[OOC] MnM 3e - Hunter the Reckoning

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Sakuro
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Re: MnM 3e - Hunter the Reckoning [Recruiting 4, ends April 14]

Post by Sakuro »

jmucchiello wrote:Uncanny dodge can also just be situational awareness.
I get that. It is something I am on the fence about. In the end I feel that you need to be both aware, and physically able to prepare yourself. Blane has the situational awareness half covered with his well above average Awareness and Perception. But not the physical half. Not with a negative to an Ability like Dexterity. The character needs to be penalized for this.

Concerning Angela, the concept, build, and background are solid. For her "Doing Good" Complication, I would like to know why she is motivated to do good. Having a name that means "Messenger of God" doesn't make a person want to do good. Does she feel she has a responsibility or duty to act a certain way? What is "good" in Angela's mind?

Also note that while I am alright with you describing the background, occupation, and general personality of Angela's boyfriend I will be deciding how they react to things that go on in the world. Huey may end up seeing Angela as having become mentally unstable if she starts talking about seeing monsters. If she implies that she has killed someone, and he finds bloody clothes in your apartment, he might call the cops.
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Re: MnM 3e - Hunter the Reckoning [Recruiting 4, ends April 14]

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

I'm fine with his intelect being as high as It is, he's meant to be more of an "expert" character anyway then a primary fighter. He's not an arrogant man even though remains aware of his genius. His natural calm demeanor means he's not about to start bragging or sporting unnecessary scientific jargon.
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Re: MnM 3e - Hunter the Reckoning [Recruiting 4, ends April 14]

Post by Spectrum »

What is the business situation in the setting? Any major industries? Anything interesting?
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Re: MnM 3e - Hunter the Reckoning [Recruiting 4, ends April 14]

Post by Spectrum »

And to throw this out there, what do you think about a Falling Down inspired concept?
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Re: MnM 3e - Hunter the Reckoning [Recruiting 4, ends April 14]

Post by Flynnarrel »

Sakuro wrote: Wed Apr 08, 2020 6:35 pm
jmucchiello wrote:Uncanny dodge can also just be situational awareness.
I get that. It is something I am on the fence about. In the end I feel that you need to be both aware, and physically able to prepare yourself. Blane has the situational awareness half covered with his well above average Awareness and Perception. But not the physical half. Not with a negative to an Ability like Dexterity. The character needs to be penalized for this.
The character is already being penalized by being worse in Ranged situations and vehicle operation and any other instance where you call for a Dex check. Are further penalties of reduced access to advantages needed?
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Re: MnM 3e - Hunter the Reckoning [Recruiting 4, ends April 14]

Post by Sakuro »

Flynnarrel wrote:Are further penalties of reduced access to advantages needed?
Flynarrel, you have chosen to give your character a disadvantage in return for getting some extra PP to work with. I am telling you that their having this disadvantage means they do not qualify for the Uncanny Dodge Advantage. You do not get to have it both ways. Please either remove Uncanny Dodge or increase Blane's Dexterity, at least to the baseline 0, to justify it's inclusion.
Spectrum wrote:What is the business situation in the setting? Any major industries? Anything interesting?
Do a google search for businesses in 1999 in the state of Oregon. There you go. If you are looking for something specific, or help brainstorming, I'd need something to work with. What are you aiming for?

There are some setting specific things but the PCs are only going to learn "interesting" bits about them through play. If at all.
Spectrum wrote:And to throw this out there, what do you think about a Falling Down inspired concept?
Rather than read a movie synopsis I would like to know about the character you want to play and how you see them fitting into the game. Do you want to play a character who is over stressed, having a mental breakdown, and is in the verge of raging openly against the world with violent force? That would be difficult in a group setting … and the police would be on your butt fairly fast.
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Re: MnM 3e - Hunter the Reckoning [Recruiting 4, ends April 14]

Post by jmucchiello »

Sakuro wrote: Wed Apr 08, 2020 6:35 pm Concerning Angela, the concept, build, and background are solid. For her "Doing Good" Complication, I would like to know why she is motivated to do good. Having a name that means "Messenger of God" doesn't make a person want to do good. Does she feel she has a responsibility or duty to act a certain way? What is "good" in Angela's mind?
She is a boy scout, do-gooder. She goes to the local old-age community and teaches yoga and arts and crafts. I'm sure they pay her (not well) to do this but I'll bet should could get a better paying gig if she weren't more interested in helping the elderly. Her Responsibility complication also reflects her innate goodness. She thinks she's there to make people the best people they can be. If she has to miss a class, it weighs on her mind. She also talks frequently about giving second chances and the benefit of the doubt. (She should be great fun when encountering her first monster.)

I thought about giving her a bit of celebrity in the form of Reputation. She's the biggest health nut in town. Everyone's seen her running in the morning or hanging out by Fitness and Fitness.
Also note that while I am alright with you describing the background, occupation, and general personality of Angela's boyfriend I will be deciding how they react to things that go on in the world. Huey may end up seeing Angela as having become mentally unstable if she starts talking about seeing monsters. If she implies that she has killed someone, and he finds bloody clothes in your apartment, he might call the cops.
I originally wrote that in the past tense. You reprimanded someone else for implying the weirdness had already happened. But I enjoyed the sentence too much to get rid of it. Huey is the oblivious type. Now actually bloody clothes he might be suspicious of but I don't think he calls the cops on the beautiful girl he's been sleeping with for the last five years without talking to her first. If he immediately jumps to the conclusions you imply, he is not the man Angela would be sleeping with.

(And, no, I did not take Attractive because Angela wouldn't be the flirty type to use her sexuality to get advantage in an interpersonal encounter. That doesn't mean she isn't gorgeous.)
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Re: MnM 3e - Hunter the Reckoning [Recruiting 4, ends April 14]

Post by Sakuro »

jmucchiello wrote:She is a boy scout, do-gooder. She goes to the local old-age community and teaches yoga and arts and crafts. I'm sure they pay her (not well) to do this but I'll bet should could get a better paying gig if she weren't more interested in helping the elderly. Her Responsibility complication also reflects her innate goodness. She thinks she's there to make people the best people they can be. If she has to miss a class, it weighs on her mind. She also talks frequently about giving second chances and the benefit of the doubt.
That tells me a lot more. Thank you.
jmucchiello wrote:You reprimanded someone else for implying the weirdness had already happened...

Huey is the oblivious type. Now actually bloody clothes he might be suspicious of but I don't think he calls the cops on the beautiful girl he's been sleeping with for the last five years without talking to her first. If he immediately jumps to the conclusions you imply, he is not the man Angela would be sleeping with.
I'll bear in mind how you have described Huey and his relationship to Angela. My statement stands, however. Don't assume he will take things a certain way, or even handle them well. It is going to be a struggle to maintain your character's mundane life and relationships. I will look for opportunities to create drama. Your character's relationship may be strong at the start of the game and fall apart later on depending on what happens and how your character handles situations. Be aware of that. The relationship is a Complication, and you'll get HP for things that meaningfully hinder Angela in relation to it.

I'm not trying to scold or reprimand people when I ask these things or I tell you something is/needs to be a certain way. I am trying fit your vision of your character with my vision of the game world, and limit confusion. I don't want you to come into the game expecting one thing, and find that you've gotten something drastically different. The same goes with mechanics. I'm working to make sure things consistently fit a framework.
jmucchiello wrote:And, no, I did not take Attractive because Angela wouldn't be the flirty type to use her sexuality to get advantage in an interpersonal encounter. That doesn't mean she isn't gorgeous.
Without the Advantage, Angela is in the realm of "average", not "gorgeous". This is not a comic book setting where the average person is easy on the eyes. If you want your character to be supermodel hot, take the Attractive Advantage to support that. It relates to physical attractiveness itself, not an aptitude for manipulating people. That physical beauty just so happens to confer social benefits.
jmucchiello wrote:I thought about giving her a bit of celebrity in the form of Reputation. She's the biggest health nut in town. Everyone's seen her running in the morning or hanging out by Fitness and Fitness.
If you want Angela to have a sort of status or reputation in her community, the way Blane has "Priest" as a Benefit, you could do that with Angela. Don't go overboard with the celebrity idea though. It should be confined to her physical fitness/health nut social group.
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Re: MnM 3e - Hunter the Reckoning [Recruiting 4, ends April 14]

Post by Spectrum »

Thank you for quickly answering my question.
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Re: MnM 3e - Hunter the Reckoning [Recruiting 4, ends April 14]

Post by FuzzyBoots »

The concept wouldn't leave my head.

Dirk Johnson - PL 5
Conspiracy Nut

Strength 1, Stamina 1, Agility 1, Dexterity 3, Fighting 2, Intellect 1, Awareness 3, Presence 1

Advantages
Benefit: Cipher, Close Attack, Contacts, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 7, Fascinate (Expertise: Conspiracy Theories), Improvised Tools, Second Chance: Skill checks involving being deceived, Well-informed

Skills
Athletics 2 (+3), Deception 4 (+5), Expertise: Computers 5 (+6), Expertise: Conspiracy Theories 8 (+9), Insight 3 (+6), Investigation 6 (+7), Perception 3 (+6), Persuade 3 (+4), Ranged Combat: Guns 3 (+6), Sleight of Hand 1 (+4), Stealth 2 (+3), Technology 2 (+3), Treatment 2 (+3), Vehicles 2 (+5)

Equipment
Arsenal (Dynamite, Flash-bang, Heavy Pistol, Pepper Spray, Shotgun, Smoke Grenade, Stun Gun, Tear Gas Grenade), Brass Knuckles, Camo Clothing (Urban), Cell Phone, Home-made body armor (+3 Toughness, based on Chainmail), Flashlight, Gas Mask, Lock Release Gun, Multi-tool, Restraints, Stun Ammo

Offense
Initiative +1
Dynamite (DC Dog 15)
Flash Grenade, +3 (DC Dog/Fort 14)
Flash-bang, +3 (DC Dog/Fort 14)
Grab, +3 (DC Spec 11)
Heavy Pistol, +6 (DC 19)
Pepper Spray, +3 (DC Dog/Fort 14)
Shotgun, +6 (DC 18/20)
Smoke Grenade, +3 (Visual obscure)
Stun Gun, +3 (DC 15)
Tear Gas Grenade, +3 (DC 14)
Throw, +3 (DC 16)
Unarmed, +3 (DC 16)

Languages
English

Defense
Dodge 4, Parry 3, Fortitude 4, Toughness 6/1, Will 6

Power Points
Abilities 26 + Powers 0 + Advantages 16 + Skills 23 (46 ranks) + Defenses 10 = 75

Complications
  • Enemy - Dirk's original civilian identity is on a few watch-lists, and the company he embezzled from is still looking for him. Perhaps because he knew the truth about what they were doing.
  • Identity - Moreso than most, Dirk is very careful to try to keep his identity secret. It wouldn't do for anyone to find that the real Dirk Johnson died in a flophouse and that his ID was sold on a shadow BBS.
  • Obsession - Dirk is convinced that the Truth is out there and that he's privy to some of its mysteries.
  • Weakness - Dirk has medication that was prescribed for minor schizophrenia in his original identity. He supplements it with pills he buys on the black market. As a result, he's often only lightly medicated and sometimes suffers side effects that make him hallucinate or ideate on particular trains of thought.
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Background
Dirk Johnson began life as Benjamin Paulson, a nebbish programmer for Comansys, a data processing company. One day, while doing his regular work, he came upon a file about Project Palantir, a collaboration effort with the government. The file was obviously not supposed to be for public consumption, and so Benjamin flagged it for security and went on his way. They fired him for "illegal access of company data". And thereby, Comansys created a mortal enemy. Benjamin found, among his personal effects, some floppy disks that included memory dumps from a debugging project. After much laborious effort, he reconstructed what he believed to be the original document and it was sinister indeed. Project Palantir was apparently part of a plan to monitor the US citizenry from shadow government organizations, with the end goal being the implantation of a chip in each left hand in order to be able to do business. It took a lot of unscrambling bits found throughout the dump, but Dirk was certain that he was right, even more so when he noticed strange disturbances around his house as if someone were searching, and far too many white panels of the streets where he lived. And so, he took the obvious reasonable route, embezzled a fair amount of money from Comansys's coffers with old login credentials they forgot to cancel, and faked his own death in a house fire.

Now, he's Dirk Johnson, and the government should be quaking in their boots because he's coming for them. While he considers his brain to be his greatest asset, he's not afraid to supplement it with firearms, and he's taken self-defense classes to be able to defend himself should he get caught at close range. Paladin Press is one of his favorite publishers, although he always buys secondhand to avoid being tracked, and he always pays in cash. Windenburgh suits his his purposes just fine. He spends his days cruising through BBSs, switching whose company's access he's scamming on a regular basis. He has a regular presence on Usenet groups in the alt.conspiracies grouping, although he's well aware that Usenet is a CIA honeypot. More trusted are the BBS systems. Although the government is actively trying to squash them by backing the huge telecom companies to push their modified version of Darpanet, he knows that the real truth is still being transmitted via modem lines.

Description
He's Caucasian, pale due to a combination of not being someone who tans easily, and spending so much time inside. Slightly skinny, but not gaunt. Light-brown hair, slightly shaggy, that has some silvering highlights, close-trimmed goatee of the same color, watery-blue eyes that are usually at a somewhat sleepy squint, the result of him not having gone to the optometrist in some time, and impending myopia. Currently dressed in a faded brown leather jacket over a logoless black T-shirt (currently not visible), jeans, and brown sneakers. No glasses or jewelry. Probably looks somewhere in his thirties.

Notes
The shotgun breaks PL by 1, but you said that equipment breaking PL doesn't count. I started out with references to the Dark Web before I remembered the setting, and switched it to BBS systems. I debated whether to aim for defensive PLs, but it seemed like the right thing to do. The two ranks in Technology account for him having a general idea of a lot of little things, but his main expertise is in computers. Well, really, conspiracy theories... the Second Chance is basically that he has a knack for picking at the loose thread of a falsehood. He often comes to the wrong conclusion, but he realizes that he's being lied to. He doesn't carry his heavier guns, grenades, armor, or explosives with him most of the time, but he does have them cached around his house. His cover is that he did well in tech stocks early on, and is now an amateur writer in the area of technological thrillers. It gives him a cover to ask some more pointed questions, and no one really expects him to every finish his book.

When he encounters the supernatural, odds are he'll assume them to be aliens or government secret projects.
Last edited by FuzzyBoots on Thu Apr 16, 2020 6:26 pm, edited 4 times in total.
jmucchiello
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Re: MnM 3e - Hunter the Reckoning [Recruiting 4, ends April 14]

Post by jmucchiello »

I can't imagine the other three hanging out with Dirk. But we'll see.
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Re: MnM 3e - Hunter the Reckoning [Recruiting 4, ends April 14]

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

He seems like an interesting character, but I think Sakuro might have issues with him having so much military grade equipment. We're supposed to be relatively 'normal' people. Normal people could own a side arm or a hunting rifle, but maybe not have a stockpile of explosives.
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Re: MnM 3e - Hunter the Reckoning [Recruiting 4, ends April 14]

Post by Sakuro »

FuzzyBoots, the concept and background for Dirk get a thumbs up. There are some edits to be made though. The Concpiracy Theorist Advantage, while flavorful, is overcomplicated. That will need to go.

If Dirk is a somewhat unhinged conspiracy nut that thinks the government is after him before he is made aware of the truth about the world, and he's spent time and money building up a small arsenal, I'm ok with that. Explosives are probably excessive though. If you want them, I'll likely limit Dirk's supply so that they're "just in case" items that he only has one or two uses of. Later if you want more, or to resupply, Dirk can do that through play. But he'll have to go out into the world and get them.

I am also not allowing custom Equipment. I'm looking at "Medium Machine Gun" and "Home-made Armor" when I say this. I don't want people treating Equipment like a low cost Device, or for easily filling gaps in their stats. You can call the item what you like, but it needs to be based off something from the core book. Dirk could have a sub-machine gun and chain-mail, but the armor is modernized in some fashion. I'm guessing that was your intent, but I want to be clear.

Dirk looks to both compliment and clash with the other characters presented so far. That can be good for operating as a unit and for creating some light interpersonal drama. He has resources they don't, having stockpiled some equipment due to his paranoia, and they have skills or connections he will undoubtedly need.
FuzzyBoots wrote:When he encounters the supernatural, odds are he'll assume them to be aliens or government secret projects.
That is acceptable. There are plenty of characters in the HtR books that have those kind of beliefs, and are unwavering about it. Another character that was submitted, Alan, seems geared towards looking for scientific explanations in the supernatural.
jmucchiello wrote:I can't imagine the other three hanging out with Dirk. But we'll see.
You don't have to like each other, or casually socialize with one another. It is ok if your character dislikes another PC. Some social drama in the group is alright. You do need to be able to come together as a group and work together though. You're out manned, out gunned, and the monsters have all the money and political power in the world at their back. Whether they like it or not, the PCs need each other.


On the topic of armor, and this is to everyone, how do you feel about the archaic armors (chainmail as an example) having a Limit Flaw attached to them the way that the modern ballistic resistant armors do? Chainmail, for example, is meant to resist slashing damage. Plate armor would be for slashing and bludgeoning. I'm also considering having people make Fatigue checks if they exert themselves over a period of time (every minute, perhaps) while wearing heavier armors.
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Re: MnM 3e - Hunter the Reckoning [Recruiting 4, ends April 14]

Post by FuzzyBoots »

Sakuro wrote: Sun Apr 12, 2020 8:21 pm FuzzyBoots, the concept and background for Dirk get a thumbs up. There are some edits to be made though. The Concpiracy Theorist Advantage, while flavorful, is overcomplicated. That will need to go.
Och, fair enough. :) Honestly, it's usually more useful with someone who has maxed out Intellect since it's usually untrained skills that you make the check with.
Sakuro wrote: Sun Apr 12, 2020 8:21 pmIf Dirk is a somewhat unhinged conspiracy nut that thinks the government is after him before he is made aware of the truth about the world, and he's spent time and money building up a small arsenal, I'm ok with that. Explosives are probably excessive though. If you want them, I'll likely limit Dirk's supply so that they're "just in case" items that he only has one or two uses of. Later if you want more, or to resupply, Dirk can do that through play. But he'll have to go out into the world and get them.
No worries. I just couldn't see him not having picked up a few. That's why I also commented that he generally does not carry most of his weapons and armor with him, which also kind of matches up with how real-life upper PL people like SWAT Team members and the like are more normal without their equipment onhand.
Sakuro wrote: Sun Apr 12, 2020 8:21 pmI am also not allowing custom Equipment. I'm looking at "Medium Machine Gun" and "Home-made Armor" when I say this. I don't want people treating Equipment like a low cost Device, or for easily filling gaps in their stats. You can call the item what you like, but it needs to be based off something from the core book. Dirk could have a sub-machine gun and chain-mail, but the armor is modernized in some fashion. I'm guessing that was your intent, but I want to be clear.
The Homemade armor is renamed Chainmail and the Medium machine gun is from the Gamemaster's Guide.
Sakuro wrote: Sun Apr 12, 2020 8:21 pmOn the topic of armor, and this is to everyone, how do you feel about the archaic armors (chainmail as an example) having a Limit Flaw attached to them the way that the modern ballistic resistant armors do? Chainmail, for example, is meant to resist slashing damage. Plate armor would be for slashing and bludgeoning. I'm also considering having people make Fatigue checks if they exert themselves over a period of time (every minute, perhaps) while wearing heavier armors.
Seems fairly reasonable. Normally, you'd be running into the issue with limited Protection that it means the characters are under PL for some segment of threats, but since Equipment doesn't count toward PL, it becomes more reasonable.
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Re: MnM 3e - Hunter the Reckoning [Recruiting 4, ends April 14]

Post by Sakuro »

Gamemaster's Guide wrote:Medium and heavy machine guns are usually found mounted on vehicles or in dug-in emplacements protecting important positions, like field headquarters. Heavy machine guns were sometimes deployed in multi-weapon mountings for use against enemy aircraft.
Thank you for the reference to the GM's Guide. That would certainly be overreaching though. I'd say an assault rifle would be too much as well (mechanically the same thing). You start to need contacts for things like this. A submachine gun is within the realm of reason, as plenty of gangs employ them. You might be able to buy something like that out of the back of some guy's car.

Once you use a weapon like that, it is going to draw a goodly amount of police attention. Keep that in mind.
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