Interest Check: Swashbuckling Space Opera! (VAN thru BON)

[MadPanda]

Hmm.  I'm detecting a 'noble pirates in space' theme, here...with psionics.

Bishrook, would you be happy with a single ship for the group if you got to be Captain?   ;D 

[Bishrook aka Fate sisters]

If it created no discord among other potential players.

[DeviantMunster]

I don't mind, particularly. Group or single is relatively fine, but in a group we could interact with each other more.

[Bishrook aka Fate sisters]

I don't mind, particularly. Group or single is relatively fine, but in a group we could interact with each other more.

This is true. I am not dogmatic about it all. Let see if I can clarify what I am thinking.
In most games when it comes to a fight most players don't scializemuch at all. they are busy making their moves.
So I am thinking of a situation where each character could have a ship (or fighter) and the individual action would most be in combat.
Either there would be a common social site. The home ship, the stationor perhaps a tortuga like site (or all three).
Maybe the best 'compromise' would be one ship with those who wanted them having fighters, boarding units or troop shuttles.

[MasterMischief]

Plus there's MasterMischief, who may know better than I...

Hey!  Why am I being volunteered?  Oh, yeah, because I stuck my snout in here.

MadPanda is still working some specifics out, so this is just my understanding of the core rules.

Foible
Your character should have at least one Foible.  This is a disadvantage of inconvenience that you would like to see your character face during the game.  Why would you want a disadvantage?  One, it gives your character more depth.  Two, when it comes into play, you get style dice.

Motivation
Your character should have a motivation.  What is your character's purpose in life?  What matters to your character? 

Past
Sum up your character's past in a sentence or less as best you can.  This also helps identify things your character can probably do that are note explicitly defined by Fortes.

Swashbuckling Forte
Your character's Swashbuckling Forte is their defining ability.  What are they most known for?  It starts at Good [+2], but you can improve it by spending ranks from your additional Fortes.

Other Fortes
You have four ranks worth of other Fortes.  These are other things your character is known for.  One rank buys you an ability at Good [+2].  Two ranks buys you an ability at Expert [+4].  Three ranks buys you an ability at Master [+6].  You may spend one or more ranks here to increase your Swashbuckling Forte.  No Forte may be higher than Master [+6].

Technique
Techniques are more specific abilities.  They can be chained to, or in other words applied to, a character's Swashbuckling Forte, one of a character's other Fortes or to anything at all.  What is the difference between a Forte and a Technique?  Well, a Forte should be fairly broad while a Technique should be much more specific.

You have five points to spend on Techniques.  It cost one point to chain a Technique to your Swashbuckling Forte.  It cost two points to chain a Technique to one of your other Fortes.  It cost three points to have an unchained Technique.

Some of examples of how Fortes and Techniques interact.  Maybe you have Pilot as your Swashbuckling Forte and While Being Chased as a Technique chained to it.  You would use your Pilot skill while doing piloty stuff, but you get to add your While Being Chased bonus if it applies to the scene as well.

How broad and specific Fortes and Techniques should be is really left up to the GM.

[HairyHeretic]

Psionics, yes or no?

Sure, why not. Call it magic, psionics or the force, and it all works the same.

Space Travel: How?  (I like the Bab5 jump gate idea, myself)

I've been working on a sci fi wargame for a while. I've ripped off ideas from a few places, and what I'm using is this system.

Any ship can travel between any system by moving into hyperspace. Some systems are connected by grav waves which can speed up the travel time between those systems significantly. The stronger the wave, the faster the ship travels. A handfull are connected by wormholes which allow for instantaneous travel between those two systems.

Spaceships: what sort?  One group ship?  Individual craft?

Large group ship, with options for people to have their own smaller fighters / parasite craft.

Raygun Power?  (One vote already for 'normal' damage)

Normal works.

Why are the PCs Together?

Defeat the Evil Galactic Empire.

Of course, they call us pirates and rebels, but then they would, wouldn't they?

And of course, things that you would like to see happen.

Action! Excitement! Romance! Strange Creatures! Explosions! Fist Fights! Daring do! Mad Science! Slaves in gold bikinis! Heros! Villians! A .. chance .. to .. talk reallydramatically! Bad Puns! Cliches!

[MadPanda]

Now, before we go any further, I have to ask if anyone minds horribly the thought of using Spelljammer style starships?  I just can't get the idea of an interstellar pirate ship out of my head...  :-)   (Realism?  What's that?)

Otherwise we appear to be heading for a Space Pirate game, with the Faceless Minions of Tightly Centralized Autocracy as the bad guys.

[DraconVentarii]

^_^ This looks very interesting! Count me in!

However, I'm having much trouble figuring all of this out... For instance, I don't know what "style dice" means.

Also, is that link in the first post safe? Where does it lead?

I'm sorry to be so bothersome, but I don't want to risk damaging my computer...

Anyway, I'm wiling to learn the ropes of this RP, so any help from you guys would be appreciated. ^^

[MadPanda]

The link leads to the publisher's website, where they have the core rules for both PDQ and PDQ# available as a free download.  Your caution is commendable!

'Style dice' are an in-game mechanic.  They take a little getting used to, but the essence is that you get bonus dice for a) doing cool stuff, b) acting appropriately, and c) allowing yourself to get shafted by the GM in certain circumstances.  We'll go through all that when we get there.

I think we have enough to lock in a few more dials, here.

Psionics: Yes
Travel: warp gates to hyperspace
Blasters: normal damage
PC Group Starship: One, with daughtercraft.
PC Group: a motley crew of pirates and rebels, struggling against Teh Ebbil Autocracy and the faceless minions thereof.

Full summary to follow.

[DraconVentarii]

^^ Thanks, and very interesting. Can't wait to get started.

And I have to say this idea immediately reminds me of Rogue Galaxy!  :-) (Tis a favorite game of mine.)

[MadPanda]

So noted.  And how do you feel about the dials as proposed?

Don't forget the big question!  What would you like to see happen?

[DraconVentarii]

Oh, you mean those ideas? I like them all. I feel I'll quite enjoy the Psionics and the warp gates.

As for what I'd like to see happen... Huhm...

What if the empire in question discovered a powerful machine that could rip reality asunder? A time machine, you know. The villains could go to any place and time, literally conquering everything. Of course, our motley crew of pirates learn of this and steal the time machine for themselves before the empire can find it.

How's that for a plot? ^_^?

[MadPanda]

Doomsday devices, piracy on the spaceways, a bit of exploration (perhaps for a new haven to replace the one that someone used the Doomsday Device to blow up)...

Oh, yeah.  It's all coming together.

Now, how do you feel about Spelljammer style starships?   ;D

[DraconVentarii]

After googling some images of the Spelljammer ships, I have to say they look verily intriguing. ^^ I wouldn't mind my character being on board such vessels.

[MadPanda]

Okay, then!  Anyone else?

[HairyHeretic]

I'm ok with Spelljammer ships.

BTW, how over the top are you ok with? I have a few ideas floating around in my head right now ..  ;D

[MadPanda]

This is likely to be pretty campy, if I do it right.  If your fellow rogues have no problem with it, then I'm not about to argue.

Much.   :-)

I think I'm about ready to get a thread together, once I can think of a decent title.

[HairyHeretic]

This is likely to be pretty campy, if I do it right.  If your fellow rogues have no problem with it, then I'm not about to argue.

Much.   :-)

MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

*ahem*

Ok  ;D

[DeviantMunster]

Still need the character template set up! But hmm... I suppose spelljammer ships could work. Is the evil empire, then, going to be very evil and serious, in direct contrast to our characters?

[MadPanda]

Character Generation starts with the following:

Planet!
Gimme two rolls, please: one of 4d6 and one of 2d6.  That will generate the name of your homeworld.  You then get to determine three facts...

[HairyHeretic]

4d6 = 20
2d6 = 8

I just used a handfull of dice I have handy by my machine, rather than the dice roller.

[MadPanda]

Here's a quick character template to tide you over.
For the inspiration impaired, there are a couple of handy little tables in the SpOp doc that allow for random generation of Past, Motivation, SpOp Forte, and so on.  Need help, just ask!

Home Planet:
Fact 1:
Fact 2:
Fact 3:

Character Name:
Past:
Motivation:
Forte:
Forte:
Forte:
Given Forte: (Good) Battle Bikini/Briefs (+2)
Foible:


I haven't decided which sort of ship you will get, but it'll be one of the sleeker, meaner ones.  Might want to decide on a a name for it, but Captain Bishrook gets final say. :D  As is only fair.

[MadPanda]

Is the evil empire, then, going to be very evil and serious, in direct contrast to our characters?

That is a very, very good suggestion!  Although in keeping in tone with the source material, they're still going to be amusingly serious and dull.  ;D

I may just have to borrow the name of the ruler from National Lampoon's Doon: the Paddedbra Emperor Shaddap the Fourth sounds about perfect, and he shall be clad in black on sable, with ebon piping and jet buttons, bearing on his chest the crest of his house, the profile of an invisible man at midnight.

[HairyHeretic]

Emperor Wang the Perverted, from Flesh Gordon  :D

[MadPanda]

Wang had cheerleaders.  Shaddup the Fourth had...uhm...I don't recall if he had anything.  Maybe a dirge line or something.  ;D