage to get from his father, but it was enough.

Once he finished medical school, Dr. Lefèvre was intent on settling in somewhere with a quiet practice and indulging his interests in the new theories of pangenesis and evolution. Instead, patriotic duty called as the tension between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia came to a head. His skills in surgery were fine-tuned dealing with the wounded, and there was little shortage of them as the war went badly against the French. He never laid hands on a firearm, not even when Paris was occupied, but he did carefully learn all he could about hand to hand combat to better protect himself and his secret. After the war thousands of the middle class poured out into the country, where Dr. Lefèvre could likely continue to work as a country doctor, yet he had no desire for such a provincial life. As anarchists and Marxists sought control of his homeland, Dr. Lefèvre abandoned the nation entirely to travel and study with others who shared his interests in the building blocks of life.

This eventually took him to London, where he worked as an assistant to a zoology professor and had the chance at last to really indulge his interests. Knowing Dr. Lefèvre's support of women's rights, the professor introduced him to Dr. Elizabeth Garrett, an Englishwoman who had recently obtained a medical degree from the University of Paris. To the professor's surprise, Dr. Lefèvre took a violent dislike to the woman. Because of Dr. Lefèvre's cold reception of Dr. Garrett and aloofness to any woman seeking the handsome French doctor's romantic attention, he began to develop a reputation as a misogynist. That suited him well enough, as making women dislike him was safer than turning them away.

Dr. Lefèvre is roughly average height for a man and unsurprisingly beardless, often being mistaken for younger than he is because of his smooth face. Though he tends to react scathingly to flirtation, he generally behaves properly toward women and never swears nor drinks.

* Since the other characters will be unaware of "Raoul's" past when the game starts, I'll only be using male pronouns to avoid confusion between player knowledge and character knowledge.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Orual

Skills: Babbage Engine 8, Detective 6, Linguist 7*, Scholar 6#, Psychology 5, Artist 5, Riding 3 (Stealth 2, Brawling 2)

*Languages: German, Hungarian, Latin, English, French
#Fields of Study: applied mathematics, cryptography, music

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Excellent skill choices! I can definitely use the Babbage engine ability.

Quote:

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Originally posted by CatInASuit

Peeta: If you would prefer more of a fake huckster than a true medium, I can amend the above.

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Nope, a real medium is fine.

I need to follow the link and try to make a character tonight. But which one will work better? The magician/detective type or the pilot/inventor?

Quote:

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Originally posted by What Exit?

Would a gentlemen airship designer and pilot be possible? Someone very good with steam engines and design and someone experimenting with better designs. This would be Ian Spencer cousin to Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill. He would be quite English and male.

The other thought I had was a magician detective. Excellent at slight of hand and early Holmes-like science oriented investigative skills. Zebulon Smith is the name and he is probably Scottish but has worked hard to adopt a fairly upper crust accent an the brogue only comes out rarely. He would actually have made a study of accents for that matter.

BTW: A handy guide to popular names of the time.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Hoopy Frood

If you have room for one more, I'm interested.

I was thinking a PC who represents more of the streetwise criminal element of Victorian England. Not in the violent way, (at least not if it can be avoided), but in a "if it's not nailed down it's mine, and if it can be pried loose, it's not nailed down" sort of way.

I will probably never be found in a fight, though, I have no doubt started a few as a distraction as I slink away. And if I do happen to be in a fight, it's probably not going to be a fair one, at least not on my side.

But there's honor among thieves, and I never cross anyone I work with. It's bad for business. (Unless, of course, the offer is just too lucrative to pass up.)

Male, English, and no doubt of fairly low-station. But has friends in low places. If I'm in, I'll come up with a bio in a bit.

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Oops, I'd missed this one before. I think I can probably handle one more without any issue. Anyone else who's interested and hasn't already posted in this thread will need to go on an alternates list in case someone drops out.

What Exit?: I think the inventor/pilot would be the best choice with the other characters we have so far. With Rabbit's navigator you'd have a ready made PC crewmember.

Captain Neill MacAndrew RE
Age 35

BODY[3] cost (3)
MIND[6] cost (10)
SOUL[2] cost (2)
MAGIC[0] cost (0)

BRAWLING [3] free
MARKSMAN [7] cost (1)
MECHANIC [8] (mainly civil engineering and construction) cost (2)
MILITARY ARMS (mainly explosives) [8] cost (2)
MORSE CODE [7] cost (1)
SCIENTIST (mainly engineering, physics, chemistry, and related mathematics) [8] cost (2)
STEALTH [2] free

Well off (1) Minor title (1)

As eldest son and heir to The MacAndrew, Neill MacAndrew could have lived an easy life waiting to inherit the clan chieftainship. True, the MacAndrews have more lineage and tradition than money, at least by Southern standards, and equally, a clan-chieftain-apparent ranks higher north of the Border than in London society, but his family still own a generous slice of Perthshire and do not want for ordinary creature comforts. But after turning down a scholarship to Oxford on purely nationalistic grounds, MacAndrew had very little trouble securing a First at Edinburgh University and could well have followed in the footsteps of his countryman James Clerk Maxwell.

However, finding the purely academic life too quiet for his liking, MacAndrew decided to join the Army as a Sapper and spent several years in far-flung corners of the Empire either blowing things up or throwing bridges across rivers with almost equal facility. He often found his talent for improvisation came in handy and has more than enough know-how to fabricate powerful explosives from scratch, given a few square miles to go prospecting and enough free time and labour.

Anticipating many more years before taking up the mantle from his father, who is barely in his sixties, and having finished his term in the Army with many useful though undramatic achievements to his credit, MacAndrew is more than willing to go and see what is over the next hill and, perhaps, find out if his latest experiments involving nitrated organics will be as involving as the last.

MacAndrew is a reasonably skilled shot with either an Army rifle or his own .22 hunting rifle, as well as with his Webley RIC revolver. However, he never had great affinity with firearms and so, beyond basic army training, has not developed what could have been an outstanding natural talent.

Ian Spencer (cousin to Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill).
English and male. Age: 31

Body: 5 (cost 7)
Mind: 5 (cost 7)
Soul: 1 (cost 0)
Magic: 3 (cost 3)
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(5) 0 Brawling (B) Boxing, wrestling, & improvised weapons. Free at base value
(3) 0 Stealth (B/2) Hiding, camouflage, sneaking, etc. Free at base value
(6) 1 Athlete (B) Swimming, running, etc.
(5) 2 Pilot (AvB&M/2) Use for aircraft, submersibles, etc.
(4) 1 Thief (AvB&M/2) Pick pockets, locksmith, forgery, etc

(6) 1 Mechanic (M) Heavy on ME & EE.
(6) 1 Babbage Engine (M) Use also for computers, golems, etc.
(6) 1 Science (M) Use of any science.
(6) 1 Marksman (M) Use of directly aimed projectile weapons.
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A gentlemen adventurer, airship designer and pilot. He is very good with steam engines and design and experimenting with better designs. He has a strong interest in automatons. He tends to find relations with his fellow man however difficult. He was largely an outsider except where others pull him in. His relationships have always been brief outside of a few core friends from university days.

His family paid well for a thorough education and while still working on his degrees he took up tinkering with some fellow students. Well to be fair they saw what he was capable of and brought him into their group. They built airships for relatives at first and slowly advanced designs. Ian like his 3 friends learned to pilot fairly well. He learned a variety of skills in pursuing this hobby/enterprise. He is currently interested in building an autopilot and has studied both Babbage Engines and logic circuits and is looking into magic (though with no success so far). His interests are largely in flight, science and engineering.

He has practiced with every sort of projectile weapon he could get his hands on but mastered none. In fact this might fairly describe Ian in every way. He is an eclectic dabbler. He stands only 5’5” but is of a powerful build overall.

business cards with gold leaf printing.

Ian W. Spencer
94 Baker Street, London

Masters of Engineering
King's College London

Pilot, Mechanic, Engineer, Scientist,
Adventurer and Inventor

Quote:

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Originally posted by Peeta Mellark

Quote:

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Originally posted by Hoopy Frood

If you have room for one more, I'm interested.

I was thinking a PC who represents more of the streetwise criminal element of Victorian England. Not in the violent way, (at least not if it can be avoided), but in a "if it's not nailed down it's mine, and if it can be pried loose, it's not nailed down" sort of way.

I will probably never be found in a fight, though, I have no doubt started a few as a distraction as I slink away. And if I do happen to be in a fight, it's probably not going to be a fair one, at least not on my side.

But there's honor among thieves, and I never cross anyone I work with. It's bad for business. (Unless, of course, the offer is just too lucrative to pass up.)

Male, English, and no doubt of fairly low-station. But has friends in low places. If I'm in, I'll come up with a bio in a bit.

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Oops, I'd missed this one before. I think I can probably handle one more without any issue. Anyone else who's interested and hasn't already posted in this thread will need to go on an alternates list in case someone drops out.

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Excellent. I'll get a character ready for you then. (I've got the character written up, I just need to work on the backstory.)

Some Biographical Notes:

Klara was the second of three children. When she was four years old, scarlet fever ravaged the household, carrying off Klara's mother and baby brother. Being left under the sole care of her father meant that she and her sister Liesl had a bit of an unconventional upbringing, especially when the professor noticed Klara's talents for numbers and puzzles. When she started outpacing her tutors, Ernst took over that aspect of her education himself. He also convinced his colleagues at the university to allow her to sit in on classes. (For some reason they didn't really want to say 'no' to a guy who looked like this. Go figure.)

In any case, Klara recently has had her first paper, detailing a new method of cryptanalysis using the Babbage engine, accepted by an (admittedly second-tier) English mathematical journal. As time has gone on, her father has become more of a recluse; focused on his own esoteric projects. He is frequently invited to symposia and academic conferences, and has been sending Klara in his stead. She is used to being viewed as her father's mouthpiece and secretary, but she hopes some day to be recognized her own unique contributions to the field of applied mathematics.

Klara is one-quarter Hungarian, through her maternal grandmother, who lived with the family for a time. Klara and Liesl learned the Hungarian from her, and used it as a 'secret' language, since few people in their surroundings understood it. They both studied music as well; Klara is an accomplished pianist.

Physically, she is a short, slim young woman. She dresses properly, but not extremely fashionably - she doesn't bother with bustles or tightlace her corset.

Quote:

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Originally posted by What Exit?

Ian Spencer (cousin to Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill).
English and male. Age: 31


Body: 5 (cost 7)
Mind: 5 (cost 7)
Soul: 0
Magic: 2 (cost 2)
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What Exit?, you have no soul. You're not doing any talking for the party, possibly no talking in the party either. :p

Just a note for everyone who may have missed it, your characteristics don't change once set.

Quote:

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Originally posted by CatInASuit

What Exit?, you have no soul. You're not doing any talking for the party, possibly no talking in the party either. :p

Just a note for everyone who may have missed it, your characteristics don't change once set.

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That statement is illogical, I should be quite capable of talking to Captain Neill MacAndrew at least.

How damaging for game purposes is a 0 soul?

I suggest going and reading the rules a bit further down about what exactly soul is as a characteristic and why zero soul is a bit of a drawback. Think Charisma 3 in D&D.

Can I get by with a soul of 1? That would cost be a point in Pilot that I can work on in game at least. I really want to keep the Magic at 2. I could dump the Military Arms I guess as another option. I can't check the rules until tonight.

I grabbed a bit on Soul so you don't have to wade through the rules:

Quote:

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SOUL covers artistic abilities, empathy, luck, and spiritual well-being. If SOUL is low the character should be played as aloof, insensitive, and unlikeable (as in the phrase "This man has no soul"); if high, the character does well in these areas. It is also used for other forms of human interaction, such as fast-talking, acting ("A very soulful performance"), and other arts (including martial arts). If your SOUL is low better not try to con anyone, and forget about learning baritsu or karate.

Normal human characteristics are in the range 1-6, with 1 exceptionally poor, 3 or 4 average, and 6 very good, the top percentile of normal human performance. Player characters may have characteristics of 7 at the discretion of the referee ONLY; this is freakishly good, far better than normal human performance. For example, a gold-medal Olympic athlete might have BODY [7], a Nobel Prize winner MIND [7].

Characteristics cannot normally be improved; under really exceptional circumstances changes might be allowed, but this is a once in a lifetime event. For example, someone discovering the fountain of eternal youth might gain extra BODY, but there should be a price to pay; reduced MIND or SOUL, hideous deformity, and the like. In the unlikely event of an increase in any characteristic, any skills already derived from it (see below) should be recalculated and (if necessary) improved.

Characteristics may sometimes be reduced. For instance, someone crippled after a fall might lose BODY, someone suffering a severe head injury might lose MIND. SOUL might be damaged by insanity or drug abuse. If any characteristic is reduced, recalculate the values of all skills derived from it.

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Since you get your first point in Body, Mind and Soul for free, you can start with at least one point in Soul without having to shortchange anything else. It'll cost two points to raise it to two, though. Since you can add Skills and can't alter Characteristics, it might be something to consider.

...unless Ian is an automaton and truly does have no soul! Oooh.

Clearly I missed a few things.
* you just posted that all stats start at 1
* Adding to stats up to 4 I thought cost 1 and then 2 more for 5 and 3 more for 6.
* But you just said going from 1 to 2 cost 2 points.

It is just going to 2 that cost 2 or did I completely misread. Clearly no matter what I have some errors.

Let me see if I can C&P this chart right...

Value -----------1-----2-----3-----4-----5-----6-----7*
Cost (points)-----0-----2-----3-----5-----7-----10----14*

I think your Characteristics were all bought at the right price except for the first point in Soul, which you get automatically. Does that make sense?

That makes perfect sense.

General question to Peeta, CIAS, Zuul and anyone else:
So will a 1 Soul be deadly?

I need 2 points to get it to a 2. I could lose a point in Pilot and work on that during the game and lose the Military Arms.

I am tempted to lose 1 in Magic, let Soul be 1 and lose Military Arms and raise Mind to 7.

As Peeta said above, no characteristics should go above 6.

1 Soul is not deadly but you will seem wooden and inflexible to everyone else.

Quote:

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Originally posted by CatInASuit

As Peeta said above, no characteristics should go above 6.

1 Soul is not deadly but you will seem wooden and inflexible to everyone else.

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Sorry, I meant raise to 6. It is a 5 now.

Well lets see, I build and fly Rigid Airships and I am wooden and inflexible and like to think of myself as an adventurer and explorer. Perhaps I can train dogs to obey me. ;)

If the party does not object, I think I will go with Soul = 1. I'll crunch the final numbers tonight once I hear back.

Talking of crunching numbers, I presume the rank and (minor) wealth will come in useful often enough to justify the points. Otherwise I'll adjust the character profile to make it just window-dressing, and spend them on something more useful.

Player Name: Hoopy Frood
Character Name: Toff
Profession: Tea Leaf
Age: 33
Sex: Male

Body [5] (7)
Mind [4] (5)
Soul [3] (3)
Magic [0] (0)

Athlete [6] (1)
Brawling [5] (0)
Detective [5] (1)
Marksman [5] (1)
Melee Weapons [6] (1)
Psychology [5] (1)
Stealth [5] (2)
Thief [6] (3)

If anyone's interested, a page with a reference on Victorian slang can be found here: http://www.tlucretius.net/Sophie/Cas...ian_slang.html . Given my background, my character will probably throw a few of these out on occasion. However, my character history will be written straightforwardly for ease of everyone's reading, and since I'm presenting it as one side of a conversation I'm having with a prospective client who no doubt wouldn't understand a large portion of the slang anyway, my character would naturally be using more proper English anyway (though it will still be using a bit more modern terminology then would be typical for the era).

The scene: A non-descript tavern on London's East Side.

Ah, so the swell finally arrives. Didn't I tell you not to dress so conspicuously? This business arrangement isn't going to last very long if you insist on asking to get yourself killed. If you hadn't noticed, you don't really fit in around these parts. Here, change your coat for this one before you leave. And here's a bag to stash your existing coat in....Unless of course you'd rather leave your coat behind as a charitable contribution. Don't worry about the cost of the other coat, it's all covered under the standard expense fee I charge when your kind has need of my services. You might also want to mess up your perfectly coifed hair a bit. Maybe try to look a bit more disheveled.

I assume your trip was uneventful. You're welcome. Yes, it was because of me that you arrived here safely. I assume my contacts informed you that you would be given safe passage, and I have kept my word, haven't I? What do you mean you didn't see anyone? Of course you didn't! Maybe the circles in which you move are all about showing off how well guarded one is, but around here, if the enemy knows your strengths, they also know your weaknesses. The most dangerous enemy is the one that can't be seen. By not revealing the level of protection my clients and potential clients are afforded, I can control their fates a lot better. After all, you didn't see any protectors, but neither did you see any potential attackers. If clients of mine frequently came to harm, I wouldn't have much of a business now would I?

But where are my manners? Please, sit down. I've chosen a fine table in the back of this fine establishment where we can have some privacy, and also be far away from the door. No, not that seat, that one's mine. Yes, I know your back is going to be to the door, but I assure you, you are perfectly safe here, more-so than I am, actually. Hence, why this chair is mine. Relax, if anyone was going to harm you, they already would have. You have no enemies here, at least none that care who you are. People like you are pretty much viewed all the same in these parts. I on the other hand, run a fairly tight knit operation. And while I doubt any of them would ever make a move against me out of respect, at the same time, it's still survival of the fittest around here, and if someone offers them a better deal, they're unlikely to come to my rescue. So in some ways, my kind and yours aren't all that different. As you can see, I took the liberty of getting you a drink, on the house. It's probably not up to the level of spirits you typically imbibe, but unlike many places around here, The stuff here is actually palatable, won't leave you feeling like a horse kicked you, and has never been known to blind anyone, so it beats most of the other lusheries in these parts. So drink up, and let's get down to business.

Now, you tell me the specifics of what you need, and I'll determine the fee from that. What's wrong? Oh, you're the type who wants to know a bit more about someone before you do business with them. What is it with you people and needing to know everything about everyone at all times even if it doesn't amount to squat and has no bearing on the situation? It's not as if your type ever do anything to change it. But if it speeds this up, I'll humor you, though it's not as if my story is a unique one around these parts. My name as you know doubt already know is Toff. No, I don't want to know your name. First of all, I don't care, second of all, it's safer for both of us if I don't know who you are. And to answer your other question, Toff is indeed not my real name. I really don't know what my real name is, and even if I did, the reasons I wouldn't tell you my real name would be the same as the reasons I don't want to know yours. Anyway, if you stop interrupting me I'll continue. After all, you're the one that insists on these ridiculous pleasantries in the first place. Okay. I spent most of my childhood an orphan. At around 6 or so--at least I think it was 6, one never can be to sure about one's age when one has fallen through the cracks of society. But anyway, around 6 my parents disappeared. I never did find out what happened. One day we were all living in some shanty in Old Nichol Street. Oh, and might I mention, you should be glad I didn't schedule our meeting in that part of town. Even someone of my connections couldn't protect you there. So, one day I discover my parents didn't come home. It was just me there. It didn't many days of them being missing to figure out that something bad must have happened and it was unlikely that I'd see them again. So without many other options, in following a grand tradition stretching back for ages, I joined a gang consisting mostly of fellow orphans of various ages, all working together to increase our odds of actually seeing adulthood. It was either that or try my luck at an orphanage or a workhouse, but as I said, I actually wanted to see adulthood. Very few in my gang had the ambition I did, interestingly enough. While most were content to just beg and steal for food, I actually knew there was more to life. I honed my skills through the years, and began to take side jobs on an individual basis. Some in the gang knew about these jobs, but as long as I kept up with my responsibilities to the gang, they didn't really care. After all, it's not as if I was the only one exploring side opportunities. Additionally, by expanding into other areas, I increased the chances of finding out what happened to my parents. Not that I needed them at this point, but it's still important to know these types of things, don't you agree?

So I developed a network of clients, and as time went on and my reputation improved, so did the level of clientele and the variety of jobs. What started as some simple petty thefts on the side blossomed into everything from grand theft to spying to information brokering to just about any job that requires discretion and secrecy. You might be surprised who I've counted as my clients if I were to tell you, but I guess we'll never know for certain, since I don't ever reveal who's hired me. Just as no one will ever know you hired me. Other than those friends of mine assembled here, but I trust them with my life, and they don't know who you are, so you've got nothing to worry about. Now you might wonder why I'm as well spoken as I am given the standard education level in these parts. Well, let's just say I don't always charge money for my services and you can safely assume that some portion of my clientele has the means to educate me. I've even made enough that I have a modest little abode on the near West side. Nothing like you no doubt have, but a good sight better than what you'll find in this immediate area.

So that's my story. I won't ask you yours because I don't give a toss. Neither do I care why you need my services. You simply tell me what's required, and I'll name my price. Assuming you've been straight with description of the task, the price is largely non-negotiable unless you have a real good reason why I should be flexible. I do require half the cost up front, because I will need some seed money to get things rolling. Also, I need to pay off the people that ensured your trip here was uneventful. The other half of payment is due upon my turning the goods over to you. If I find out that the job was tougher than you describe, the final payment may increase before I deliver the goods. I won't screw you over; you'll have to trust me on that. But assuming you did your research, you already know this.

Now, if you decide not to conduct this business with me, I'll still need some money to pay off the protection I've provided. If not, well, I can't guarantee your safety out of this part of town. I'm a man of my word, and neither I nor any who work for me will harm you, but without payment, they have no incentive to prevent any unaffiliated parties from trying something. You know how it is. One more thing, I don't do assassinations. Death in general is bad for business. If you want someone killed, look somewhere else.

So now that that's all said, what is it you need me to do?

Quote:

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Originally posted by What Exit?

Well lets see, I build and fly Rigid Airships and I am wooden and inflexible and like to think of myself as an adventurer and explorer. Perhaps I can train dogs to obey me. ;)

If the party does not object, I think I will go with Soul = 1. I'll crunch the final numbers tonight once I hear back.

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If you want a Soul of 1 that's fine, but if Ian has to work with Lore (Soul 3) for navigation I can foresee some...interesting personality conflicts there.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Malacandra

Talking of crunching numbers, I presume the rank and (minor) wealth will come in useful often enough to justify the points. Otherwise I'll adjust the character profile to make it just window-dressing, and spend them on something more useful.

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Because this is the only character with that sort of background and he's going to be very useful to me for justifying bringing everyone else together, I'm willing to give you the rank and minor wealth for free.

Right now I have a sheet from everyone who has said they're interested in playing. Once I have all of the sheets finalized, I can start the game. It will likely either be Friday or Monday, as I'm busy all weekend.

I updated mine above. Lore O'Cuinn will probably either need to humor Ian like the asocial misfit Ian is or just treat me as an auto-pilot. Ian would understand that. ;) Odds are he will get along with Captain Neill MacAndrew RE well.

I went with the soul = 1. I will probably be overly confident in most situations and very nervous around women or obnoxious if I think they might be for hire. He will have failed at ever having a meaningful relationship. I'm thinking Ian has a little of Sheldon from BBT and a little Zapp Brannigan from Futurama in the mix. He is good at a lot of things but not great at any. His airship designs are good but not the best. Though he works with a small team to make them better then he would on his own. Perhaps that is how Captain Neill MacAndrew RE knows me.

Malacandra, does that last bit sound reasonable?

Jim, that sounds fine - MacAndrew is more into high explosives and what you might call "civil engineering" but keeps abreast of current trends in science and engineering in general. Perhaps he has some innovative ideas on the use of geodesics in airframe design.

Peeta, thanks. In that case I'll add the following:
BUSINESS [7] cost (1) - The MacAndrew estates are professionally managed these days, but Neill is far too much the canny Scot to put himself in a position where an unscrupulous manager could pull the wool over his eyes.
MELEE WEAPONS [6] cost (1) - Traditionally the clan heir is trained with the claymore, dirk and sgian dubh. Neill carries a set about with his belongings to wear with ceremonial dress, but they are by no means ornaments.

Are we choosing our equipment now as well?

Toff's equipment for the most part is fairly standard. He carries 4 daggers/throwing knives (if you distinguish between the two types, 2 of those are daggers, 2 are throwing knives). He carries a dagger and throwing knife on his belt. Another dagger is concealed in his boot and another throwing knife is hidden in a difficult to find pocket in his cloak. His only other regular weapons are two flash grenades (most likely magnesium based given the technology), two smoke grenades, and two bags of caltrops. (Always want a backup of everything.)

He wears simple clothes, usually leather, hide, and linen.

He also carries a standard set of thieving implements including various lockpicks, a pocket knife, forceps, a set of knitting needles, standard needles, small magnifying glass, small mirror, a couple shims, and a spool of catgut thread (roughly the same size as your standard spool of thread, used for tripwires and such). He also carries a 5 oz flask of gin (it's a disinfectant, a painkiller, an accelerant, and well, it takes the edge off when needed), a pocket lighter, a stick of sealing wax, a small glass vial of opium (he doesn't use it himself but it serves its purposes in other ways), and a small glass vial of acid. Both vials are stoppered and about an ounce in volume.

Additionally, he owns a pocketwatch with a chain. It appears under casual observance and even intense scrutiny by the untrained to be an ordinary Victorian steampunk-style pocketwatch. However, if you turn the winding mechanism a few clicks one-way, and then a few clicks the other-way, and then press on it a few times, and then turn it again a few clicks, etc., the back will pop open to reveal a small compartment that can conceal an item small enough to fit. He enjoys it more for the novelty than anything, since very few things are small enough to fit in there, though. However, he has used it to store the occasional rare coin and potentially incriminating note.

And if you allow this sort of thing (since this is steampunk) he carries a set of 20 pitons that have a small explosive charge in them that allows them to embed themselves in standard rock. (Hard rock such as granite would require a charge that wouldn't be classified as "small".)

He also keeps at home a courier bag containing a few more implements that he only uses when he has a specific reason to need them. His most prized possession is a smallish scoped compound crossbow he was given as payment for a job he did for a well-respected weapon craftsmen. It uses a reliable pulley system to increase the power so that the crossbow is more concealable if he keeps it on his person, at least enough to avoid casual notice. But obviously anyone who is looking for it on him will notice it with little difficulty. The crossbow can fire standard crossbow bolts like any crossbow, but that's not why he has it. The craftsmen designed it with attachments that allow it to fire pretty much any reasonably aerodynamic item, including a grappling hook, pitons, and the occasional grenade or other small round-type object. Also in the bag is 50 ft of rope; a grappling hook; writing materials and paper; and maps of various London neighborhoods that are mostly inaccurate, so that someone unfamiliar with the neighborhood will get more lost than they would if they hadn't had the map in the first place.

And he keeps his house sufficiently secured. That and he's got an arrangement with the local beat cops to pay particularly close attention to anyone else paying particularly close attention to his place. Not all business is about money after all.

You've done this before haven't you Hoopy Frood :D

Peeta, want would you like in terms of character description and equipment?

A brief description of the character in terms of build is fine (the difference between someone thin and tall or short and heavy might be important in game), though more flavor is great for filling in the gaps. Whatever equipment your character is likely to habitually carry would be good for now, and you'll have an opportunity to make some requests IC soon.

As far as build goes, my character's 5'8" and 154 lbs.

Here's my character; thanks to Peeta and What Exit? for their helpful feedback. Bonus points for those who spot all the in-jokes and homages herein:

Franklin "Frank" Boyd
British male, age 35 (b. Sept. 1, 1837)
Body: 5 - 7 points
Mind: 4 - 5 points
Soul: 3 - 3 points
Magic: 0

Skills:
Athlete 8 - 3 point
Brawling 5 - 0 points
Linguist 5 - 1 point (English, Hindi, German)
Marksman 5 - 1 point
Military Arms 9 - 5 point
Stealth 3 - 0 points

Boyd was born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, the only child of solidly middle-class parents. He yearned for glory and adventure from his earliest days. He joined the Royal Marines as soon as he came of age, and the influence of a reclusive family friend secured him a commission as a lieutenant. He received excellent reviews from his superiors and seemed destined for a long and distinguished career.

After several years at sea aboard HMS Implacable, and detached service studying U.S. Navy blockading techniques aboard USS Brattleboro during the American Civil War, he applied for and was assigned to Her Majesty's Imperial Indian Dirigible Service. There, he served aboard HMIID Thoroncir and Cuchulainn, showing great skill and courage, and winning a chestful of medals. Boyd enjoyed life in India, and spent as much time as possible roaming the countryside, hunting, hiking, exploring and learning about the varied native cultures. On his many travels he met the young and pretty Louisa Hunt, daughter of a British expatriate businessman. They fell in love and were married within the year.

When Boyd learned of theft and embezzlement at the Dirigible Service's principal base in Hyderabad, he felt he must personally look into it, as he had doubts as to the integrity and investigative skills of the base's provost marshal. He soon learned that both that officer and the commander of the base, Rear Admiral the Earl of Grantham, were profiting from rampant criminality there. They became aware of his inquiries and soon framed him for their own misdeeds. Boyd was court-martialed and convicted. "By the gracious intervention of His Lordship the Earl, in recognition of Capt. Boyd’s heretofore-spotless record" (as the sealed court-martial file put it) he was spared a prison term and permitted to resign his commission rather than be forced from service in disgrace. Soon afterwards, Louisa died while giving birth to their twin daughters at the base hospital, leaving Boyd devastated. He has come to suspect, but cannot prove, that the Earl may actually have played a role in their deaths.

Grieving and embittered, Boyd left Hyderabad and spent most of the next year drowning his sorrows in alcohol. He served intermittently as a bodyguard for various colonial worthies in Calcutta before realizing that his drinking was threatening to destroy him (he now drinks only on rare occasions). He returned to Great Britain and spent almost a year in virtual seclusion on the windswept Scottish island of Uffa, living off his Marine pension and savings, thinking over what to do with his life but finding few answers.

Boyd made his way to London and did further bodyguard work, including for a particularly clever but paranoid stockbroker, who gave him several useful tips. After some canny investments, Boyd became quite well-off and in time joined the Diogenes Club, which suited his solitary temperament very well. He undertook several confidential and dangerous assignments in London and its environs for a fellow Club member, further improving his bank balance. Recently, his old wanderlust has returned, his spirits have lifted a bit, and he is of a mind to go a-roving once more.

Boyd is of average height, strong and wiry, with hazel eyes, a lean, lined face, dark hair and a full but neatly-trimmed beard. He is a skilled outdoorsman and a crack shot with either pistol or rifle; he can also wield a saber to deadly effect. His experiences in Hyderabad have made him scornful of privilege and aristocracy, giving him decidedly republican sympathies, although he is not a particularly political man. Raised in the Church of England, he is now agnostic. Boyd is friendly but generally quiet, with an air of calm confidence and a wry sense of humor. He loves books and is fond of sweets. He suffers occasionally from sleeplessness when he thinks of his late wife, his lost daughters, and the terrible injustice done to him.

nm - duplicate post

Neill MacAndrew relies on ingenuity rather than a great hoard of personal effects, but he carries about a trunk-load of useful equipment, some of which is small and portable enough to be carried in a writing-case. These include a set of laboratory glassware and instrumentation such as a thermometer, barometer, manometer and micrometer and an assortment of drills, taps and dies, as well as some spools of varnished copper wire suitable for small electrical engineering tasks.

He keeps on his person a small notebook written in fine print containing useful facts and figures, though much of it is committed to memory and MacAndrew can without difficulty recite formulae and procedures for preparing any number of chemicals and explosives from scratch. His pocket chronometer has two sets of hands, one permanently set to Greenwich time and the other to be synchronised with local noon. He prefers to load his own ammunition for his firearms and uses a smokeless powder of his own devising.

Nate has been living out of a set of suitcases for the past few months in rented accomodation as he is keeping fairly quiet about events in the not so distant past.

One large trunk is full of clothes, bits and bobs and everything which is replaceable, one smaller but very fancy and intricate case contains his stage wear, a fine suit, a crystal ball, fine silks, a wand with a crystal in the base, and other accountrements used for carrying out a seance.

A final small leather case contains several books and papers on the occult along with a pack of tarot cards, a pack of normal cards, as well as a personal diary detailing what has happened, what events he has to attend and any insights he may have.

Klara travels with the following:

- a trunk of clothing and toilet items

- a battered and over-stuffed travel desk, containing a large amount of papers and notebooks. This appears to be very disorganized and barely legible to anyone but Klara. Also plenty of pens, inks, and pencils.

- a small collection of mathematical gadgetry, including slide rules and an arithmometer.

Lore is 5' 8" and about 160 lbs.

He carries a bag with him that contains a few changes of clothes and basic toiletries. In addition he usually carries an assortment of writing utensils and navigational tools to supplement what is (hopefully) available on the ships he boards.

He also carries a pistol.

Ian travels lightly most of the time. He would carry a small pistol and cash. When on the job he would have trunks of stuff related to drafting and tools for tinkering and building.

Dr. Lefevre is 5'9" and 140lbs, tending to look a bit taller than he is because of his lanky build. When he travels he has a small trunk for a modest collection of clothing and personal items, as well as a leather medical bag stocked with basic equipment and medicines and four iron darts for throwing.

Among his personal items are several notebooks, pencils, pens and ink, as well as a Super Subminiature Box Camera for taking photographs of animals or unusual physiology.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Elendil's Heir

Body: 5 - 7 points
Mind: 4 - 5 points
Soul: 3 - 3 points
Magic: 0

Skills:
Athlete 8 - 4 point

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Shouldn't this be a 9 (i.e. Body 5 + 4)?

Quote:

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Brawling 6 - 0 points

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And this should be a 5 (I.e. Body 5 + 0)

Quote:

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Stealth 4 - 0 points

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This should be 3 (i.e. Body 5/2 rounded up).

And you've got 26 points figured in. I think you must have modified a few things and didn't update the points correctly.

Thanks, but those are the numbers our GM provided to me. If they need to be corrected, of course I will consent.

Looks to me like Athlete was supposed to have 3 points spent on it and was typoed to 4. Athlete 8 would have the right number of points add up, aside from the error with Brawl and Stealth, which I'd made on my sheet the first time around too.

Crap. I didn't save the PM where I'd sent Elendil's Heir those numbers, but the mistake is definitely mine. Should be:

Body: 5 - 7 points
Mind: 4 - 5 points
Soul: 3 - 3 points
Magic: 0

Skills:
Athlete 8 - 3 point
Brawling 5 - 0 points
Linguist 5 - 1 point (English, Hindi, German)
Marksman 5 - 1 point
Military Arms 9 - 5 point
Stealth 3 - 0 points

Sorry about that.

No problem, and thanks.

What Exit, do you think you could use your Mello powers and paste the correct figures into post 59, above?

Just curious What Exit?, but is it Spenser or Spencer?

Quote:

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Originally posted by Elendil's Heir

No problem, and thanks.

What Exit, do you think you could use your Mello powers and paste the correct figures into post 59, above?

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I've now fixed it for you.

Quote:

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Originally posted by CatInASuit

Just curious What Exit?, but is it Spenser or Spencer?

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Spencer, did I screw it up somewhere already? We know I am extremely prone to spelling mistakes.

I just checked, it looks like I have been consistent. Though Elendil's Heir has it wrong in one post of the game thread. (Which is no big deal I think and not worth an edit.)

My parents would be Lady Louisa Spencer-Churchill & Hon. Robert Spencer, son of Francis Spencer, 1st Baron Churchill. With my birth date of 1841, my mother would have been 21 at the time. This just barely works. This of course differs from actual history but hopefully won't matter to the game.

In your first post in the game thread. Threw me off, but now I see it's spelled with a C elsewhere. :)

Quote:

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Originally posted by Zuul

In your first post in the game thread. Threw me off, but now I see it's spelled with a C elsewhere. :)

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Oh, crap and I got it right in the business card. :lol:

Quote:

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Originally posted by Zuul

I've now fixed it for you.

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Much obliged!

Quote:

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Originally posted by What Exit?

Quote:

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Originally posted by Zuul

In your first post in the game thread. Threw me off, but now I see it's spelled with a C elsewhere. :)

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Oh, crap and I got it right in the business card. :lol:

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It's why I asked.

I'll go and fix it in the other three posts as well then. :)

I have some projects I need to finish up for school, so am going to be spotty here until Monday. However, by Monday morning eastern time (assuming I haven't died from all-nighters) you should expect a massive Beginning of Actual Adventure Post.

And my chimp-like scrawlings to give you a visual idea of what the ship will look like.

Looking forward to it. Roll on the plot.

Hear, hear!

So, Peeta, which of these ladies does Frau Friedrich most resemble?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gX8n3YHxHo...%2Bblucher.jpg

http://ryanfreeman.ca/images/Broomhilde.gif

http://www.webwombat.com.au/entertai...es/austin2.JPG

Or maybe:
http://beforeitsnews.com/ckfinder/us...e_ratched1.jpg

or

http://www.missfidget.com/wp-content...Miss-Gulch.jpg

:)

Quote:

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Originally posted by Orual

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gX8n3YHxHo...%2Bblucher.jpg

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"YES. YES. Say it. He vas my... BOYFRIEND!"

Quote:

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Originally posted by What Exit?

Or maybe:
http://beforeitsnews.com/ckfinder/us...e_ratched1.jpg

:)

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I didn't know this picture, but I just knew it had to be Nurse Ratched even before I checked the url...

Please let me know if I am playing Ian Spencer too annoying. I'm just trying to establish the character for now.

I find him pretty entertaining so far. :)

Me too. Keep it up!

Has anyone heard from Peeta at all? It looks like he hasn't been back here since the 9th ...

Well this could be the shortest game ever.

Rabbit and I just poked Peeta off-board. I'll try contacting him again to drag him back to us.

Quote:

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Originally posted by What Exit?

Well this could be the shortest game ever.

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No. I think that was the Spirit of the Century that Omi on the Dope was running. It never even started. Which was a shame, I had a really fun character.

I have been suitably (and semi-publicly) shamed. :fail:

Now I'll try to kill y'all in apology.

We won't be nearly so happy you've returned if you try that.

I see you're in charge again, Malacandra. :p

Just don't expect MacAndrew (who was meant to be The Spock, not The Kirk) to be as charismatic a leader as Gil-Gandel. :D

Sadly, for the most part we're a pretty uncharismatic bunch. Nate and "Raoul" have the highest Soul ratings. God help us all. :D

Ian just wishes that Polka music was already invented. That is how much soul he has.

Quote:

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Originally posted by What Exit?

Ian just wishes that Polka music was already invented. That is how much soul he has.

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Clearly he hasn't been to Central Europe. :D

Elendil's Heir, you're correct about SOS. And I see its predecessor CQD wasn't being used at this time either. We'll use the historically accurate HELP from here on out.

Just to clarify, the First Mate answers only to the Captain and is in charge of the ship's safety. After him come our Navigator, Pilot, and Engineer. None of the other characters were given specific duties regarding the operation or defense of the Cassowary. They can assist, but there is a chain of command in place.

I was just informed that Lore's stats didn't get posted here. For reference:

Player Name: RabbitMage
Character Name: Lore O'Cuinn
Profession: Airship Crewman
Age: 25
Sex: Male
BODY [5] - 7 points
MIND [4] - 5 points
SOUL [3] - 3 points
MAGIC [0] - 0 points

Athlete [6] - 1 point
Brawling [5] - 0 points
Driving [6] - 1 point
First Aid [5] - 1 point
Linguist [5] - 1 point [French, Spanish, German, plus native fluency]
Marksman [5] - 1 point
Mechanic [5] - 1 point
Melee Weapon [6] - 1 point
Morse Code [5] - 1 point
Pilot [4] - 1 point
Stealth [3] - 0 points
Thief [4] - 1 point

Ah, I was looking for someone with Morse earlier.

Code:

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. _.._ _._. . ._.. ._.. . _. _

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!

Quote:

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Originally posted by Peeta Mellark

Just to clarify, the First Mate answers only to the Captain and is in charge of the ship's safety. After him come our Navigator, Pilot, and Engineer. None of the other characters were given specific duties regarding the operation or defense of the Cassowary. They can assist, but there is a chain of command in place.

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He was assigned 'security of the ship'. So I take it that position has no bearing, then? Fair enough. I took it to mean he had some right to declare positions are taken... in defense of the ship. Entirely my mistake.

But eh. When confronted about it later, he had no intention of pulling rank anyway.

Security. Not ship defense:

Quote:

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For the duration of this mission, I will put MacAndrew in command with Boyd as the ship's first mate. I expect your skill with artillery should serve well for protecting my ship, Mr Boyd. O'Cuinn of course will navigate with Spencer piloting and Fraulein Weber maintaining the Babbage engine. The rest of you have little to do until you reach the ground, unless something should go wrong. Mr Smythe will manage the security and safety of our little crew here.

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I'd assumed that the duties I'd listed were clear, but since they weren't I wanted to clarify. That's all. It'll also be important to know the chain of command if something happens to someone or there are separations.

Yep. I got it now. I'm in charge of personnel security, not ship security, which is the First Mate. :)

I did not realize just how many German speakers there were in this group until this latest update. Convenient for the setting of the first adventure!

I got to meet Marcus Rowland at a convention over the weekend :D

Any chance of an update, Peeta

Sorry guys. I'm turning out to have less time than I thought I would so things are slow-going. I'm going to make an effort to set aside a little more internet time this coming week.

Bump for GM Update please.

Anyone interested in blimps, zeppelins and dirigibles will want to see the current issue of Naval History magazine, which features several articles: http://www.usni.org/magazines/navalhistory

Thanks for the link, EH.

Thanks for the link, EH. I'll definitely want to check that out. I've found myself developing quite an interest in airships!

Hey Peeta, don't leave us stuck in Margate.

Or Limbo. Limbo is no fun, either.

I'm very apathetic about apathy.

And I've contacted Peeta as well. Hoping to see him around here soon.