Bones of the Old World - Mutant: Year Zero Recruitment Thread

[Peanuts]

Still a few details to be nailed down and may change a little bit but this is about as good as I can do. Trying to find a cute androgynous guy with an apocalyptic style proved imposible so you'll just have to imagine a bit. Without further ado I present Snoot. Will answer the questions... tomorrow probably, been working on this for a few hours.

Snoot the Gearhead

NAME: Snoot
ROLE: Gearhead

Appearance:
Looks fairly young for his age, very thin and on the shorter side, around 5'7" - 5'8" though the hazmat suit that he constantly wears makes him seem a bit taller and is quite baggy on him. The hazmat suit is pretty much as pictured above, faded, well-worn and much repaired. Beneath the suit he wears drab, plain clothes, t-shirt and jeans or the like, and the gas mask that goes with the suit can be seen through the front of the hood hanging loose around his neck unless there is an active threat apparent (at which time he chucks it on of course). Due to having worn a hazmat suit for most of his adult life he is very pale. His hair is down past his mid-back, and is kind of a mess, definitely not as silky smooth as pictured and is a light caramel-blonde color.
Fetishes: Anal, Outdoor-Sex, Dub-Con, Strong Partners
Offs: Bathroom stuff, Body-horror, Vore, Gore

Background:
Snoot was a precocious kid who was drawn to the old world and the fairy tales of the wonders that came before that he was told. As such he sought to join the chroniclers, studying with them for a time, starting to learn the alphabet and numbers, but even at his young age his appetite was insatiable and well... the Chroniclers he knew were only interested in recording what happened to the people, not what happened before.

And so young Snoot gave up his education to trail after the stalkers, eventually being foisted into the care of a grumpy older Stalker who he... honestly doesn't remember the name of any more. His elder was not kind, though he later realized why he was being so tough on him at the time he just seemed like an abusive old man. It wasn't his fault he was scrawny! It wasn't his fault he couldn't find his way out of a wet paper bag! The old man was a terrible teacher!

Finally at the ripe old age of 14 he got sick of it all and snuck out into the zone himself and... promptly got lost. He wandered for several days, cold, alone, and scared, running from every suspicious noise until he eventually stumbled onto the ruins of a half-destroyed building to take shelter one evening, light-headed and likely not too far from death if he didn't find some clean water to drink.

In those ruins he found the heavy round door of an abandoned bunker. Sturggling with all his meager strength he eventually managed to spin the lock open and therin discovered his own personal Eden, filled with an abundance of supplies, pre-apocalypse machinery, and magazines and books. There he was able to recuperate and settle in for several years, slowly trying to decipher the preserved survivalist guides, and instruction manuals of the former bunker's owner to maintain the systems inside the bunker, rig up traps to defend it from wild critters and other such necessary skills.

Eventually though the supplies ran out, and he was once more forced out into the wastes of the Zone, but this time with a bit more confidence he tried to make his way back to the Ark with some of the items he was able to carry from the bunker. He had moderate success, at least able to head for the area where he believed the Ark to be and was found by the Stalker Riddle who he was able to talk down from shooting him in his dirty orange hazmat suit and convince that he was one of the people. Since his safe return to the Ark he's mostly kept his head down, doing his best to earn his survival by doing odd jobs, making arrows, repairing other devices and knick-knacks that Riddle occasionally brings him to sell on and whatever else people want the weirdo who disappeared into the zone for years to do for them.

STR: 2/2
AGI: 4/4
WIT: 5/5
EMP: 3/3

SKILLS:
[Endure (Str)] -- 1
[Move (Agi)] -- 1
[Shoot (Agi)] -- 1
[Comprehend (Wits)] -- 2
[Sense Emotion (Emp)] -- 2
[Manipulate (Emp)] -- 1
[Jury-Rig (Wits)] -- 2

TALENTS:
[Tinkerer] - +2 to Repair with Jury-Rig

MUTATIONS:
[Pyrokinesis]

GEAR:
1: [Scrap Pistol]
2: [2 Grub Rations] / [1 Grub & Water Ration]
3: [2 Water Ration] / [6 Bullets]
4: [Tools]

TINY ITEMS:
[Name]

WORN ITEMS:
[Hiking Boots]
[Hazmat Suit] - Protection Rating 6 v Rot (+d6 Tech if turned over to Dawn Vault Chroniclers) - Never takes it off. Never.

MUTATION POINTS: 1
ROT POINTS: 0/0 [Total/Permanent Specifically]
EXPERIENCE: 0

CONDITIONS:
CRITICAL INJURIES:

[PC NAME 1]:
[PC NAME 2]:
[PC NAME 3] - BUDDY:
I HATE: The Fixer Gremlin, who tricked you out of an artifact.
I NEED TO PROTECT: The Stalker Riddle, who found me again out in the Zone. (Alternately: who brings me interesting scrap/stories from out in the Zone.)

MY BIG DREAM:
To build something that will change the People’s life forever.

DEN: The raised cabin/control room of one of the non-functional dock cranes. The ladder rusted and fell off some time ago, and it is a little ways from the main ark, and as such it is less than prime real-estate. Snoot got used to his solitude though, so he doesn't mind it.
DEN STOCKPILE:.
[Spade]

GRUB: 1
WATER: 0
BULLETS: 0

Notes

Things to note or consider.

[William Blake]

Hooooooo boy, let's go! Stuff to comment on!

[HURST]

I like it. Very true-to-type Stalker archetype - sounds like he is curious about the world outside the Ark and takes it as a point of personal pride to be a sort of expert on it, despite the taboos. Also, there's a certain amount of chutzpah evident in taking a Scrap Rifle, and I can appreciate a man with chutzpah.

Not to be a nitpicky asshole - or, to be, since I suppose it's my job - but you'll want to redistribute that fourth point from Find the Path to something else. Skills cap at 3 during chargen, which is annoying, but forces you to diversify a bit and gives you somewhere to grow. Scout, Move, and Sneak all fit the concept, or, you know, whatever the hell else you want. Otherwise, I do like it. I'll probably whirl by with some questions later, but I'm going to let things develop a bit and ruminate first.

Thumbs up so far!

[CHES]

I quite like Ches, as well. Stat-wise, she's both neat and a-OK. Background-wise, we've discussed her owner and the shenanigans that... she(?) is up to, so that's fun. I won't have questions for you, I don't think, I'll probably just do a bit of exposition on your owner. Glad you got to have your catgirl and eat her, too- wait, no, that's wrong, isn't it? ;)

Yeah that sounds good Xue :)

I only didn't put that down on my sheet as it hasn't happened yet although that's what the first session is for :)

To be fully pedantic, you'd put it down now and then justify it while in session, because you can only "officially" adjust your Buddy between sessions. Literally not that it matters - we're all adults here and can arbitrate our own game. But for the sake of organization. The relationship can be as simple as "the only person who didn't seem to look down at me in the Assembly" or something vague like that. If you're friendless, it doesn't take much to find someone Buddy-worthy.

Uunnng... So tempted but I don't think I have the room for it right now. :( I'll keep an eye open though! Just wanted to pop in and point out how cool I think this setting is. ^^

Thank you for popping by! You probably won't see this, but I wanted to leave my gratitude, regardless. :)

I figure since we all grew up together we'd probably have a good idea what we all do and so forth. I don't mind doing it IC though.

It just fits a little more with her background as a slave that her Master may not necessarily allow her out enough to have a friend like that.

Being that her Master is rather reclusive I don't see her being allowed out much.

Yes and yes. Hilae might remember Ches from when they were younger, before Ches became a slave. She'd then probably remember her as... well, I don't know. Agreeable. Willing to submit herself to others who could keep her safe. That common evolution from "not one of the fittest" - either mentally or physically or socially or any combination thereof - to slave. Keeping in mind, the slave trade isn't thriving in the Ark. The People don't have an economic understanding of slavery so much as they have people that are owned, either because they've said "I will do whatever you want for me if you take care of me" and they just got further and further under their owner's thumb or because they were unable to stop themselves from being, essentially, captured and forced into work.

See... Ches's owner is a very reclusive Gearhead - the makings of a Collector Boss, but without the power base... yet. If Ches is kept around the Gearhead unless she's away helping carry shit from the Zone back for the collection, then you'd not see much of her. She'd be at the side of a recluse.

But, yes.

NAME: Snoot
ROLE: Gearhead

I adore him. He's got a rather unique backstory. I find it terribly interesting. A few comments for you:

And so young Snoot gave up his education to trail after the stalkers, eventually being foisted into the care of a grizzled old Stalker who he... honestly doesn't remember the name of any more. The old man was not kind, though he later realized why he was being so tough on him at the time he just seemed like an abusive old man. It wasn't his fault he was scrawny! It wasn't his fault he could find his way out of a wet paper bag! The old man was a terrible teacher!

Everyone but the Elder is about the same age. Currently, that age is about 30 - there's variance of a couple years or so. So, your (attempted) Stalker mentor could be a harsh, bigger fellow who is about two years your senior, but cannot, sadly, be an old guy. Stalkers probably started as early adolescents and teens who got too curious about the world around them and ignored the taboos, and the ones that survived become what we know as Stalkers today as they got older and everyone took things a bit more seriously. They're a hodgepodge of bizarre survivalists with superstitions and their own norms and culture based on what they've collectively decided keeps them alive out in the Zone, with a high level of individual variance. You can have dabbled young and tried to hang out with the kids who'd been doing it a while and just not been as successful or you can have done it after Stalkers were a more established concept in Ark culture and they were dubious about you to the point of unhelpfulness - I imagine they're typically a cynical bunch.

Then again, I model NPC Stalkers after any of the eponymous S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s of video game fame...

Finally at the ripe old age of 14 he got sick of it all and snuck out into the zone himself and... promptly got lost.

This is well and good and a very fine age to do such a thing, but keep in mind that he's about 27-30 now, so plan on how long you want him to have been in the bunker and back in the Ark.

Also, love Snoot and Soot, but I swear, this is going to be worse than that game I'm in with an Amara and an Anata... ^_^



In other news, seems many people are going the drydock/port route, so we can discuss that in some detail here in a bit after I hear answers to questions from Peanuts and maybe track Bard down... I know it's hard to believe, but we are drawing this recruitment thread to a close, it seems. Barring TLO appearing again, or one of those people who mentioned being interested once and then vanished, I'd say we have everyone's lot thrown in and we just need to refine things enough to get started. :)

[Love And Submission]

I took the rifle because I either wrongly or rightly assume that if I need to grab a melee weapon, I can forge for   one  in the zone. I think finding a knife or a bat/club is going to be easier for me of find in the zone then a rifle.

I don't see my rifle as my only weapon. I'm obviously going to have to find a backup weapon, it's just easier to find a backup weapon for a primary weapon then a primary weapon for a  back up.

Granted, I could ironically find a bunch of  pistols and no knives but then  I'd just sell those pistols for knives at the ARK.

[William Blake]

I took the rifle because I either wrongly or rightly assume that if I need to grab a melee weapon, I can forge for   one  in the zone. I think finding a knife or a bat/club is going to be easier for me of find in the zone then a rifle.

I don't see my rifle as my only weapon. I'm obviously going to have to find a backup weapon, it's just easier to find a backup weapon for a primary weapon then a primary weapon for a  back up.

Granted, I could ironically find a bunch of  pistols and no knives but then  I'd just sell those pistols for knives at the ARK.

Indeed! It's a solid plan, especially as: Stalkers tend to be better at Shoot, they are one of the few Roles that can begin the game with potent ranged weapons, and ranged combat is deadly in this game.

(I don't know if you've noticed, but you can Defend against someone Fighting you, at least once per round, but your only defense against Shoot is cover, a mutation, or Shake It Off...)

Still, a lot of Stalkers play conservative and go bow, especially with a Gearhead around, but I've always kind of wanted to see a group that appreciates the power and aesthetic of scrap firearms. Also, they're very bolt action pipe gun from Fallout 4 and similar sources of hodgepodge post-apoc weapony:





And, while the homemade pipe rifles don't have a magazine (just extra barrels, if you're feeling inventive), I like the look of these roughed up gun:

[ThatFantasticBard]

Devin

NAME: Devin
ROLE: Boss

Appearance: Literally just the picture.
Fetishes: Non con, Teratophilia, Corruption, Rough stuff, Dominance Struggle
Offs: Bathroom play, vore, extreme gore

Background:

Growing up in the Ark, Devin had been a rather timid and quiet kid. He had little in the way of friends and mostly kept to himself. The only thing he had in way of companionship was a mangy looking dog he named Scraps, joking that he was far too scrawny to make a proper meal. While he was by no means Devin's dog, the mutt seemed to take a liking to the boy, visiting his cobbled together little shelter every day. Everytime he saw Scraps coming over, Devin would rush out to greet him, the dog happily licking the boy's face in response. The two of them would run around the Ark, playing for hours each day. Devin would share his grub and water with Scraps whenever he could, seeing as the dog clearly wasn't able to scavenge up enough food for himself.

One day, however, Scraps didn't show up around the time he usually did. While Devin tried to assure himself that he was probably just out hunting some food, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. After a few more hours of waiting for the mutt to show up, his fears got the better of him and he began his search for his lost friend, looking all over the Ark for Scraps. Devin would finally find him by the time the sun had started to go down, but the scene before him left the boy horrified. Scraps was cornered in some ruined building, surrounded by a group of five older kids, all of which were holding an armful of rocks, throwing them at the poor dog and cheering each time one struck Scraps, who was bruised and bloodied by the time he arrived. Quickly rushing to his defense, Devin would try and pull the kids away from the dog and pleaded with them to stop, but his attempts were only met with hostility as they shoved him to the ground and started to pelt him with the stones. The boy curled up as he tried to prevent any serious damage, though by the end of it he was covered in painful welts and bruises, his face a swollen, bloody mess. The kids would finally leave the sky began to darken, not wanting to be caught outside at night. Crawling his way over to Scraps once they were gone, Devin whispered softly to the dying dog, promising him that everything was going to be alright. Scraps gave small, pained whimpers, his breathing ragged as the boy gently ran his hand along his blood matted fur, though eventually they would both soon succumb to exhaustion.

When Devin awoke the next morning, Scraps was gone. Rather than crying for the loss of his only friend however, he would only feel numb. Grabbing a piece of scrap metal, the boy began to quietly dig a shallow grave for him, saying his final goodbyes to him as he covered the body in dirt. Before he left the site, Devin grabbed a tooth from Scraps that had been dislodged during the other boys' assault, keeping it as a memento to remember him by. For the next few months he would feel as though he was on autopilot, barely registering what was happening around him, merely going through the motions of each day. Eventually, as he wandered the Ark aimlessly, he spotted one of the boys that been there the day Scraps had been killed. The sight of the kid awoke something inside Devin, filling him with nothing but rage and hatred as he charged at the boy, who turned around just in time to get clocked in the face and letting out a primal cry, blasting the kid with a rather weak bout of flames, leaving his shirt and flesh singed. The surprise hit staggered him for a moment and despite the strange display of Devin's newfound powers, he quickly recovered, reciprocating to the punch in kind.

By the end of the fight Devin was left sprawled out on the ground, beaten to a pulp though no less furious. Gathering himself, the boy limped back to his den, the realization that he was far too weak to fend for himself only serving to piss him off further. Rather than simply giving up, he would decide that if he couldn't take on those kids, then he'd just get others to do it for him. He spent the next few months trying to talk other kids into working for him, either scaring them into submission with his new firey powers or simply threatening them with plain old violence. Most of the time he'd just end up getting his ass kicked, but a few of the more timid kids would fall in line and he eventually gathered about a half a dozen of them. He enacted his revenge on the older boys one by one, getting his goons to overwhelm them with numbers, leaving them even worse off than they had left him.

Even once he felt some small satisfaction with the pain he had inflicted on Scraps' killers, he wouldn't stop. Deciding to keep his status as the boss of his little gang, he would use his power over the other's to deal with any other kids that felt the need to pick on those smaller than them. He continued to lead his gang throughout the years, turning his attention to the more violent individuals as he matured into an adult. While the folks in his gang would come and go throughout the years, his methods of recruitment would more or less stay the same, proving his worth as a leader by being the loudest and having the most drive. It certainly wasn't a perfect strategy, but it was what worked for Devin.

STR: 2/2
AGI: 3/3
WIT: 5/5
EMP: 4/4

SKILLS:
Command -- 3
Comprehend -- 2
Manipulate -- 2
Shoot -- 2
Sneak -- 1


TALENTS:
Gunslingers

MUTATIONS:
Flame Breather

GEAR:
1: 4 Grub
2: 4 Water
3: 11 Bullets
4: Scrap Pistol
5: STR CAP
6: STR CAP
7: STR CAP
8: STR CAP
9: STR CAP
0: STR CAP

TINY ITEMS:
Dog Tooth

WORN ITEMS:
Ragged Shirt
Ruined Dress Pants
Ruddy Boots

MUTATION POINTS: 1
ROT POINTS: 0/0
EXPERIENCE: 0

CONDITIONS:
CRITICAL INJURIES:

[PC NAME 1]:
PC NAME 2]:
[PC NAME 3] - BUDDY:
I HATE:
I NEED TO PROTECT:

MY BIG DREAM: Become the toughest Boss around.

DEN: An tiny hut, hobbled together with various bits of scrap.
DEN STOCKPILE:. 1 Water, 3 Grub

GRUB: 7
WATER: 5
BULLETS: 11

Notes

Things to note or consider.

[Peanuts]

Hmm, a Femboy boss eh? interesting.

Everyone but the Elder is about the same age. Currently, that age is about 30 - there's variance of a couple years or so. So, your (attempted) Stalker mentor could be a harsh, bigger fellow who is about two years your senior, but cannot, sadly, be an old guy. Stalkers probably started as early adolescents and teens who got too curious about the world around them and ignored the taboos, and the ones that survived become what we know as Stalkers today as they got older and everyone took things a bit more seriously. They're a hodgepodge of bizarre survivalists with superstitions and their own norms and culture based on what they've collectively decided keeps them alive out in the Zone, with a high level of individual variance. You can have dabbled young and tried to hang out with the kids who'd been doing it a while and just not been as successful or you can have done it after Stalkers were a more established concept in Ark culture and they were dubious about you to the point of unhelpfulness - I imagine they're typically a cynical bunch.

Then again, I model NPC Stalkers after any of the eponymous S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s of video game fame...

Hmm, I was kind of thinking it was someone of a previous generation who have since died? Or have there literally only been one generation as far as we're aware? Anyway, the exact details of his mentorship aren't that important to me, so uhh, whatever works :p Never played S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

This is well and good and a very fine age to do such a thing, but keep in mind that he's about 27-30 now, so plan on how long you want him to have been in the bunker and back in the Ark.

Also, love Snoot and Soot, but I swear, this is going to be worse than that game I'm in with an Amara and an Anata... ^_^

I figure he lived in the bunker about... 5 or 6 years, so was around 20 when he returned and has just been dabbling with what he's learned ever since. I hadn't realized the similarity between the two names lol, will changed Soot's

Question 1:
I think I most like the look of the Charleston map, a quick look over the wiki page only reinforces my interest here, port town, sub-tropical climate, just have to watch out for minor earthquakes amd hurricanes :p I'd be fine with Boston though, the port and airport would be fun to explore as a gearhead.

Question 2:
I've already written my Den as part of a coastal/port ark, so yeah I'm all for that :p

Question 3:
I'd prefer summer, I love the verdant nature reclaiming the ruins of mankind aesthetic, definitely my favourite post-apoc setting.

Question 4&5:
I support most of Xue's choices, only thing I might change would be the mafioso dude into a bureaucrat or a hard worker type instead. Also wouldn't mind 4 tech and 2 warfare, but 3 & 3 is fine (and makes more sense with the bosses)

Question 6:
Already answered this one in the GA thread, though the suggestion of using FF's initiative works.

[William Blake]

Devin

NAME: Devin
ROLE: Boss

Appearance: Literally just the picture.
Fetishes: Non con, Teratophilia, Corruption, Rough stuff, Dominance Struggle
Offs: Bathroom play, vore, extreme gore

Background:

Growing up in the Ark, Devin had been a rather timid and quiet kid. He had little in the way of friends and mostly kept to himself. The only thing he had in way of companionship was a mangy looking dog he named Scraps, joking that he was far too scrawny to make a proper meal. While he was by no means Devin's dog, the mutt seemed to take a liking to the boy, visiting his cobbled together little shelter every day. Everytime he saw Scraps coming over, Devin would rush out to greet him, the dog happily licking the boy's face in response. The two of them would run around the Ark, playing for hours each day. Devin would share his grub and water with Scraps whenever he could, seeing as the dog clearly wasn't able to scavenge up enough food for himself.

One day, however, Scraps didn't show up around the time he usually did. While Devin tried to assure himself that he was probably just out hunting some food, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. After a few more hours of waiting for the mutt to show up, his fears got the better of him and he began his search for his lost friend, looking all over the Ark for Scraps. Devin would finally find him by the time the sun had started to go down, but the scene before him left the boy horrified. Scraps was cornered in some ruined building, surrounded by a group of five older kids, all of which were holding an armful of rocks, throwing them at the poor dog and cheering each time one struck Scraps, who was bruised and bloodied by the time he arrived. Quickly rushing to his defense, Devin would try and pull the kids away from the dog and pleaded with them to stop, but his attempts were only met with hostility as they shoved him to the ground and started to pelt him with the stones. The boy curled up as he tried to prevent any serious damage, though by the end of it he was covered in painful welts and bruises, his face a swollen, bloody mess. The kids would finally leave the sky began to darken, not wanting to be caught outside at night. Crawling his way over to Scraps once they were gone, Devin whispered softly to the dying dog, promising him that everything was going to be alright. Scraps gave small, pained whimpers, his breathing ragged as the boy gently ran his hand along his blood matted fur, though eventually they would both soon succumb to exhaustion.

When Devin awoke the next morning, Scraps was gone. Rather than crying for the loss of his only friend however, he would only feel numb. Grabbing a piece of scrap metal, the boy began to quietly dig a shallow grave for him, saying his final goodbyes to him as he covered the body in dirt. Before he left the site, Devin grabbed a tooth from Scraps that had been dislodged during the other boys' assault, keeping it as a memento to remember him by. For the next few months he would feel as though he was on autopilot, barely registering what was happening around him, merely going through the motions of each day. Eventually, as he wandered the Ark aimlessly, he spotted one of the boys that been there the day Scraps had been killed. The sight of the kid awoke something inside Devin, filling him with nothing but rage and hatred as he charged at the boy, who turned around just in time to get clocked in the face and letting out a primal cry, blasting the kid with a rather weak bout of flames, leaving his shirt and flesh singed. The surprise hit staggered him for a moment and despite the strange display of Devin's newfound powers, he quickly recovered, reciprocating to the punch in kind.

By the end of the fight Devin was left sprawled out on the ground, beaten to a pulp though no less furious. Gathering himself, the boy limped back to his den, the realization that he was far too weak to fend for himself only serving to piss him off further. Rather than simply giving up, he would decide that if he couldn't take on those kids, then he'd just get others to do it for him. He spent the next few months trying to talk other kids into working for him, either scaring them into submission with his new firey powers or simply threatening them with plain old violence. Most of the time he'd just end up getting his ass kicked, but a few of the more timid kids would fall in line and he eventually gathered about a half a dozen of them. He enacted his revenge on the older boys one by one, getting his goons to overwhelm them with numbers, leaving them even worse off than they had left him.

Even once he felt some small satisfaction with the pain he had inflicted on Scraps' killers, he wouldn't stop. Deciding to keep his status as the boss of his little gang, he would use his power over the other's to deal with any other kids that felt the need to pick on those smaller than them. He continued to lead his gang throughout the years, turning his attention to the more violent individuals as he matured into an adult. While the folks in his gang would come and go throughout the years, his methods of recruitment would more or less stay the same, proving his worth as a leader by being the loudest and having the most drive. It certainly wasn't a perfect strategy, but it was what worked for Devin.

STR: 2/2
AGI: 3/3
WIT: 5/5
EMP: 4/4

SKILLS:
Command -- 3
Comprehend -- 2
Manipulate -- 2
Shoot -- 2
Sneak -- 1


TALENTS:
Gunslingers

MUTATIONS:
Flame Breather

GEAR:
1: 4 Grub
2: 4 Water
3: 11 Bullets
4: Scrap Pistol
5: STR CAP
6: STR CAP
7: STR CAP
8: STR CAP
9: STR CAP
0: STR CAP

TINY ITEMS:
Dog Tooth

WORN ITEMS:
Ragged Shirt
Ruined Dress Pants
Ruddy Boots

MUTATION POINTS: 1
ROT POINTS: 0/0
EXPERIENCE: 0

CONDITIONS:
CRITICAL INJURIES:

[PC NAME 1]:
PC NAME 2]:
[PC NAME 3] - BUDDY:
I HATE:
I NEED TO PROTECT:

MY BIG DREAM: Become the toughest Boss around.

DEN: An tiny hut, hobbled together with various bits of scrap.
DEN STOCKPILE:. 1 Water, 3 Grub

GRUB: 7
WATER: 5
BULLETS: 11

Notes

Things to note or consider.

Looks good! I like the backstory and the character. And you've got them all with GUNS, I see!

Your gang is currently about 9-12 mutants, all of which you've armed - or come armed - with some kind of scrap gun. Most of them are Enforcers, your strongmen, who do the bulk of your work. You can have a Fixer or two that works specifically for you and tries to hook you up with deals or find your gang things. Through some means, they're loyal to you and won't necessarily try to fuck you over in deals. The skill also suggests you've got some Dog Handlers - I imagine you specifically would, having some natural sympathy for them.

It doesn't matter for a dog in some corner of the Ark or the outskirts of the Zone, but, if it comes up for a mutant, I wanted to point this out:

"Why do we burn the dead? Why not just throw the corpses into the Zone or bury them in the ground like they did during the Old Age? Because we have always done so. It's the People's way, like the Elder taught us when we were children. When our bodies burn we rise to the sky with the smoke, back to the other world from whence we came. So said the Elder. Do I believe it? I don't know. It doesn't matter. We have to do something with all the corpses. We can't have them lying stinking in the Ark."

Of course, that's not a mandatory lore point, but I thought it was interesting. Those little orange lore boxes in the players' section are pretty cool.

Hmm, I was kind of thinking it was someone of a previous generation who have since died? Or have there literally only been one generation as far as we're aware? Anyway, the exact details of his mentorship aren't that important to me, so uhh, whatever works :p Never played S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

It's an... interesting game. But yes, your second impression is correct: you are the only People you know. You do not know what came before you. Being barren, you are unsure what - if anything - will come after you. It's a weird concept, I know. But it is how it is.

I figure he lived in the bunker about... 5 or 6 years, so was around 20 when he returned and has just been dabbling with what he's learned ever since. I hadn't realized the similarity between the two names lol, will changed Soot's

Sweet! That's very sensible. Gives him some time to become reacclimated with the Ark.

Question 1:
I think I most like the look of the Charleston map, a quick look over the wiki page only reinforces my interest here, port town, sub-tropical climate, just have to watch out for minor earthquakes amd hurricanes :p I'd be fine with Boston though, the port and airport would be fun to explore as a gearhead.

Climate's hell everywhere. The rivers on Charleston are really cool. My last group tried to play there. Set their Ark... I think L-21, across the Wando River from the port, in a breakaway cargo shipper that beached. Funny, as one of my players was named Wanda. Popular vote seems Boston, still.

Question 2:
I've already written my Den as part of a coastal/port ark, so yeah I'm all for that :p

Yeah, that makes sense. Seems to be the consensus so far, as well.

Question 3:
I'd prefer summer, I love the verdant nature reclaiming the ruins of mankind aesthetic, definitely my favourite post-apoc setting.

I believe this is the common opinion. Some of my soundtrack is winter based, but I can get around that. ;)

Question 4&5:
I support most of Xue's choices, only thing I might change would be the mafioso dude into a bureaucrat or a hard worker type instead. Also wouldn't mind 4 tech and 2 warfare, but 3 & 3 is fine (and makes more sense with the bosses)

Xue's suggestion doesn't include a friendly Boss (besides Bard :P ). Agitator is often a friendly type, but her idea of them being a sort of "return to nature, that's clearly how we're supposed to be now" type makes them more hostile to progress and attempts at rejoining civilization. Remember, the book never said "dream of a better future" meant a better future you'd all agree with. ;)

Adding a fifth positive Boss is fine. Another Agitator who disagrees and wants to be progressive (that would be a hilarious combo). A Hard worker makes sense.

I'm not sure I'd describe a Kingpin as neutral... morally, maybe, but they'd not be very helpful to whatever plans weren't their own. :P Neutral-wise, Commanders definitely work, threatening but helpful, though they have their own ideas and going against them is difficult. Bureaucrats are always fun (they're super simple to RP). We have an NPC who might BECOME a Collector Boss, so we don't need another.

No one wants a Cultist? ;D

Also, highkey, the Revolutionary is clearly super communist. >_>

Question 6:
Already answered this one in the GA thread, though the suggestion of using FF's initiative works.

Indeed. I think we can make FFG work, since the one we'd be waiting on mostly is me, and I check this rather frequently.



I can work on fleshing these Bosses out in a bit. Maybe flesh out the Ark, too.

Don't be afraid to just wholesale invent an NPC or five for your backstory and/or relationships. There are about 260 mutants in the Ark. Even including you and the Bosses and some NPCs I'll need to make as antagonists or plot devices or whatever, that leave you plenty of room to write characters that you'd like to see or include in your scenes. Remember, some of the worldbuilding here is very collaborative. :)

[Peanuts]

Yeah the rivers in Charleston seem like they'd be really useful. Again coming from the gearhead I could totally see us getting a small boat working again and being able to row/pole/sail up and down the rivers would make traversing the zone a lot smoother, maybe even safer? Boats are cool :)

Oh, I kind of assumed the fifth boss would be Bard's PC one. My ideas for changing the kingpin would work just as well for making another boss. The progressive agitator sounds like someone Snoot would get along with too :)

[Xue]

Yes, I assumed the PC boss would be at least moderately friendly ;)

My assumption has been that the nature of the game takes the PCs through quite a progressive agenda. Whether adventurers at an inn, shadowrunners or rebels in a future Empire, player characters are almost always opposed to the status quo, simply because the status quo means staying at home and taking up farming. So I think we need to consider how the dynamics of the culture would operate against our own agenda - which will be going out into the Zone, finding shit and saving everyone's lives, albeit maybe against their will, and as a side-effect of saving our own. One generation and then we're all dead, remember, so without the idea of exploration and adaptation, we may as well stay home and fuck till we starve :)

Hence - my choice in bosses. If we go with a shipyard, especially one which was militarised, I'd imagine that would be reflected in the archives we've built up - it would affect our language and our way of thinking. Motivational posters, the labels on cans, everything is going to have a general bent towards the martial way of thinking - hence the incorporation of two military factions within the Ark - one intent on peacekeeping and fair distribution of supplies, and the other hunkering down and preparing for the unavoidable conflict ahead.

An agitator which wanted us to return to a more naturalistic way of life might be initially positive about extending our feelers into the zone - that's where the nature is, not down by the docks. But once we start moving away from the simple appreciation of nature's survival when everything else has been fucked, progress particularly industrial or technological, might be a confronting issue.

I'm a really firm believer that in the end most stories are about people working through bigger themes - nature vs culture, might vs right, progress vs tradition. Creating a small capsule where these things are represented in the Ark will allow us to manage political and philosophical themes alongside the grittier issues of who's just contracted Rot and where are the next bullets coming from.

Yes, I am this annoying about eeeeeeeeeverything.

[Xue]

I mean seriously:




"Give me a seventeen," as slang would be fucking amazing.

[William Blake]

Yes, I assumed the PC boss would be at least moderately friendly ;)

My assumption has been that the nature of the game takes the PCs through quite a progressive agenda. Whether adventurers at an inn, shadowrunners or rebels in a future Empire, player characters are almost always opposed to the status quo, simply because the status quo means staying at home and taking up farming. So I think we need to consider how the dynamics of the culture would operate against our own agenda - which will be going out into the Zone, finding shit and saving everyone's lives, albeit maybe against their will, and as a side-effect of saving our own. One generation and then we're all dead, remember, so without the idea of exploration and adaptation, we may as well stay home and fuck till we starve :)

Hence - my choice in bosses. If we go with a shipyard, especially one which was militarised, I'd imagine that would be reflected in the archives we've built up - it would affect our language and our way of thinking. Motivational posters, the labels on cans, everything is going to have a general bent towards the martial way of thinking - hence the incorporation of two military factions within the Ark - one intent on peacekeeping and fair distribution of supplies, and the other hunkering down and preparing for the unavoidable conflict ahead.

An agitator which wanted us to return to a more naturalistic way of life might be initially positive about extending our feelers into the zone - that's where the nature is, not down by the docks. But once we start moving away from the simple appreciation of nature's survival when everything else has been fucked, progress particularly industrial or technological, might be a confronting issue.

I'm a really firm believer that in the end most stories are about people working through bigger themes - nature vs culture, might vs right, progress vs tradition. Creating a small capsule where these things are represented in the Ark will allow us to manage political and philosophical themes alongside the grittier issues of who's just contracted Rot and where are the next bullets coming from.

Yes, I am this annoying about eeeeeeeeeverything.

A lady after my own heart.

Militarized dock might be a terrible idea, simply because I don't want to hand everyone assault rifles and Kevlar vests at chargen. ;D

Don't pretend like you didn't expect those to have stats. >_>

[Love And Submission]

I really want one  of the bosses to lead a gang called the "Bruins"  or the "Celtics."

I feel like Patriots is too on the nose and Red Sox doesn't really fit but I'd love a post-apocalyptic Boston gang  called the "Bruins."

Their  leader could even just be Lord Humongous in a hockey mask.

[KirbysFolly]

I'm not a cannibal or a necromancer, so I don't think I need any external hearts, thanks!

And having seen some other characters, I'd fill in Kennedy's PC Opinions as thus (as long as it's okay with everybody):

1: Hilae tells the best stories in the Ark.
2: I saw Ches scrapping once, and she's as good as I am.

For a buddy, Peanuts, would you be cool with Kennedy and Snoot being buddies? Kennedy had to get his axe from somewhere, and if Snoot was out in the Zone while Kennedy was in his bullying ways, he might not have the negative impression of him most of the others do. If Snoot was the guy who supplied Kennedy with any gear he needed to buy, Kennedy would be willing to help him out in a pinch. If your best friend is a stalker who's out in the Zone and you need some help, Kennedy could be useful.

I took the rifle because I either wrongly or rightly assume that if I need to grab a melee weapon, I can forge for   one  in the zone. I think finding a knife or a bat/club is going to be easier for me of find in the zone then a rifle.

Also, you can always just pick up somebody's melee weapon once they do something really stupid in the Zone, because you're at home there.  ;D

I really like the pressure having a weapon that can deal a ton of damage, but with really low ammunition, brings in these settings. You really have to consider if shooting is worth it, and just having one can sometimes be an advantage for intimidation.

Maybe not a militarized dock, but we could still have a couple of militaristic factions. Maybe somebody found a National Guard office early-on, and a bunch of their literature made it into the Ark's stores. Now we'd have access to documents describing a formal military with a defensive nature, but it would be limited to whatever was scrounged out of the remains. Documents about UN peacekeeping missions, or even something like US Coast Guard information might give a military idea, with more of focus on going out and assisting others. Built on top of the structure from the National Guard information, they'd still prefer a military structure, but in a supportive role, rather than a primarily defensive one.

[William Blake]

I'm not a cannibal or a necromancer, so I don't think I need any external hearts, thanks!

And having seen some other characters, I'd fill in Kennedy's PC Opinions as thus (as long as it's okay with everybody):

1: Hilae tells the best stories in the Ark.
2: I saw Ches scrapping once, and she's as good as I am.

For a buddy, Peanuts, would you be cool with Kennedy and Snoot being buddies? Kennedy had to get his axe from somewhere, and if Snoot was out in the Zone while Kennedy was in his bullying ways, he might not have the negative impression of him most of the others do. If Snoot was the guy who supplied Kennedy with any gear he needed to buy, Kennedy would be willing to help him out in a pinch. If your best friend is a stalker who's out in the Zone and you need some help, Kennedy could be useful.

Also, you can always just pick up somebody's melee weapon once they do something really stupid in the Zone, because you're at home there.  ;D

I really like the pressure having a weapon that can deal a ton of damage, but with really low ammunition, brings in these settings. You really have to consider if shooting is worth it, and just having one can sometimes be an advantage for intimidation.

Maybe not a militarized dock, but we could still have a couple of militaristic factions. Maybe somebody found a National Guard office early-on, and a bunch of their literature made it into the Ark's stores. Now we'd have access to documents describing a formal military with a defensive nature, but it would be limited to whatever was scrounged out of the remains. Documents about UN peacekeeping missions, or even something like US Coast Guard information might give a military idea, with more of focus on going out and assisting others. Built on top of the structure from the National Guard information, they'd still prefer a military structure, but in a supportive role, rather than a primarily defensive one.

I really want one  of the bosses to lead a gang called the "Bruins"  or the "Celtics."

I feel like Patriots is too on the nose and Red Sox doesn't really fit but I'd love a post-apocalyptic Boston gang  called the "Bruins."

Their  leader could even just be Lord Humongous in a hockey mask.

This group is angling to be one of my favorites! ;D

Keep in mind only Chroniclers can read, so they'd have to be picture-heavy documents. >_>

The authors looked at one guy raising 300-ish kids and did not consider that a plot hole, but they apparently drew the line on him teaching all of you to read. ;P

[Peanuts]

For a buddy, Peanuts, would you be cool with Kennedy and Snoot being buddies? Kennedy had to get his axe from somewhere, and if Snoot was out in the Zone while Kennedy was in his bullying ways, he might not have the negative impression of him most of the others do. If Snoot was the guy who supplied Kennedy with any gear he needed to buy, Kennedy would be willing to help him out in a pinch. If your best friend is a stalker who's out in the Zone and you need some help, Kennedy could be useful.

Hrmm, well uhh, remember we're in mid-late twenties so Snoot has been back in the Ark for about 6 years now, and your bio says Deek only died last spring. Perhaps we could combine our Stalker friends into the same character and that could be the mutual relationship, then throw in Kennedy having protected him from some belligerent asshole and I could see it working maybe? Still seems like it would be a fairly recent relationship though, so Snoot might still be a bit skeptical about Kennedy.

[Miss Sykes]

So William, I'm going to rock the boat a little here and I know you said that the location has to be in the US but at least consider Australia. Just think Australia and all it's insane creatures mutated and post apocalyptic not to mention it's just a giant island. Just consider it at least. I know myself and the other Aussies would be happy to help you with anything you need.

Oh and Xue I have updated my profile to include you as a buddy :)

Danbooru also decided to delete my picture after I posted my profile so I've fixed it up and edited my profile :)

[Peanuts]

Bring on the Dropbears, Yowies and Thylacines!

[Miss Sykes]

Drop bears and Thylacine are definitely scary (Love you Peanuts! XD)

But think about mutant crocs or Cassowaries! I don't know about you but I reckon I'd need a change of pants if a mutant Cassowary came charging at me

[Xue]

The spiders, people, the spiders.

I can hardly stand living here as it is.

[Peanuts]

An enraged mutant roo or wombat would probably be something to be tangled with too.

[Miss Sykes]

Oh god, I hadn't considered the spiders. I dunno what's worse though the creatures or the people. Australian raiders or slavers *A tall bloke wearing a blue singlet under a flannelette shirt he wears open football shorts and thongs (Flip-flops for you Muricans) "G'day mate how's about you hand over that sheila you got there?"

[KirbysFolly]

Hrmm, well uhh, remember we're in mid-late twenties so Snoot has been back in the Ark for about 6 years now, and your bio says Deek only died last spring. Perhaps we could combine our Stalker friends into the same character and that could be the mutual relationship, then throw in Kennedy having protected him from some belligerent asshole and I could see it working maybe? Still seems like it would be a fairly recent relationship though, so Snoot might still be a bit skeptical about Kennedy.

Whoops, sorry to disappear, started a new schedule at work this week.

I figured the bullying had taken a backseat to longer, less violent scams and schemes recently, but making the two Stalkers into one, and Snoot being somewhat leery of Kennedy still is completely fine with me! I figured they wouldn't be real close, since nobody really liked Kennedy that much anyway.  :-)

[Peanuts]

No worries, those both sound good. So I would say the relationship from Snoot's end would be... Kennedy is a bit slow on the uptake. Best explain stuff. In detail.

[Xue]

Just putting this here for later:

Hilae's worldview

Hamm Eir: If I need anything in a hurry, I know where to go. Hamm seems a bit wistful sometimes, like he's got plans that are bigger than the Ark, but don't we all?
Devin: Might be scary if he wasn't so intent on protecting others. He has to have a soft spot under that exterior, or he wouldn't do what he does.
Snoot: If Hamm can't find it, maybe Snoot can make it. He seems a bit weird since he got back from The Big Adventure, but one day I'm going to get all the details out of him.
Ches: My hopeless cause. Someone's got to keep that girl on the straight and narrow. I hardly ever see her anymore, but I miss all the conversations we used to have.
Hurst: He's seen more than I have of the world outside, but I'm not always sure he's telling the truth. Cheerful enough, but pragmatic to the core.
Kennedy: He's big. Scary big. He used to hang around with that annoying guy, but lately he seems to be going solo. Might need cheering up.

[William Blake]

Well, folks: things are moving!

There is an Ark and Character Sheet thread up! Everyone can post their sheets to this thread. Some things about that:

Please look over the Ark sheet to make sure everything is correct. I set the Ark in a fictional port expansion at the tip of O25 - in the cruel future of Mutant, dirty capitalists demolished Fort Independence, a dusty and useless landmark, to make room for another drydock and some container storage.

When you post your sheet, I need you to have the following things:
- An NPC to Hate and an NPC to Protect. Even if it's Hurst's "no one" type of answer - as long as it's something you can stick to your guns about so I can give you XP.
- Thoughts about your fellow PCs and an indicated Buddy. Again, so I can give you XP.
- A Den that is appropriate for the Ark type we have going here.

Feel free to discuss in this thread.

Or, possibly, in our new OOC thread. It's for OOC things. It also has the house rules/changes/etc. in effect - I'll let you know if I've forgotten something, a new ruling comes out, or anything like that -, a link to a reference sheet of dubious helpfulness, and a link to the dice rolller.

Also, the OOC thread has a question you'll want to answer and some information about the current state of affairs.

Have at it, y'all! Enjoyed the discussion so far, but I'm too tired to comment post-by-post like I have been.