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Dantius

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  • Birthday 03/31/1970

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Easygoing Eyebeast

Easygoing Eyebeast (14/17)

  1. Right! More or less everyone has finished up with characters/backstories/inventories, so let's schedule our first actual session then: http://whenisgood.net/autcaesarsession1
  2. Reminder! Session 0 will start in 3.5 hours from now in the AIM chat room spidwebRP. It'll probably be the same deal as Sy did for her first session- we'll go over the system, build characters, discuss backgrounds, etc.
  3. Well, everybody has picked their role, and you all got your first choice (yay!). Apologies for the delay- I had to travel suddenly over the weekend and didn't have a chance to get this out earlier. You should each be getting more detailed role sheets via PM within the hour. Now, on to mechanics and character creation: [spoileralt Mechanics]The play of the game is pretty much straightforward AIMhack mechanics, which you can read about on Ephesos' website. I've changed some things around, though, mainly to do with skills and character creation. The revised character creation instructions are below: All stats start at 1, and you begin with 10 stat points to be distributed as you please- each level in a stat costs 1 stat point. Stats represent your innate ability to accomplish things, and form the base modifier for rolls, as well as being the basis for derived attributes like health and stamina. After you’ve picked your stats, you then purchase skills with 30 skill points. Purchasing the k-th level in a skill requires k skill points- so moving from level 0 to 1 requires 1 point, 4 to 5 requires 5, etc. Each skill represents your ability to accomplish a task in a given field, and all receive bonuses from Int unless otherwise indicated. All skills range from 0 to 10: a 0 is totally unskilled, a 2 is somebody with elementary training, a 4 is a competent practitioner, a 6 is a trained and experienced hand, an 8 is an expert with widespread accolades, and a 10 is a galaxy-renowned master. Note that a 0 in a skill unable to roll for that skill at all, and a 10 is famous enough in their field to be recognizable to others with that skill. Then, pick your inventory and write your backstory. This is all up to you, though I’ll provide feedback and offer you the chance to change things around before each arc starts. Finally, you will receive a perk known to other players based on that particular character’s publicly available backstory, and some form of further assistance (be it items, extra skill points, additional perks, knowledge, etc.) based on your secret role that is not revealed initially. Primary Stats: Strength: Lift, punch, kick, take damage, increase stamina. Dexterity: Run, jump, dodge, aim, and shoot. Intelligence: Think, plan, calculate, memorize, and maneuver. Derived Attributes: Health: Equals 10 + 2*[str]. When you reach 0 health, you are crippled and begin to bleed stamina. If you fall unconscious while bleeding out, you die. Speed: Equals 5 + [Dex]/2. Represents roughly how fast you can move, in m/s. Stamina: Equals 10 + [str]/2 + [Dex]/2. You can spend a stamina to gain a +1 to any active roll. When you reach 0 stamina, you fall unconscious. Skills: Combat (Small Arms): Pistols, SMG’s, light assault rifles, short-barreled rifles, etc. (Dex) Combat (Heavy Arms): Battle rifles, sniper rifles, heavy machine guns, etc. (Dex) Combat (Exotic Arms): Antitank rifles, missile launchers, rare or powerful weapons, etc. (Dex/Str) Combat (Melee): Hand-to-hand, knives, batons, etc. (Str) Knowledge: Know things in a field (common knowledge needs no rolls). Examples of things each field would know are below: Computers: Hacking, programming, information retrieval. Electronics: Hardware, systems, item repair. Biology: Biochemistry, genetics, bioimplantation. Chemistry: Reactions, analytical chemistry, chemical synthesis. Physics: Slipspace drives, plasma physics, nuclear reactions. Mathematics: Slipspace navigation, cryptography, modelling. Engineering: Structures, manufacturing, mechanics. History: Historical events, battles, diplomacy and treaties. Current Events: Economics, major political figures, current laws. Academic: Liberal arts, linguistics, literature. Gives bonus to other trained Knowledge rolls. Medicine: Triage patients, act as field medic, perform surgery, diagnose illnesses. Stealth: Perform actions undetected, hide, pickpocket, move silently. (Dex) Diplomacy: Persuade, cajole, and negotiate with others. Coercion: Threaten, blackmail, or bribe others. Strategy: Military strategy, tactics, and logistics. Piloting: Effectively maneuver spaceships, aircars, and tanks, among others. Perception: Hear, smell, see, taste, feel things others miss. Survival: Survive and thrive in hostile environments (jungles, desert, space). (Str) Streetwise: Survive and thrive in the megacities, slums, and arcologies. Combat: Each round in combat you have 2 actions. An example of an action would be moving, using an item in your inventory, firing a weapon, or interacting with the surroundings. Rolls: There are three types of actions. First is a “simple” action. You announce this action in the chat, roll a die, and compare [roll] + [relevant stat] + [relevant skill] + [other bonuses] to the DC. The second is a “careful” action- the equivalent of “taking 10”. This is still announced in the chat, but instead of rolling you receive at flat 10 and it takes you roughly twice as long as a simple action. You compare 10 + [relevant stat] + [relevant skill] + [other bonuses] to the DC. The final action is a “stealth” action. This is done via PM, and you compare 5 + [stealth] + [relevant stat] + [relevant skill] + [other bonuses] to the DC, and other players will not know what you have done or have a chance to react unless there is immediate and obvious impact (eg, you stealth draw and fire upon someone).[/spoileralt] And finally, the first scenario we will be playing through (I think roughly 4 sessions should cover this one): [spoileralt Part I: The Black Armada]There have been many unforeseen consequences of the end of the war- among them the resurgence in piracy and smuggling along the Empire-Suzerainty border. Until recently, both nations were content to ignore this, on the theory that it hurt the other side more. That illusion was shattered when a vast pirate fleet of hundreds of ships emerged from nowhere, and seized the Nexus Link- the most important slipspace route between Neoterra and Arcturus. Calling themselves the Black Armada, they proclaimed the territory their property, and demanded all passing ships pay tribute or be destroyed. The official reaction was swift- in under an hour, the Deputy Assistant Undersecretary to the Imperial Defense Minister, Piracy Operations (First Quadrant) [DAUSIDM-PO-1Q] issued a press release blandly promising “near-term inter-agency and multinational cooperation to deal with the emerging situation in the region”. Grand Admiral Third Class Dassan Ket of the Central Fleet more colorfully remarked “[censored] pirates, who the [censored] do they think they are? If they [censored] think that they can just [censored] [censored] our [censored] slipspace routes, they’re in for a [censored] [censored], even if I have to [censored] Imp [censored] to do it.” Within a week, large fleets from both powers had bottled off their ends of the route in preparation for an offensive to retake the region. You are a group of mercenaries assembled by the Empire to conduct a preliminary scouting of the region, in order to gather intelligence for the attack itself. Your given task is threefold: Identify major Armada targets, bases, and supply lines for retaliation. Obtain actionable intelligence on the Armada itself- structure, membership, backers, etc. If possible, rescue an Imperial trade delegation that was in the region when the attack occurred.[/spoileralt] Prepare your characters and backstories/cover stories accordingly, and PM them to me at your leisure (but before Session 1). EDITS: [spoileralt Edits] Some stuff I forgot/clarified elsewhere and am posting here for full disclosure: Knowledge(Academics) will give a +1 to any trained Knowledge rolls for every two ranks in it you have. So a +4 in Physics, +2 in Academics becomes +5 in Physics, but is still +0 (can't roll) in Biology. For items, weapons have three types: Kinetic (bullets), Plasma (encapsulated plasma), and laser (directed energy). Plasma is strong against armor and weak against shields, Kinetic is strong against shields and weak against armor, and Laser is strong against both but does much less damage. All fractional skills are rounded DOWN. Most DC's will be multiples of 5, because I am lazy. If you have +4 or under to a roll, that basically means you have to either roll or spend a stamina to have a chance of succeeding- taking 10 will do nothing except in the most trivial of cases.[/spoileralt]
  4. Ok, last call for any interested parties to fill out the calendar. It's looking like the session will be at 3:00 PM CST on Wednesday 24 June. Unless there are any objections to this by the players, I'm going to send out secret roles tomorrow, and once those are claimed we'll start with character creation. In the meantime, feel free to browse some entries I excerpted from my copy of the Imperial Intelligence Agency Galactic Factbook and familiarize yourself with the factions. Really you just need to skim it, since everything posted will be common knowledge you won't have to roll for, but it could come in handy later on (cough, cough).
  5. Okay, it seems like there's enough interest here and elsewhere to move forward, so- hey look! It's a calendar! Fill out the timeslots where you will be available to play (even if you haven't posted in the thread, cough cough), and we'll see what session times look good. Once we get a date nailed down, I'll post character creation instructions and background, and we'll get this ball rolling.
  6. I filled out the calendar and now posted in your thread, so it looks slightly less lonely now.
  7. Apparantly the Same Page Tool is becoming popular here now! That sounds like a useful thing. Here's the one for this campaign:
  8. Yes. Once the players are picked and the characters created, I'd set up a calendar on whenisgood to determine a 3-4 hour block where we would all be online at once for a session, and we'd have a group chat during which the session itself would actually take place.
  9. It's basically a streamlined D&D played over a web-based chat software. You describe actions, roll dice, and the DM (me) determines the outcome. It's straight AIMhack with the skill names changed, played in the spidwebRP room via AIM as God (i.e. Ephesos) intended.
  10. The galaxy is in a delicate state. The long wars of Imperatrix Odeana, that devastated the Galactic Rim and nearly bankrupted the empire, have come to a close. Her son, Imperator Karaj, has brokered a controversial peace between the Empire and the Suzerain of the Rim, and has enacted sweeping reforms intended to restore the Empire to its former greatness. Meanwhile, the brilliant scientists of the Arcadian Free States are entering into alliances with the secretive and devout Coalition. Smuggling, piracy, and even slavery have returned with a vengeance, and rumors swirl of deranged death cults, powerful AI, and mysterious alien artifacts. In such a complex and unstable situation, even the smallest action can have dramatic impacts. You, and your allies, have this once chance to finally cement your place in galactic history… forever. __________ This is, basically, a scifi AIMhack campaign with a twist. Before the campaign begins, each of you will select a campaign goal. These goals are ambitious: to win, you may need to assassinate leaders, start wars, execute coups, build alliances, and carefully manipulate galactic affairs. Four goals are drawn from nationalist perspectives: you must successfully defend or advance the interest of one of the four major powers. Four goals are multipolar in nature: you must successfully accomplish a goal involving multiple powers at once, but are not affiliated with any nation in particular. Finally, four are alternative goals: they require something different entirely to succeed. The campaign itself will consist of a set of 3-5 interrelated vignettes, each roughly 2-4 sessions, for a total of 10-15 sessions. After each vignette is complete, you will have a chance to level-up (if you survived!), create a new character, reequip your inventory, and perform any needed political maneuvering in the galaxy at large- this will be done via PM with me. Characters who survive will become more powerful, but each vignette can be very different, and you should think carefully about what approach is needed to succeed in each. At the end of the campaign, I will reveal each player’s goals and announce if they achieved them or not. There is a wide set of goals: many can be achieved at once. Some goals are natural allies who will only benefit by working together. Some can be circumstantial allies or enemies, cooperating on some things and defecting on others. Some are implacable enemies: one’s success necessarily implies the other’s defeat. In expectation, roughly half of you will win and half will lose, though it is possible for everyone to win or everyone to fail. Also, some general differences: This will not be a primarily combat-focused campaign- though different arcs may feature more or less combat. Any character with skills well-suited to the situation will be able to do well. However, no combat doesn’t mean no deaths. Your objective is to accomplish the goal you set out with, and if your current character has to take one for the team, or even frag some other PC, well, such is life in the future. Think of this as Game of Thrones *in space*. __________ Anyways, right now I’m primarily gauging interest, so please post below if you’re interested in joining. If there’s sufficient interest (right now I’m shooting for 6-8 players), then we’ll move forwards and I'll post more background, character creation instructions, etc. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, either here via PM or on Calref chat.
  11. I would always stop to kill the new arrivals and summons first, since initially he could barely hit me and I figured he wasn't a threat. Whoops.
  12. But on a more serious note' date=' I had some problems because I was a wizard with low HP and enormous resistances, but for some reason his spells by the end of the fight could bypass my wards, so he cound cast Arcane Blow and do ~200 damage to me even [i']with[/i] an Invulnerability potion and all buffs active. The first few times I fought him, he would do this twice in a turn and kill me and I had to reload. Annoying, but I got him on the fourth try or so.
  13. Dantius

    Europe

    Well, the first shots have been fired on each side. Greece's plan is to convert around 10% of their debt into interest-only perpetual bonds, another 40% into GDP warrants that only pay interest if the country is growing at a certain rate, and leave the remaining 50% as-is. The ECB has countered by eliminating their waiver and is now refusing to accept Greek government debt as lending collateral, meaning that if Greek banks wish to borrow from them, they must do so via unsecured loans charging 1.55% instead of secured loans at 0.05%. Both of these moves seem quite reasonable- perpetual financing was a staple of high-debt governments like Britain, and they managed to come out fine; and I certainly wouldn't feel comfortable lending somebody money for free with only Greek bonds as collateral. Events are obviously still developing, but it's looking like both sides are tying quite hard to not blow up Europe only to reach an agreement at the last possible second like they did in 2011. Good job everyone, you both win round 1.
  14. Well, North America and Brazil never were the real prizes, which is why everybody was so eager to get rid of them (or, at least, not fight to their last gasps over it). The really valuable bits were the East and West Indies, or what we'd now call the Caribbean and Indonesia, because then you could get spices, sugar, cocoa, coffee, indigo, and that basically gave you license to print money in Europe. It's hard to get a sense of just how important that was today- the Dutch East India company, which had a monopoly on spices in the East indies (duh) would have had an adjusted market cap of $7.5 trillion dollars today. That's half the entire annual output of the US, or the entire stock market of Japan plus the entire stock market of China, or all the gold that's ever existed plus all the silver that's ever existed- and that's for just a few measly islands in Indonesia. You'd better believe the Europeans would keep trying until they ran out of men given that's how big the prize was.
  15. There's no possible way they could have. The Europeans could efficently project force into America/oceania via the sea, and the natives couldn't correspondingly threaten Europe without a navy. The resources that were at stake (spices in Oceania, gold/silver in the New World) were sufficently valuable that even had the natives been able to repel the invaders before a beached had been established, the Europeans would have simply kept trying until the natives were overwhelmed. Really the only plausible counterfactual that you can think of where Europe doesn't end up ruling the world is if all the nasty diseases are in the Americas and are carried to Europe instead of the other way around, but that wasn't the case, and you could make the argument that pre-modern Europe would be economically helped by a large plague like it was post-Black Death (redistributed land, labor becomes more valuable, real GDP per head goes way up, etc.).
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