Her Majesty's other secret service OOC. 2E MnM

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Poodle
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Re: Her Majesty's other secret service OOC.

Post by Poodle »

Critiques are pace (too fast), environment (not enougb detail, characters not getting enough chance to shine, not enough clues (which respectfully I dispute), not using the OOC thread enough, too much prejudice against the woman, although I disagree I am happy to tone it down and not enough opportunities for roleplaying.

Roleplaying between characters is up to you, unless it becomes nasty then I step in. Pace, detail, and OOC thread I can change, even style of game. Let me know what you want.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination circles the world. -Albert Einstein.
Spectrum
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Re: Her Majesty's other secret service OOC.

Post by Spectrum »

Discuss GM/player expectations when it comes to dice
Put a signature on the top of your posts as a common courtesy.
If you're going to post two lines consider it posting diarrhea and not worthy of consideration.
That being said, actually READ what the other players are saying.
We rise from the ashes so that new legends can be born.
Spectrum
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Re: Her Majesty's other secret service OOC.

Post by Spectrum »

Explain the world in better terms so that some characters aren't repeatedly surprised by things that they should already be aware of.

Provide better (any) detail on clues so that they aren't just casually dismissed.
We rise from the ashes so that new legends can be born.
Spectrum
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Re: Her Majesty's other secret service OOC.

Post by Spectrum »

GM summary posts to make sure that we're all on the same page and to help make sure that things aren't just ignored.
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Spectrum
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Re: Her Majesty's other secret service OOC.

Post by Spectrum »

"They were attacked by animals."

"OOookay. A bear? A whale? A mongoose? Or are you just a pompous rich idiot that either doesn't know what questions to ask or don't want to give us basic information to do our jobs?"

And oh hey, might be worth mentioning that large scale preservation magics exist? You might have encountered one in a tomb? Rather than having people think that you're leaving good Christian souls out to rot and then expecting semi-innocents to step into the rotting stench? For who knows how many days at a time?
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Spectrum
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Re: Her Majesty's other secret service OOC.

Post by Spectrum »

Have requested dice rolls actually kinda vaguely fit what is on the character sheet you prepared for me?
We rise from the ashes so that new legends can be born.
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Poodle
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Re: Her Majesty's other secret service OOC.

Post by Poodle »

GM.

Ok..
Attacked by animals..that is what he knew. That is why he is sending an investigative team to find out what sort. Ok, not whales. I will endeavour to be descriptive yet concise.

As for skills required or rolls necessary, look at your character sheet and when you are in a situation see what would apply. Obviously for combat I am gonna tell you what you need to roll but I am not going to keep track of that for you, or your feats or relevant powers. I trust you to have enough initiative to do that for yourself.
You are in a big warehouse, with a drydock in it.
You could have suggested local knowledge, history, engineering, knowledge:military to know more about tbe officer and his units, woidworking condition of boat, search to check out the warehouse inside and out, arcane lore, languages to recognise words or symbols, disable device tor stealth to work out how someone could get in, geography to identify the flag of the ship, etc etc... The fact that some skills are untrained makes that a little unrealistic. I will suggest the obvious ones but I am not going to track everybodies' character sheet to tell them what they could roll. This is not anyone's first rodeo (except for me as GM}.

"can I make an occult roll to see if this is something I am familiar with?"
"sure." works for me.

If two lines is diarhoea and you want more descriptions. Which one is it? I will endeavour to meet this criteria.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination circles the world. -Albert Einstein.
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Poodle
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Re: Her Majesty's other secret service OOC.

Post by Poodle »

GM

@nowhereman2
Lady Elizabeth is not hated. She is just not understood. So far yourr character has had a patron and an exemplary education. One military victorian officer is confused by the anomoly that you represent and has no experience with how to deal witb a woman like you. Hatred seems a harsh description.

Not that I need to defend his actions...
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination circles the world. -Albert Einstein.
Spectrum
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Re: Her Majesty's other secret service OOC.

Post by Spectrum »

One of the issues with mysteries is that we as investigators are supposed look for every important detail and try to understand the use of it.

Part of being a player is trying to evaluate a GM for excusable plotholes and aiming towards proper ways of judging our level of suspicion.

I mean, if you really want, I can tear into every detail of the game rooting for hints. You probably really don't want us to do that.
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Poodle
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Re: Her Majesty's other secret service OOC.

Post by Poodle »

Spectrum wrote: Tue Sep 10, 2019 12:49 am One of the issues with mysteries is that we as investigators are supposed look for every important detail and try to understand the use of it.

Part of being a player is trying to evaluate a GM for excusable plotholes and aiming towards proper ways of judging our level of suspicion.

I mean, if you really want, I can tear into every detail of the game rooting for hints. You probably really don't want us to do that.
I didn't think I had made the clues too obscure. You are welcome to root away. I am flying by the seat of my pants so there will be plotholes or at least events I haven't etched in great detailas there are in every game that involves superheroes.

If you want to know more about the world than the details I have already given just ask. :D I will make something up for you.
If it helps think of the world as a steampunk version of shadowrun (if you have played that). The various races (and I haven't spelled out every specific race of faerie because there are so many in literature and I couldn't be arsed) have reached an uneasy balance although the world is unashamedly humanocentric due to numbers of humans and modern technology. The other races are less comfortable with steam power and it's like. I have identified more common ones. The history of the world is basically the same, except that there is magic and steam power. You would think that would upset the balance but it hasn't. The same nations have the same level of power. Magic is not an everyday item, in the same way that most people did not have flushing toilets, telephones, carriages or electric lighting, although the wealthy and the military did.

Britannia and allies are still engaged in the second Boer war.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination circles the world. -Albert Einstein.
Flynnarrel
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Re: Her Majesty's other secret service OOC.

Post by Flynnarrel »

Poodle, I assumed you're new to play-by-post GMing, I was giving you a lot of slack. I messed up a few things the times I tried my hand at GM-ing. And you did nothing too bad in any case. Missed some posts? Sure. Rushing to get to the meat of a story you're excited about? Forgivable. Leaving details a bit sparse? Well, as you point out, you're not sure where the PCs are going to shine a spotlight or what skills they're going to choose to engage and we always had the option to ask clarifying questions.

Spectrum, you've been around a while so I was surprised you dealt with your frustrations with bitter, initially-unproductive complaints and rage-quitting. That's hard to respect. If you have trouble with the system or are lacking for a way your character can mechanically interact with the scene just ask. It would help if you posted a character sheet, and a background would be nice. I don't have a 'sense' of Manchester at all. If you want RP, make RP happen.
Here's what I know/surmise about Manchester:
After hearing that we, the PCs, are asked to investigate 'animal' attacks on a ship he listed off possible aquatic threats [ok, world-building, cool, showing a person who knows this stuff], then he demanded castings and drawings, [umm... maybe someone who wants the work done for him(?), likes to know facts before getting into a situation(?)]. He's quietly sexist and racist [OK, he's a product of his time, opportunity for growth there]. When we arrive on scene takes out spectacles to examine the spell set up, [no roll given so maybe has Skill Mastery with Magical Lore, expert opinion or faking it at least], reinforces Elizabeth's authority [nice gesture even if anti-authoritarian root motivations]. And... that's it. Potentially good start but you haven't posted much for it being a five-page IC thread. So your dissatisfaction came out of left field for me, I just thought you were getting a slow start. In light of all this I'm still baffled and rankled by the "no RP" comment (though I thank you for your apology).


I don't mind two sentence posts. Sometimes a character has nothing to add to a scene but a quick in character post about the character fidgeting awkwardly or looming in the background let's me know the player is still invested and reading the game. And sometimes I'm checking a thread on break at work and don't have time to channel my inner-Shakespeare for a lengthy post. Or sometimes a question or clarification doesn't need a long answer.


Poodle, thank you for your summaries.

Now that the field around the boat is down even before going in we can check it externally for damage to see if there was an external cause for the ship crashing. There probably wasn't but at least we can check. We can also look for and scratch or talon marks of something climbing aboard the ship from outside. I'm sure there are things that I'm not thinking of that we can check. Be aware though that our characters are smarter than we are and actually live in this world so reserve the right to ask if our characters would think of avenues to explore that we aren't. For example, my assumption was that such preservation magic was uncommon but that this was special dispensation given the unique nature of this situation. I realize I could have checked that assumption but surmised if it were really relevant (or odd) you would have pointed it out.

One more thing, in the real world I have only to turn on the news to see rampant sexism and racism, I play games in my leisure time to get away from that. Some is okay, try not to go overboard please. Certainly don't walk on egg shells about it, I won't break or be traumatized or anything. It's distasteful (as it's supposed to be), so don't rub it too much in people's faces. (Which has not really happened so far, much).

Can we get past this and game, please?
"Something pithy this way comes."
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Poodle
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Re: Her Majesty's other secret service OOC.

Post by Poodle »

sure...I tend to go by the premise though that if you don't ask about something you are not interested in it otherwise I end up asking for rolls for everything and that gets tedious.
As for the outside of the ship feel free to make a search roll to find clues about whether it is scratched unnaturally, or damaged in any way not consistent with being left to run aground.
As for the magic maybe someone with arcane lore (hint hint) could determine more about it although details were already given earlier on in the story.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination circles the world. -Albert Einstein.
Spectrum
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Re: Her Majesty's other secret service OOC.

Post by Spectrum »

Poodle wrote: Sun Aug 25, 2019 1:31 am Image

Manchester Merriweather (PL 5) - Player Spectrum 105pp HP 3

Trade-offs: Level for PP -1 level/+15PP

In Brief: Indiana Jones with special abilities
Catchphrase: What about my comission
Birthplace: Shropshire
Base of Operations: London Museum of Antiquities
Occupation: Archaeologist/ Burglar

History
Phillip Jebediah Merriweather decided that Antiquities were the field of Endeavour that he wanted to get into. He found it fascinating digging up the ruins of the past. What he found especially fascinating was the enormous amount of money collectors would pay him for his finds. The British Museum decided to retain his somewhat unorthodox services to enable them to increase their collection. He is smart, cunning and has picked up a few incantations and spells along the way.

Abilities 0+8+4+6+4+2=24PP
Strength 10 (+0)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con 14 (+2)
Int 16 (+3)
Wis 14 (+2)
Char 12 (+1)

Combat: 8 (2PP / Base Attack) + 10(2PP / Base Defense) = 18PP
Initiative: +4
Attack: +6Melee, +6 (Webley Revolver)+4 Ranged Defense: +5 (+5 Base), +3 Flat-Footed

Grapple: +6
Knockback: -3


Saving Throws: 2 (1PP / Fortitude) + 3 (1PP / Reflex) + 2 (1PP / Will) = 7PP
Toughness: +5 (+2 Con, +3 [Protection 1, Defensive Roll2])
Fortitude: +2 (+2 Con, +2)
Reflex: +7 (+4 Dex, +3)
Will: +4 (+2 Wis, +2)


Skills: 124R = 31PP (1PP = 4 Skill ranks)
Acrobatics 8 (+12)
Bluff 4 (+5)
Climb 8 (+8)
Disable device 11 (+14)
Escape artist 9 (+13)
Handle animal 4 (+5)
Investigate 8 (+11)
Knowledge Arcane 8 (+11)
Knowledge History 8 (+11)
Knowledge Theology and Philosophy 8 (+11)
Languages English, Arabic, Aramaic, Egyption, Italian, German, Hebrew, Latin, Russian
Medicine 4(+7)
Notice 8 (+10)
Professsion [Archaeologist] 4 (+6)Ride 4 (+8)
Search 8(+11)
Stealth 8 (+12)
Survival 4 (+6)
Swim 4 (+6)


Feats: 12PP
Acrobatic Bluff
Attack Focus 2 [Melee]
Attack Specialisation 1 [Revolver]
Defensive Roll 2
Equipment 3
Improvised tools
Second Chance [Triggering traps]
Skill Mastery; Acrobatics, Medicine, Disable Device,Stealth.

Equipment: 3PP = 15EP
Leather Jacket (Protection 1)[1EP]
Rope [1EP]
Sword Cane (Damage 3 [Feats: Improved Critical 1, Subtle] [5EP]
Webley Revolver (Damage 4) [8 EP]

Powers
Magic 5 ("Tricks of the trade", Feats Alternative Powers 3)(13PP)
Base Power: Supermovement 5 ("Kiss of the monkey god", Slow Fall, Swinging, Sure-Footed, WallCrawling 2) {10/10PP}
Alternative Power: Heal 10 {10PP}
Alternative Power: Concealment 9 [All Senses (Flaws: Blending (-1), Feat: Close Range) {9PP}
Alternative Power: Mental Transform 5 [Change targets memories and recollections] (Extra: Duration +1 [Continuous]
Totals: Abilities (24) + Combat (18) + Saving Throws (7) + Skills (31) + Feats (12) + Powers (13) - Drawbacks (0) =105/105) Power Points
We rise from the ashes so that new legends can be born.
Spectrum
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Re: Her Majesty's other secret service OOC.

Post by Spectrum »

Flynn- you're right. As an experienced player, I should have read the signs better and not started the game. Poodle was just so cute! that I didn't listen to my instincts.

That being said. Please, keep playing the game! Just because I'm pulling out is absolutely no reason for you guys to stop having fun and enjoying the adventure. :)
We rise from the ashes so that new legends can be born.
Flynnarrel
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Re: Her Majesty's other secret service OOC.

Post by Flynnarrel »

Still quitting, it seems. Okay, sorry to see you go.

Poodle, can you continue with three - Hob, Iggy, Elizabeth?

Nowhereman and Pathfinder, do you want to continue?
"Something pithy this way comes."
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