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

[William Blake]

Ambiance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuqQe9VDvyY&list=PL52FIvxwj94fMrB1KeESGfPajT1s509X0&index=5

"Of course the world ends. It happens quickly, faster than anyone could predict. The Red Plague hits a world already on the brink of collapse. Extreme climate change, global economic crisis, increasing conflict between old and new superpowers. When the pandemic comes, the last thin veneer of stability crumbles.

One billion people die in the first year. Utter panic reigns supreme, solidarity between nations is non-existent. Wars break out over the last, dwindling resources of the world. For the first time since 1945, nuclear weapons are used in armed conflict. Mushroom clouds rise from east to west.

Everyone tries to save themselves. The rich and powerful start monumental projects to escape the surface of the dying Earth: going deep underground, to the bottom of the oceans, into the cold darkness of space. The seats in these final lifeboats for mankind are desperately few. For most of the world's inhabitants, there is no way out.

Once it's all over, Earth is still. Nature invades ruined cities. Winds sweep through empty streets turned into graveyards. Time gnaws the windows off skyscrapers, panes falling to the ground in a slow rain of glass.

Yet life remains. Slivers of humanity survive the Apocalypse. In the Ark, a small settlement at the edge of a dead city, the People live. You are the spawn of humanity, but not quite human. You are twisted funhouse images, mutated freaks. Your bodies and minds have incredible powers, but you are unstable. Fragile. None of the People are over 30 years old.

Except the Elder. Your leader, but not like you. One of the Ancients. For decades, he has warned you: be on your guard, don't leave the Ark. Stay here, or the Rot will get you. Or something even worse. So far, you have obeyed his commands. Lived off rations from the Old Age. Chased off every stranger who came close to the Ark. Few dared to go out into the Zone. That is what the Elder calls the outside world.

But the safe days are over. Food is running scarce, and the fight for what's left is turning violent. You starve. Factions are forming, bosses on top and slaves at the bottom. In the middle, fixers who try to turn a profit from anyone and everyone. And the Elder can't stand up on his own anymore. They say he can't even take a piss without help. You're on your own now.

It's time to venture out. To explore the Zone, to search for artifacts and knowledge. Build, grow the land, seek out others, create a new civilization on the ruins of the old one. Seek your origin. No children are born to the People - if you do nothing, you will perish. Maybe, one day, you will find the Eden of legend, the Ancient's haven from the encroaching hellscape. That's where salvation and truth await, the stories say.

Maybe it's all fairy tales. It doesn't matter. You have no choice. This is the beginning.

This is Year Zero."

~ Mutant: Year Zero rulebook, by way of introduction to the setting.

What is this?

This is Mutant: Year Zero. This is Bones of the Old World -- a post-apocalyptic story about rebuilding from the ashes of a world failed, repeatedly, by its original inhabitants. It is a story about what it means to be human - or something close to it - when there are no models left for how to be human. It is a story about survival and struggle and hardship… and about triumph.

It's a system game, it's a story, it's a setting. Each of these elements exists to enhance and further the others - the stats, the dice, the rules, are all there to provide uncertainty, risk, and structure to the story and to inform the setting. The setting is there to provide context to the rules and be a compelling place to encourage storytelling. And the story shapes the setting and gives meaning to the rules.

Mutant is a very… collaborative system. We will have to take polls. We will have to communicate. We will have to make decisions. It will also be a very collaborative story, and I look forward to having you all on board for it.

Setting/Themes: Post apocalyptic survival/exploration/settlement management with themes of introspection and identity.
System: Mutant: Year Zero
Players: Ideally, 3-6. Realistically, 2-8. Not including me, of course.
Posting Rate: Hopefully about weekly. Faster if that's what ends up happening. No one should be left behind, so long as they don't disappear, though!
Commitment: Fairly long-term. The appeal of Mutant is its sweeping scope and mutual worldbuilding. The hope is to make that exciting and engaging enough that people don't WANT the campaign to end, just evolve.
Game vs. Narrative: Narrative. Dice and stats exist to inform and develop story.
Smut: Moderate to Plentiful. Mutant allows for a ton of smut. I'm partially here to write erotica, so I'll not shy away from it as a GM, leaving "Moderate" the minimum just based on what you might run into. If everyone wants more… opportunities abound.

What can we expect from one-another?

This is a system game in name, but I'd prefer to think of it as a story with some dice and numbers involved. I would love players who can think of it the same way - who can look past the system or, better yet, incorporate it and craft an interesting, collaborative tale about surviving and thriving in a post apocalyptic world. This means the best posts go beyond simple actions and dice rolls - they let the other writers know something about your character and/or give someone else something interesting to respond to. The best posts are quality posts - and, while that doesn't mean incredibly long or grammatically perfect, it means posts that are interesting rather than just a set of stage directions.

Because Mutant is a very collaborative system, this game requires perhaps more effective OOC communication than other games. Exploration has to strike a careful balance between player agency and player characters having no clue what's around the corner. Elements of the game world develop based on player desires, but also fit in with the established lore the GM curates. Sweeping decisions can be made that players have to agree on. That means that anyone involved in this game is going to have to be willing to put in the effort to work with the other writers and keep up a good flow of OOC chatter. It's just the way this system works best.

As a GM, I'll be striving to give you an interesting experience that caters to your tastes to the best of my ability. I'll be enabling and challenging you as writers and storytellers and trying to set up interesting events and NPCs for you to engage with. I'll be available for questions and arbitration, either in the OOC thread or via PM. I'll be committed to holding this crazy, sinking ship together for as long as there are players wanting to steer it places.

In short: we're in this together, and I hope it's great.

Inspiration and Tone

Think the colors, atmosphere, and settlement aspects of Fallout 4, with the sense of isolation and lack of knowledge about the outside world from Fallout 3. Add in a bit of the bleak danger of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., sprinkle in the bizarre mutations of Nuclear Throne, add thematic elements from Mad Max and many other post-apocalypse materials. Consider, with perhaps a gleam of ambition in your eye, the elegantly escalating scope and storytelling of The Walking Dead comics.

Tone-wise, Mutant is pretty serious… except when it isn't. There are plenty of opportunities for light-hearted humor, especially when you're running into strange items that you can't explain. The world should feel wide, intriguing, and mysterious, but at the same time constantly dangerous. Fellow mutants (or animals) are potential allies, but also selfish and problematic. Absurdist humor paints over an environment that is both bleak and wondrous all at the same time...

What next?

Hopefully, almost everyone here will have seen the interest thread. This is the recruitment thread for Year Zero, and it exists for two reasons:

1 - To handle all the pre-game decision-making for Year Zero. This includes some setting details and some NPCs that simply must be decided before we can finalize anything.

2 - To allow me a final look over character sheets and approve or, possibly, disapprove of characters or players.

To that end, I'll be asking questions. Many of these will be setting questions that I want all of you to answer and discuss. Some will be character specific. If I am asking you questions about your character, this doesn't mean they won't be approved! It just means I have some curiosity or am trying to encourage some depth, which isn't to say your character won't be or isn't already good. Remember, we're in this together!

What setting details do I need to know?

None of the People are over 30. None are younger than their mid/late-20s. They do not remember lives before the Ark. They do not remember having parents or families, but they do know what such things are.

The People have not been able to get pregnant.

Save for Stalkers, none of the People have wandered too far into the Zone. Venturing there at all is considered dangerous and taboo.

The Elder is the only Ancient known to the People. He's told stories of the past, but they are vague. He has not been sexually active with the People. Other than the details he's provided you, knowledge of the outside world and the culture of the Ancients is severely limited.

Currently, no one save Chroniclers can read. You can perhaps recognize and even sound out letters, but actual comprehension is, sadly, beyond most of you. As well, tools and equipment are fairly limited and mostly handmade and dreamed up by inventive individuals.

The Questions

Question 1 - Zone

I'd like you to pick from one of the four potential Zone maps I made. These are… less interesting, in a sense, than the two stock Zones from the Core Rules, in that they do not have icons. To be honest, I didn't want to tie us down to big landmarks and I didn't want to hardcore research cities I'm not intimately familiar with.

You can also request a specific city for me to make a map of - which will take a day or so to complete - with the following criteria:

Coastal (to access Dead Blue Sea content)
U.S. based (cultural familiarity aids my ability to set a post-apoc scene)
Fairly substantial (the center of the Zone map should be fairly heavily urban, despite what border sectors might be)

Boston, MA

Charleston, SC

Jacksonville, FL

Pensacola, FL

Question 2 - Ark Sector and Type

The Ark is located somewhere in a Sector - Sectors are roughly one square mile in area - and, while the Ark may or may not encompass the entire Sector, that whole Sector is considered "safe", as though the Ark were the only interesting thing within it. Ark placement is fairly important, for a number of reasons. Consider access to other Sectors (and their access to the Ark), possible defense of the Ark, how dangerous the surrounding areas might be, ease of access to the coast, etc. Coastal Arks may or may not allow access to some of the Dead Blue Sea rules (Jury-Rig being used for bigger boats/ships, certain aquatic Projects, etc.)

The Ark type is narrative. Is your Ark a beached cargo vessel? Is it a gated neighborhood? Is it a village built entirely out of scrap? What sort of place do you want to live in - keeping in mind that you're going to be building it up in the future and making it more than just a home!

You need to decide on a water source - where you're typically getting clean water from. It should be one source, and should be fairly localized. The People are not terribly advanced, though they do have access to clean water.

Question 3 - Starting Season

Summer or Winter? This is a largely thematic difference - both seasons are incredibly dangerous. Temperatures can be problematic in both seasons, and threats to both your characters and the Ark might be somewhat unique but, make no mistake, they are present regardless of the season.

Partially, this determines what sort of scene setting you like. Overgrown and verdant, with nature reclaiming old buildings, active animals, and muggy air? Or desolate, empty coldness, bright and lonely, with the companionship of mutants around a garbage fire and the quiet creaking of distant buildings making up the long nights?

Question 4 - The Bosses

The Ark's Bosses are major power players - with the Elder more or less out of commission and the Chroniclers belonging to the Dawn Vault more or less scrambling to attend to him and their artifacts, the Bosses are the ones really stepping up and trying to direct the People's society. While many mutants might have ideas about the type of life they'd like to lead or see thrive in the Ark, the Bosses generally have the power blocs and support to see their visions come true.

Bosses have a "type" that reflects their general disposition. I'd like to see around five Bosses - preferably, two hostile type Bosses, two neutral types, and one that you feel would generally be considered a positive force.

Boss types are referenced on pages 99-100. I can repost that here, if you'd like.

Some of you might end up with Bosses in your backstory, and we can categorize those here. That's fine.

Question 5 - Dev Levels

You have 12 points to distribute between the four Development levels. There are four tiers to each Dev level, reached in increments of 10 Dev points. You need to agree on starting levels.

Food affects the relative price of Grub and lowers the Weekly Body Count.
Culture affects RP type abilities (reading, for instance) and expression in the Ark.
Technology primarily impacts with Projects can be built and what Artifacts can be easily understood.
Warfare is a statistic primarily used in Ark-level battles.

Question 6 - Basic Game Structure

The stock rules for Initiative are: roll d6, current Agility decides ties. A strict initiative order is more tactical, and may help survival in combat, but slows posting down like nobody's business. Unfortunately, many Stunts, Talents, and Mutations play on the Initiative system, so changing it makes those less useful, and might make the game more deadly.

An alternative would be Side v. Side combat, with first-come-first-serve turn order. I post for all NPCs during their side's turn. Players post as they're able, and the order of posts is their turn order - if it's written, it's happened, if it isn't written yet, it hasn't happened yet. This keeps the flow moving, but means combats are potentially more one-sided - Mutant is deadly - and makes some abilities less useful. I'm also open to ideas.

As a GM and a player, I'm used to one thread per game session - which I have seen called "Chapters" and which I suppose we'll call "Issues" - which flows in chronological order, more or less. Downtime and its attendant sandboxing are primarily handled as they come up, and the GM moves everyone on when everyone's ready to move on… but, it is my understanding that this is not typical for E. It is also true that I am used to games with less sandboxing and partial group interactions. We need to decide on a structure for this game.

I am considering a "main thread" for the general content - when the group is together pursuing their joint agendas - and a "downtime thread" where players can explore to their heart's content when the main thread breaks for downtime. This allows players to take advantage of breaks in the narrative (primarily stretches of time in the Ark) at their own pace. I would announce in the main thread that downtime has begun and provide some minor structure or plot points, and would reconvene at a set date or when most players were ready to move on, but people engaging in longer scenes would be able to continue them without holding up the game.

Downside? Harder to go back and read the thread "beginning to end" like a story. If something crops up in an ongoing scene in the Ark that's important to character development or the narrative, but happens after we've moved on, the content between "main thread" picking up again and the introduction of this fact would not account for something that's supposed to have already happened, so continuity suffers. Upside? A bit more freedom, and less pressure to wrap up smaller, more personal scenes.

Do you want to use a tagging system and headers? I'm neutral on it. In combat, it's helpful to track player stats. That said, I encourage all players to read all content - even downtime sandboxing style content that doesn't involve them - whether they're tagged or not. Tagging should be for calling attention, not an "ok, I can safely ignore this" section. :)

Discuss!

Create Your Character

Character creation follows the guidelines set out in Chapter 2. There are no inherent changes to character creation.

Some errata to the M:YZ PDF and house rules should be made clear at this stage:

Recovery of Strength and Agility requires one unit of Grub or Water, respectively, per point recovered.

Arrows work like bullets, in terms of inventory space.

Dog Handlers use Sic a Dog to assign their dog to attack. They keep doing this indefinitely until called back or that combat is over (dog or target broken) - calling a dog back is a maneuver. You are otherwise then free to spend your own actions doing things.

Chroniclers' Inspire skill has been houseruled so as to not be hilariously overpowered. Instead of providing/removing Successes equal to Successes rolled, you provide a Modification (more or less dice) based on Successes rolled. Helping is a positive 1+Successes Mod (on Success), Hindering is a negative Successes mod.

Mutations are roll-2-pick-1. If you roll a mutation already in use, you are allowed to reroll that mutation. If neither of your first mutations are fitting to your concept, you can take one more roll-2-pick-1.

You can use this dice roller! I trust you not to cheat. Please don't abuse that trust, because every other roller that helps enforce no-cheat is such a pain in the ass to do Mutant rolls with.

Please use the character sheet provided (it will be posted in a characters thread once approved). It contains all the standard M:YZ information plus some more story and E specific information.

Code Select Expand

[b]NAME:[/b]
[b]ROLE:[/b]

[b]Appearance:[/b] [Especially if picture isn't exact.]
[b]Fetishes:[/b]
[b]Offs:[/b]

[b]Background:[/b]

[Text about your character's history, and some details about them!]

[b]STR:[/b] 1/1
[b]AGI:[/b] 1/1
[b]WIT:[/b] 1/1
[b]EMP:[/b] 1/1

[b]SKILLS:[/b]
[Skill] -- #
[Skill] -- #
[Skill] -- #

[b]TALENTS:[/b]
[Name]

[b]MUTATIONS:[/b]
[Name]

[b]GEAR:[/b]
[b]1:[/b] [Normal Item]
[b]2:[/b] [Light Item 1 / Light Item 2]
[b]3:[/b] [Light Item 3] / --------   
[b]4:[/b] [Heavy Item 1]
[b]5:[/b] [Heavy Item 1]
[b]6:[/b] --------
[b]7:[/b] --------
[b]8:[/b] --------
[b]9:[/b] STR CAP
[b]0:[/b] STR CAP

[b]TINY ITEMS:[/b]
[Name]

[b]WORN ITEMS:[/b]
[WEIGHTLESS THINGS LIKE BOOTS AND JACKETS ARE TRACKED HERE, BUT ALSO WEIGHTED ITEMS LIKE ROT SUITS]

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

[b]CONDITIONS:[/b]
[b]CRITICAL INJURIES:[/b]

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

[b]MY BIG DREAM:[/b]

[b]DEN:[/b]
[b]DEN STOCKPILE:.[/b]

[b]GRUB:[/b] #
[b]WATER:[/b] #
[b]BULLETS:[/b] #

[spoiler=Notes]Things to note or consider.[/spoiler]

Please feel free to spruce up your character sheet with extras. If you want to list weapons, using something like….

Code Select Expand

[b]Scrap Knife:[/b] +1 GB, 2 Damage, Arm's Length, Light Weapon

Feel free to do that. Add extra spoiler tags to provide more detail, stash extra pictures, whatever. Add a picture to your charactersheet in whatever flavor you're a fan of. Personally, I'm fond of:

Code Select Expand

[float=right][img width=350 padding=25]URL[/img][/float]

Please note, fetishes and offs are not necessarily what your character likes and dislikes, but rather a guide for me and the other players about what you, as a writer, want to happen to them. If there's a significant disconnect, you can call it out in the notes section or whatever. This means, say, that a sheet might suggest "anal" as a fetish, but the character themselves might resist or even abhor anal - the writer simply wants to write them being exposed to it, so to speak. ;) You know, for those people who have more interests than their character has emotion or experience… or for those dub/non-con fans out there.

Final Thoughts

So those things are what I need from you - or need you to understand, at least. I'll be meandering through the thread, encouraging discussion and asking you questions about your characters and such.

When/if I approve your character, their sheet can go in the official character thread (actual thread forthcoming). It's important that you post it, as you are going to be updating it as your character changes.

Once we get things rolling, I'll update that thread with an Ark sheet, including NPCs you know, information you've gathered, etc. - it'll grow to be a sort of setting bible, if I can keep it updated. There will also be house rules / errata in a spoilered-off section. You'll want to read those, as it might include information not covered in this thread.

A quick reference of the rules can be found here, for convenience.

Have fun! :)

[ThatFantasticBard]

Glad to see this up. Ill hopefully have a character in the works some time this year. :P

[Peanuts]

WOoooOOoOoooOOOo! Probably be the weekend before I get a character up for this though :) Pyro Gearhead, or whatever they're called.

[Lynx181]

My vote for our zone is pensacola, FL, and I think winter sounds like a nice starting season.

I don't have any preferences in bosses, nor the ark type and location, though my two cents for ark DEV levels is.
04 food
02 culture
03 tech
03 warfare.

Finally here is my sheet, sadly I lack a character picture.

fixer

Name:Hamm Eir
Role: Fixer
Appearance: Pale, scrawny, messy brown hair
Body: always smiling, very little muscle, but still has meat on his bones
Clothing: Dirty old tank top with a jacket, usually closed up, with dress pants surprisingly well kept and hiking boots.
Fetishes: hot women in general who don't want commitment, women who can pull their own weight.
Off’s:clingy women who won't work for their grub, slavers in general, mind fuckery.
Background: a young mutant who grew up always able to weasle his way out of trouble, either by pointing out someone easier to beat up, paying them off, or having his best friend krimmy kick their asses, Hamm always loved making deals, though he craves for the chance to be something more than just another goods hawker...he wants to run his own slice of heaven...

Attributes:
Strength:2
Agility:4
Wits:3
Empathy:5
Skills:
(S)Endure:
(S)Force:
(S)Fight:
(A)Sneak:1
(A)Move:1
(A)Shoot:2
(W)Scout:
(W)Comprehend:
(W)Know the Zone:
(E)Sense Emotion:1
(E)Manipulate:2
(E)Heal:1
(E)Make a deal:2
Talents:
W


Mutations:Human magnet
Push away or attract metal objects within Short range, weighing no more than yourself. Costs 1 MP.
Throw metal objects at a target at up to Short range. The damage is equal to the number of MP you spend.
Shield yourself against bullets and other metal weapons. Every MP spent reduces the damage from such an attack by one. (R)

Mutation Points:
1
Gear:
1- scrap derringer
2-4 grub
3-3 water
4-
Bullets-7

Armor:

Weapons:scrap derringer
+1 gear die, 1 damage, near, jury rigged,light weapon
Relationships:
pc-1
Pc-2
Pc-3
(Bolden name for buddy)
I hate:cronicler smoltz, he keeps bad mouthing me

I must protect:krimmy, an enforcer who always has my back


My big dream:to become a boss of my own and have a say in the ark finally

Rot Points:(Bolden current number)
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10.

Exp:(Bolden current number)
1,2,3,4,5.

People I’ve met: (List Name-Role-Notes)

My den:
A trailer set up near the center of the ark
Description:
A ratty old mobile home, a sunshade full of holes on old beat up rods covers the window on the side of the home next to the door, which houses a ratty mattress with old newspaper used as hole plugs. A plastic table is set up out front, potmarked with bullet holes and stains from booze and fire, used to display wares of the day.
Gear stashed:
5 grub
Tiny items:
Crumpled and burnt deck of playing cards, somewhat useable.
Notes:

[Love And Submission]

I'm interested. I've never played this game before but I've played several similar tabletop RPGs  and they were enjoyable.

The only thing I want to say though is that no matter if I join the  game or not , you guys should start in Boston. Florida has crazy wildlife. It's got Alligators, Crocodiles, Venomous Snakes and Panthers.
It's not particularly hospitable in a post-apocalypse scenario. Boston's also got a huge harbor and an airport which are great places to raid for resources on your trips out of the Ark.

[Xue]

Alligators, Crocodiles, Venomous Snakes and Panthers.

This was my first thought on seeing the initials FL.  Fuck crocodiles.

[William Blake]

I'm interested. I've never played this game before but I've played several similar tabletop RPGs  and they were enjoyable.

The only thing I want to say though is that no matter if I join the  game or not , you guys should start in Boston. Florida has crazy wildlife. It's got Alligators, Crocodiles, Venomous Snakes and Panthers.
It's not particularly hospitable in a post-apocalypse scenario. Boston's also got a huge harbor and an airport which are great places to raid for resources on your trips out of the Ark.

Welcome to the thread! You can go peek at the interest thread, if you want; it contains a bit more details. I thought it would lure out all interested parties, but apparently, my fancy fancy art snagged a few more. ;) Otherwise, I am happy to answer questions.

This was my first thought on seeing the initials FL.  Fuck crocodiles.

Oh, yeah, Florida definitely contains mutant crocodiles. I mean, there are horrible, dangerous mutated beasts everywhere, but definitely can't do Florida without mutant crocodiles.

[Love And Submission]

So here's my WIP Character

Jimmy Knuckles

NAME: Jimmy Knuckles
ROLE: Boss
Appearance:
Fetishes: Non-Con
Offs: Scat, Piss, Player's Offs

Background:
Jimmy Knuckles is an old-fashion street tough with slick black hair and long leather boots. He founded the Knuckleheads in his teenage years, a rapacious groups of  young  ark-dwellers who occasionally enjoy  stealing and  extortion. The knuckleheads aren't the largest group in Ark but they're certainly the most hot-tempered and  rowdy.  They're known for their wild parties, love of knives and leather jackets. The group is open to both genders with most of the females being the girlfriends of the more senior male members.




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

SKILLS:

Command -- 3
Manipulate --  2
Move -- 2
Fight --  2
Shoot -- 1

TALENTS:
[Commander-] +2 modification when  you order your gang to fight for you

MUTATIONS:
[Flame Breather] You can spew out flammable gasses and ignite them on on the way through your gullet to create a deadly cascade of fire.

GEAR:
1: [Spiked Bat] Gear Bonus +2 to Fight, weapon damage 2
2: [Light Item 1 / Light Item 2]
3: [Light Item 3] / --------   
4: [Heavy Item 1]
5: [Heavy Item 1]
6: --------
7: --------
8: --------
9: STR CAP
0: STR CAP

TINY ITEMS:
[Name]

WORN ITEMS:
A Leather Jacket, White T-Shirt  and Leather Boots with Blue Jeans.

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

CONDITIONS:
CRITICAL INJURIES:

[PC NAME 1]:
PC NAME 2]:
[PC NAME 3] - BUDDY:
I HATE: That cocksucker Johnny  Cipriani, who refuses to join my crew.
I NEED TO PROTECT: Astrina The Chronicler. Her stories are good for recruitment.

MY BIG DREAM: To Build A New And Better Civilization In The Dawnworld

DEN:Lives in the Knucklehead's Clubhouse. It's an Old Run-Down Garage with  a broken jukebox. Jimmy sleeps on a futon in the front office while the rest of the Knuckleheads all live in one communal area on the garage floor.
DEN STOCKPILE:

GRUB: 7
WATER: 3
BULLETS: 6

Notes

Things to note or consider.

[ThatFantasticBard]

So here's my WIP Character

Jimmy Knuckles

NAME: Jimmy Knuckles
ROLE: Boss
Appearance:
Fetishes: Non-Con
Offs: Scat, Piss, Player's Offs

Background:
Jimmy Knuckles is an old-fashion street tough with slick black hair and long leather boots. He founded the Knuckleheads in his teenage years, a rapacious groups of  young  ark-dwellers who occasionally enjoy  stealing and  extortion. The knuckleheads aren't the largest group in Ark but they're certainly the most hot-tempered and  rowdy.  They're known for their wild parties, love of knives and leather jackets. The group is open to both genders with most of the females being the girlfriends of the more senior male members.




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

SKILLS:

Command -- 3
Manipulate --  2
Move -- 2
Fight --  2
Shoot -- 1

TALENTS:
[Commander-] +2 modification when  you order your gang to fight for you

MUTATIONS:
[Flame Breather] You can spew out flammable gasses and ignite them on on the way through your gullet to create a deadly cascade of fire.

GEAR:
1: [Spiked Bat] Gear Bonus +2 to Fight, weapon damage 2
2: [Light Item 1 / Light Item 2]
3: [Light Item 3] / --------   
4: [Heavy Item 1]
5: [Heavy Item 1]
6: --------
7: --------
8: --------
9: STR CAP
0: STR CAP

TINY ITEMS:
[Name]

WORN ITEMS:
A Leather Jacket, White T-Shirt  and Leather Boots with Blue Jeans.

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

CONDITIONS:
CRITICAL INJURIES:

[PC NAME 1]:
PC NAME 2]:
[PC NAME 3] - BUDDY:
I HATE: That cocksucker Johnny  Cipriani, who refuses to join my crew.
I NEED TO PROTECT: Astrina The Chronicler. Her stories are good for recruitment.

MY BIG DREAM: To Build A New And Better Civilization In The Dawnworld

DEN:Lives in the Knucklehead's Clubhouse. It's an Old Run-Down Garage with  a broken jukebox. Jimmy sleeps on a futon in the front office while the rest of the Knuckleheads all live in one communal area on the garage floor.
DEN STOCKPILE:

GRUB: 7
WATER: 3
BULLETS: 6

Notes

Things to note or consider.

Hey now, I already called dibs on the flame breathing boss. >:T

[Love And Submission]

We can have two characters of the same role. 

I also didn't want fire breath, I wanted puppeteer but I rolled Insect Wings or Fire Breath and I just went fire breath. If you want me to reroll mutations, I'm totally open to doing that.

Roles  are also kind of arbitrary from reading the Rule book so I could change my role to Gang Leader,     switch wits with strength and commander with mean streak while keeping command if the GM allowed it.

[William Blake]

Hey now, I already called dibs on the flame breathing boss. >:T

Love here didn't know that, but it is a hilarious circumstance that they end up with EXACTLY what your character has. :P

We can have two characters of the same role. 

I also didn't want fire breath, I wanted puppeteer but I rolled Insect Wings or Fire Breath and I just went fire breath. If you want me to reroll mutations, I'm totally open to doing that.

Roles  are also kind of arbitrary from reading the Rule book so I could change my role to Gang Leader,     switch wits with strength and commander with mean streak while keeping command if the GM allowed it.

Hmm. So this is interesting.

You CAN have two characters with the same Role, especially with so many potential players running around. That being said, I discourage it where possible. Diversification is good for staying alive and all. ;)

Realistically, some Roles would be perfectly fine to double up on, and others I would shy away from. Multiple Enforcers, Slaves, Fixers, Dog Handlers, even Chroniclers is extremely easy to run. Sure too many Fixers might mean an overabundance of resources, and I might have to house rule that only one Chronicler can use Inspire at a time on an action, but it is otherwise not a problem. However, I would caution players away from, to the point of possibly being uncomfortable as a GM, any doubling up of Gearheads, Stalkers, and Bosses.

The soft ban on two or more Stalkers, honestly, is just for the fun of the players - there's almost no point in having two people with Find the Path. That is to say, doubling up on the skill would mean one Stalker likely felt bored while exploring the Zone. There is one carefully constructed combination of builds that means you can effectively utilize every single effect and stunt of Find the Path, but I'd rather Zone exploration not be so... easy.

Two Gearheads means doubling item production, which is dangerously effective, and it also means multiple Artifacts at the start of the game. I'd allow it, but I'd have to narrow my eyes in some minor amount of concern. ;)

Bosses are... Let me honest. I'm nervous enough allowing ONE Boss into the mix. Some GMs I know ban them as player Roles, actually. The problem lies in how much they alter the fabric of the roleplay simply by existing. Bosses, as a general concept, are extremely powerful and extremely important figures in the Ark. Normally, they are the movers and shakers that PCs have to deal with, avoid, side with, or somehow undermine as they move about their business in the Ark - they're the "big NPCs" that require careful handling, but the PCs are otherwise beneath their notice unless they do something concerning or makes moves that specifically cross paths with a Boss. Having a player Boss changes that. A player Boss immediately draws attention from the other Bosses - they cannot simply ignore competition for followers, authority, resources, and even territory - and that elevates the group of PCs up to a different level of play. Meanwhile, inter-party interactions are a bit different when one of them is near the top of the Ark's social hierarchy.

This RP... difference is important in balancing out the Command skill in the Ark. Aside from the risk of failure, it's a ludicrously powerful skill, especially when in the Ark. At the same time, the need to feed, water, and arm (with bullets) any gang members that are actively in use in the Zone makes the scramble for resources a very different dynamic for the group, as they typically need much more of it.  Even so, if the Boss can manage to secure enough resources - perhaps at the expense of the other PCs getting their hands on them - Command can drastically change the circumstances of adventuring in the Zone.

Here's the skinny of it: having even one Boss around damn near makes Mutant a different game, where your ability to complete Projects and combat Zone threats drastically increases and the challenges, both social and mechanical, adapt to compensate. Call it a personal limitation if you want, but I don't want to have two Bosses running around.

Yes, it helps that neither of you seem that invested - right off the bat - in jumping into power games with the other Bosses. Bard's Boss seemed more or less content to have a sliver of the market and do his own things, and Love's Boss seems more worried about causing some havoc and having a good time than being a social mover and shaker in terms of Ark authority. I do rather like both your Boss concepts - the Tunnel Snake vibe from the Knuckleheads gang is a nice touch... but I can't really reflavor the Role while still keeping Command without having the exact same issues I would have with two Bosses.

You're going to have to decide between the two of you what to do. If that proves difficult, I'll have to side with Bard, simply because he's had the Boss concept since mid-way through the interest thread.

As for Mutations, you can re-roll - Insect Wings didn't fit your concept at all, and Flame Breather is already in use.



For clarity's sake, since not everyone has posted the concept they developed in the interest thread, what we have drafted so far is:

Lynx181: Human Magnet Fixer
ThatFantasticBard: Firebreathing Boss*
Xue: Telepathic Chronicler
Peanuts: Pyrokinetic Gearhead
Miss Sykes: ??? Slave (hoping for Manbeast, might got with two Mutations)
Love and Submission: ??? Boss*
TheLaughingOne: ??? Stalker (aiming for Four Armed)**

* Something has to give here, I hate to say.
** I haven't heard from TLO in a while, but that doesn't mean they aren't around. Concept didn't necessarily feel... Stalkery, but was interesting. If someone has a strong Stalker concept, might suggest Enforcer for our lovely futa.

[Xue]

ARK

Weighing in here with my preferences for the Ark. No fucking crocodiles. Boston is my vote, though the winter is going to be a bitch, so I think summer is a good start. Specifically sector P26 which I assume is part of the Port. Highly defensible from land (bit less so from the sea), access to water (though not fresh), and the likelihood of a hell of a lot of metal (thus sturdy) structures. Specifically - the Ark could be a ship which was put into Drydock Number 3:


Now looking a bit more like this :


It may still be seaworthy. It may not. It may have taken on water at some point and so the less happy members of the Ark are living in the sections which are being lost to the ocean. Water source would be an onboard desalinisation module - solar powered. Limited output. Requires salt water input.

I do particularly like the concept of nature reclamation, but we're not going to see too much of that right near the Ark. Nearby there are areas which could have become overrun which will be good to explore, and allow for introduction of mutated animal species etc. Also agricultural/foraging prospects.


BOSSES

One US military type (despot, hostile).
One UN peacekeeping military type (commander, neutral)
Return to nature type (agitator, hostile)
Mafioso type (kingpin, neutral)

Lynx's suggested designations for development levels work for me:
04 food
02 culture
03 tech
03 warfare

Anyways, that's my suggestion. My character is here:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

NAME: Hilae
ROLE: Chronicler

Appearance: Hilae has dusky skin even when completely clean, a rare enough event in the Ark. Wide brown eyes with a slightly upturned slant and dark brows are framed by dark brown hair which falls in waves when loose, and is more often braided up for practicality. She adopts body paint, and costumes where she can.
Fetishes: (outlined elsewhere)
Offs: yes

Background:
(in progress)

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

SKILLS:
Inspire -- 3
Comprehend -- 2
Sense Emotion -- 2
Manipulate -- 1
Heal -- 2

TALENTS:
Performer

MUTATIONS:
Telepathy

GEAR:
1: [ waterproof satchel]
2: [notebook  / dreamcatcher]
3: [magnifying glass / can opener] 
4: [water container]
0: STR CAP - 4

TINY ITEMS:
Pencil stubs, sharpener

WORN ITEMS:
Long sleeved shirt, cargo pants, boots, long jacket

I HATE:
Fannet, a Chronicler who spread rumours about me being Rot-touched and wit-addled, preventing me from taking up a position in the Dawn Vault.
I NEED TO PROTECT:
Arosh, the Stalker who brought me back the ABC book.

MY BIG DREAM:
If there were cities full of people, food and medicine must have been more freely available. Where did it go, and how can I return it to my people? The future must be progressive.

[KirbysFolly]

While I missed the Interest Check, I am definitely interested!

The Questions

Question 1: I vote for Boston, because the wildlife in Florida is scary, and Boston is further away from it than North Carolina is.

Question 2: Per the book's recommendation to avoid the center of the map, I'd say somewhere along the water. R24 is along the coastline, looks like it's a state park, right next to a marina. Although the coast looks pretty marshy there on Google Maps, so maybe not? The M-N 19-20 area looks like it's the river expanded up to meet a pond, and it looks a bit less marshy. I'm just a bit concerned it's a little close to the center.

It sounds like the Ark is a scrap village from backstories, so maybe hauled-in trailers, scrap shelters, and some makeshift walls? I like the suggestion of the ship in dry-dock on the coast a lot, though.

Question 3: I like summer better, but not enough to fight over it.  :-)

Question 4: Kennedy's backstory implies a Boss named Largo, of some bent. Ruthless enough to have a lieutenant who would send goons to kill a guy, not try any other solution, though. Sounds a bit like a Despot.
A Kingpin-type sounds good.
A Commander could be a good one, easy to run afoul of, but also a possible ally in facing threats from outside.
A Bureaucrat is always good for an infuriating neutral party, but I'm not married to the idea of one.
And an Agitator seems like a good fit for a friendly Boss.

Nobody else had any Bosses mentioned in their posts here, so I guess there's a really rough vote?

Question 5: I'll pitch my vote in with Lynx and Xue, that's about what I was thinking anyway, and consensus is good.

Question 6: Initiative can be a pain. If we're all rolling separately anyway, we could try doing it with team slots (like the FFG Star Wars games at least, if you're familiar with them). Everybody rolls initiative as normal, but then whoever goes first takes the first initiative slot, and on and on. So if we rolled PC, PC, NPC, PC, NPC, Player 1 could go first, then Player 3, then an NPC, then Player 2, then the last NPC. It's kind of a compromise between the two, keeps the whole team from moving at once, while also keeping everybody from waiting for one specific player (except at the end of the loop, or the GM).

I personally prefer the 'main story thread' and 'downtime thread' approach myself, but I'm not a die-hard for it either.

I really like headers, because I'm terrible at remembering characters myself. I'm ambivalent about tagging, because I just read everything anyway (unless specifically told not to), and I always forget to update them. I haven't really been in a game where everybody ended up scattered all over though, and I suppose if that's common in this game, it could be useful to keep track of who is where.

Kennedy, the Enforcer:

He was friends with, and thug for, a low-level scammer named Deek. They got by by staying low. Deek tried to move up to medium-low, and got killed, and now Kennedy has realized that nobody likes him. He doesn't even like himself. Things in the Ark seem to be getting worse, and they say the Elder is about to die. It's getting harder to keep up his stockpile, and now word is spreading that he has something to do with a Stalker, and people are even less willing to associate with him. He hasn't got much left to lose, and things aren't getting any better doing what he's doing now.

If anybody wants to merge backstories, I'm not attached to any of the NPCs, and could swap any of them out for another PC.

I rolled Acid Spit and Amphibian, and since I was already planning to make him beefy, I went with Amphibian. I liked it better than Acid Spit.

The Character

NAME: Kennedy
ROLE: Enforcer

Appearance: Kennedy is built on a scale a bit larger than most of the People. He's almost 7 feet tall, and wide enough to fill a doorway with ease. Unless he's been starving, he always carries a bit of weight; he's never quite hit 'chubby,' but he's never gotten further than the 'lean' he ended up at during the worst of his recovery. He's got no hair, tan scales cover his body, and his feet (usually hidden in his boots) are webbed. His face is wide and sad, with heavy brows, and his nose has been badly broken several times; it's now heavily crooked to the left. He's got small scars all over his body, and his knuckles are gnarled, a legacy of a lifetime of brawling. With the scales, they show up as a gray color.

He's wearing a ratty shirt that has been crudely woven out of some fibers, a pair of battered, much-patched jeans, sturdy boots, and a warm jacket that started its life a dark green, but was somewhere between brown and gray by now.
Fetishes:
Offs:

Background:

Kennedy was best friends with a scrawny kid named Deek, who never seemed to gain any muscle. Kennedy, by contrast, seemed to be developing plenty to spare. In their teens, the pair began to get into trouble together; Deek pushing things too far and Kennedy beating their way out of it. This didn't earn them many friends, but they never pushed things far enough to turn anybody against them, either, and by the time they were in their late teens Deek had enough schemes going that they were able to plod along.

This last spring, Deek tried to scam a fixer they hadn't tried before, and got the attention of one of Largo's lieutenants. He sent his goons after Deek, and they ambushed the pair on their way back to their den. Kennedy wasn't their target, so they only beat him until he stopped moving, but they finished Deek off. A Stalker named Rusty returning to her den near the outskirts of the Ark spotted him, and managed to haul him back. He was initially afraid of her, but wasn't in any condition to go anywhere on his own.

When he recovered, all he had left was the gear he'd had on him, and the generous supplies that Rusty had given him (and why did she do that?). Being the only friend of a guy who'd made his living by bullying and scamming people, while carefully avoiding having to cast in with anybody hadn't left Kennedy with many connections, and most people who knew of him didn't like him much. Being associated with a Stalker now too didn't help much. He's been able to eke by doing random grunt work, but it's not going well, and he's beginning to feel hopeless. He needs something to change.

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

SKILLS:
Intimidate -- 2
Endure -- 2
Force -- 2
Fight -- 3
Move -- 1


TALENTS:
Sucker Punch

MUTATIONS:
Amphibian

GEAR:
1: Scrap Axe [+1 GB, 3 Damage, Arm's Length, Jury-Rigged, Heavy Weapon]
2: Scrap Axe [+1 GB, 3 Damage, Arm's Length, Jury-Rigged, Heavy Weapon]
3: Blanket [+2 GB to Endure severe cold]
4: Grub 4/4
5: Water 3/4
6: --------
7: --------
8: --------
9: --------
0: --------

TINY ITEMS:
Bullets 2/10

WORN ITEMS:
Jacket [+ 2GB to Endure severe cold]
Boots [+ 1GB to Endure a harsh Zone trek]

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

CONDITIONS:
CRITICAL INJURIES:

[PC NAME 1]:
PC NAME 2]:
[PC NAME 3] - BUDDY:
I HATE: The Boss Largo, who's goons killed my best friend Deek.
I NEED TO PROTECT: The Stalker Rusty. She's a creepy weirdo, but she nursed me back to health when no one else would help me.

MY BIG DREAM: To help make something better. Maybe Rusty is right, and they can take back land outside the Ark. Maybe they can't, but they can definitely make things better here.

DEN:
DEN STOCKPILE:. 7 grub

GRUB: 11
WATER: 3
BULLETS: 2 (Rolled 6, spent 4)

Notes

Things to note or consider.

Oh gosh, I have to stop now. I'll poke for things I missed later.

[Love And Submission]

I'm  going to roll up  an enforcer so I think we should keep TLO a stalker and  have two enforces plus one stalker.

I'm willing to roll up a Stalker if TLO wants to be an enforcer though. I could also be a chronicler but I don't see the point in two chroniclers.

[William Blake]

ARK

Weighing in here with my preferences for the Ark. No fucking crocodiles. Boston is my vote, though the winter is going to be a bitch, so I think summer is a good start. Specifically sector P26 which I assume is part of the Port. Highly defensible from land (bit less so from the sea), access to water (though not fresh), and the likelihood of a hell of a lot of metal (thus sturdy) structures. Specifically - the Ark could be a ship which was put into Drydock Number 3:


Now looking a bit more like this :


It may still be seaworthy. It may not. It may have taken on water at some point and so the less happy members of the Ark are living in the sections which are being lost to the ocean. Water source would be an onboard desalinisation module - solar powered. Limited output. Requires salt water input.

I do particularly like the concept of nature reclamation, but we're not going to see too much of that right near the Ark. Nearby there are areas which could have become overrun which will be good to explore, and allow for introduction of mutated animal species etc. Also agricultural/foraging prospects.

I think ports and ships are incredibly fun, and I'm lowkey very inspired by the things people are doing with shipping containers, nowadays. I think they offer a fun opportunity for progression, starting with "we're some people huddled in these containers and this derelict ship" to, as you get more organized and developed, an organized society of neat, evenly-dimensioned little shipping containers. Maybe that they're all the same size pleases the more obsessive side of me. ;)

BOSSES

One US military type (despot, hostile).
One UN peacekeeping military type (commander, neutral)
Return to nature type (agitator, hostile)
Mafioso type (kingpin, neutral)

Lynx's suggested designations for development levels work for me:
04 food
02 culture
03 tech
03 warfare

Good suggestions. *takes notes*

Anyways, that's my suggestion. My character is here:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

NAME: Hilae
ROLE: Chronicler

Appearance: Hilae has dusky skin even when completely clean, a rare enough event in the Ark. Wide brown eyes with a slightly upturned slant and dark brows are framed by dark brown hair which falls in waves when loose, and is more often braided up for practicality. She adopts body paint, and costumes where she can.
Fetishes: (outlined elsewhere)
Offs: yes

Background:
(in progress)

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

SKILLS:
Inspire -- 3
Comprehend -- 2
Sense Emotion -- 2
Manipulate -- 1
Heal -- 2

TALENTS:
Performer

MUTATIONS:
Telepathy

GEAR:
1: [ waterproof satchel]
2: [notebook  / dreamcatcher]
3: [magnifying glass / can opener] 
4: [water container]
0: STR CAP - 4

TINY ITEMS:
Pencil stubs, sharpener

WORN ITEMS:
Long sleeved shirt, cargo pants, boots, long jacket

I HATE:
Fannet, a Chronicler who spread rumours about me being Rot-touched and wit-addled, preventing me from taking up a position in the Dawn Vault.
I NEED TO PROTECT:
Arosh, the Stalker who brought me back the ABC book.

MY BIG DREAM:
If there were cities full of people, food and medicine must have been more freely available. Where did it go, and how can I return it to my people? The future must be progressive.

I quite like that character. :) My only immediate criticism would be you have RP-only items listed in your actual inventory, which is as a premium, so you might want to move those to a different section, and you don't have your food and water listed in your inventory, and those things are surprisingly weighty. An inventory slot can support 3-4 units of water or grub. Or, 1-2 can count as a light item (half a slot).

While I missed the Interest Check, I am definitely interested!

Welcome!

The Questions
Question 1: I vote for Boston, because the wildlife in Florida is scary, and Boston is further away from it than North Carolina is.

Noted. That's another vote for Boston.

Question 2: Per the book's recommendation to avoid the center of the map, I'd say somewhere along the water. R24 is along the coastline, looks like it's a state park, right next to a marina. Although the coast looks pretty marshy there on Google Maps, so maybe not? The M-N 19-20 area looks like it's the river expanded up to meet a pond, and it looks a bit less marshy. I'm just a bit concerned it's a little close to the center.

It sounds like the Ark is a scrap village from backstories, so maybe hauled-in trailers, scrap shelters, and some makeshift walls? I like the suggestion of the ship in dry-dock on the coast a lot, though.

I cautioned many in private that their dens would perhaps have to change if a different Ark type is chosen than can support their current blurb. If a ship and the surrounding area is preferred, then that's what it'll be. Scrap villages are also acceptable. :) I'd recommend it being build around something, just to have given the People shelter while they collected their assortment of dwellings and such. That way, it can feel organically grown as the People's needs expanded.

Question 3: I like summer better, but not enough to fight over it.  :-)

Question 4: Kennedy's backstory implies a Boss named Largo, of some bent. Ruthless enough to have a lieutenant who would send goons to kill a guy, not try any other solution, though. Sounds a bit like a Despot.
A Kingpin-type sounds good.
A Commander could be a good one, easy to run afoul of, but also a possible ally in facing threats from outside.
A Bureaucrat is always good for an infuriating neutral party, but I'm not married to the idea of one.
And an Agitator seems like a good fit for a friendly Boss.

Nobody else had any Bosses mentioned in their posts here, so I guess there's a really rough vote?

Question 5: I'll pitch my vote in with Lynx and Xue, that's about what I was thinking anyway, and consensus is good.

Also noted. Despot sounds appropriate. Commander if you want an organized and militant bent to your cruel Boss. :P

Question 6: Initiative can be a pain. If we're all rolling separately anyway, we could try doing it with team slots (like the FFG Star Wars games at least, if you're familiar with them). Everybody roles initiative as normal, but then whoever goes first takes the first initiative slot, and on and on. So if we rolled PC, PC, NPC, PC, NPC, Player 1 could go first, then Player 3, then an NPC, then Player 2, then the last NPC. It's kind of a compromise between the two, keeps the whole team from moving at once, while also keeping everybody from waiting for one specific player (except at the end of the loop, or the GM).

I personally prefer the 'main story thread' and 'downtime thread' approach myself, but I'm not a die-hard for it either.

I really like headers, because I'm terrible at remembering characters myself. I'm ambivalent about tagging, because I just read everything anyway (unless specifically told not to), and I always forget to update them. I haven't really been in a game where everybody ended up scattered all over though, and I suppose if that's common in this game, it could be useful to keep track of who is where.

I adore the FFG Star Wars system. I'm in three games of it right now! :) I do like that system, and any initiative-affecting abilities can just affect the slot they're in. Which is fine. Those abilities mostly reflect changing the flow of the battle, and it makes sense that they can apply to others who take that slot.

I think it might keep things moving while allowing other players to linger. I'll still try to leave enough time for dicking about in said downtime thread before moving the main thread along that developments in one can be reflected appropriately in the other, but it'll make sure the game doesn't get bogged down.

Headers are pretty neat, and they're a good way to store information about current stats. I'm also extremely ambivalent about tagging - I think it's more a tool of organization than anything. It might come in handy in the Ark, or if the Genlab group manages to exist
make it into the Zone and they don't immediately choose to join up with the People.

Kennedy, the Enforcer:

He was friends with, and thug for, a low-level scammer named Deek. They got by by staying low. Deek tried to move up to medium-low, and got killed, and now Kennedy has realized that nobody likes him. He doesn't even like himself. Things in the Ark seem to be getting worse, and they say the Elder is about to die. It's getting harder to keep up his stockpile, and now word is spreading that he has something to do with a Stalker, and people are even less willing to associate with him. He hasn't got much left to lose, and things aren't getting any better doing what he's doing now.

If anybody wants to merge backstories, I'm not attached to any of the NPCs, and could swap any of them out for another PC.

I rolled Acid Spit and Amphibian, and since I was already planning to make him beefy, I went with Amphibian. I liked it better than Acid Spit.

Sweet. I love it so far.

The Character

NAME: Kennedy
ROLE: Enforcer

Appearance: Kennedy is built on a scale a bit larger than most of the People. He's almost 7 feet tall, and wide enough to fill a doorway with ease. Unless he's been starving, he always carries a bit of weight; he's never quite hit 'chubby,' but he's never gotten further than the 'lean' he ended up at during the worst of his recovery. He's got no hair, tan scales cover his body, and his feet (usually hidden in his boots) are webbed. His face is wide and sad, with heavy brows, and his nose has been badly broken several times; it's now heavily crooked to the left. He's got small scars all over his body, and his knuckles are gnarled, a legacy of a lifetime of brawling. With the scales, they show up as a gray color.

He's wearing a ratty shirt that has been crudely woven out of some fibers, a pair of battered, much-patched jeans, sturdy boots, and a warm jacket that started its life a dark green, but was somewhere between brown and gray by now.
Fetishes:
Offs:

Background:

Kennedy was best friends with a scrawny kid named Deek, who never seemed to gain any muscle. Kennedy, by contrast, seemed to be developing plenty to spare. In their teens, the pair began to get into trouble together; Deek pushing things too far and Kennedy beating their way out of it. This didn't earn them many friends, but they never pushed things far enough to turn anybody against them, either, and by the time they were in their late teens Deek had enough schemes going that they were able to plod along.

This last spring, Deek tried to scam a fixer they hadn't tried before, and got the attention of one of Largo's lieutenants. He sent his goons after Deek, and they ambushed the pair on their way back to their den. Kennedy wasn't their target, so they only beat him until he stopped moving, but they finished Deek off. A Stalker named Rusty returning to her den near the outskirts of the Ark spotted him, and managed to haul him back. He was initially afraid of her, but wasn't in any condition to go anywhere on his own.

When he recovered, all he had left was the gear he'd had on him, and the generous supplies that Rusty had given him (and why did she do that?). Being the only friend of a guy who'd made his living by bullying and scamming people, while carefully avoiding having to cast in with anybody hadn't left Kennedy with many connections, and most people who knew of him didn't like him much. Being associated with a Stalker now too didn't help much. He's been able to eke by doing random grunt work, but it's not going well, and he's beginning to feel hopeless. He need something to change.

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

SKILLS:
Intimidate -- 2
Endure -- 2
Force -- 2
Fight -- 3
Move -- 1


TALENTS:
Sucker Punch

MUTATIONS:
Amphibian

GEAR:
1: Scrap Axe [+1 GB, 3 Damage, Arm's Length, Jury-Rigged, Heavy Weapon]
2: Scrap Axe [+1 GB, 3 Damage, Arm's Length, Jury-Rigged, Heavy Weapon]
3: Blanket [+2 GB to Endure severe cold]
4: Grub 4/4
5: Water 3/4
6: --------
7: --------
8: --------
9: --------
0: --------

TINY ITEMS:
Bullets 2/10

WORN ITEMS:
Jacket [+ 2GB to Endure severe cold]
Boots [+ 1GB to Endure a harsh Zone trek]

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

CONDITIONS:
CRITICAL INJURIES:

[PC NAME 1]:
PC NAME 2]:
[PC NAME 3] - BUDDY:
I HATE: The Boss Largo, who's goons killed my best friend Deek.
I NEED TO PROTECT: The Stalker Rusty. She's a creepy weirdo, but she nursed me back to health when no one else would help me.

MY BIG DREAM: To help make something better. Maybe Rusty is right, and they can take back land outside the Ark. Maybe they can't, but they can definitely make things better here.

DEN:
DEN STOCKPILE:. 7 grub

GRUB: 11
WATER: 3
BULLETS: 2 (Rolled 6, spent 4)

Notes

Things to note or consider.

It all looks good to me!

I'm  going to roll up  an enforcer so I think we should keep TLO a stalker and  have two enforces plus one stalker.

I'm willing to roll up a Stalker if TLO wants to be an enforcer though. I could also be a chronicler but I don't see the point in two chroniclers.

Good plan. More combat power and social cowing of others is always a plus. ;) Two Chroniclers is hardly necessary. Story-wise, I suppose you could go wildly different directions for motivation, and that might be fun, but tons of buffing isn't necessary.

I'm a bit worried TLO won't show, in which case... having a Stalker in the Zone is fairly paramount - enough of you have Stalkers you're friendly with in your backstories that I could easily send them along without you having to hire one (gear table indicates you can hire services :) ), but with the way stats work in this game, there's a very, very thin line between an NPC and a GMPC, so I'm reluctant.



A note on location and weather: the apocalypse happened, and it was brutal. Arguably, it happened multiple times - you've heard stories of plagues, natural disasters, wars, great bombs from the heavens, divine punishment, and while you aren't sure which are true, it's definitely easy to argue for literally whatever I want.

"Why is it so fucking hot in Boston?"
"The bombs, fam."

"Why is it so fucking cold in Florida?"
"The bombs, fam."

Rest assured, most of the world is a desolate - albeit sadly gorgeous - hellscape. :)

Also on location: Google Maps is a great resource, and I use it myself to help map and describe the Zone - I try to stick to it fairly closely - but, on the other hand, you'll notice that there's no timeframe for when the apocalypse finally happened. There can be plenty of changes. You'd rather be elsewhere on the coast but it looks like marshland? What if increased shipping to Boston meant a private company built another port. Why is there no gas station in this Sector despite there clearly being a Mobile 1 or whatever on Google Maps? Eh, it closed. Where are all the fucking Dunkin' Donuts, William, this is supposed to be Boston!? Massive cultural shift? :P

That'll also allow me to put in some of the more... interesting and location bound Special Zone Sectors wherever I want. "They built something here between now and when the world went to shit." So rely on online maps, but don't, like, rely on them religiously.

[KirbysFolly]

I think ports and ships are incredibly fun, and I'm lowkey very inspired by the things people are doing with shipping containers, nowadays. I think they offer a fun opportunity for progression, starting with "we're some people huddled in these containers and this derelict ship" to, as you get more organized and developed, an organized society of neat, evenly-dimensioned little shipping containers. Maybe that they're all the same size pleases the more obsessive side of me. ;)

I was kind of disappointed when Fallout 4 didn't have any settlements on a huge ship. I really liked Rivet City.

I adore the FFG Star Wars system. I'm in three games of it right now! :) I do like that system, and any initiative-affecting abilities can just affect the slot they're in. Which is fine. Those abilities mostly reflect changing the flow of the battle, and it makes sense that they can apply to others who take that slot.

I really like it in person, because my players loved the extra combat planning it let them do, but I love it in online games because it works out really well when there are a lot of players, and just as well as individual initiative with few players. Also, the FFG Star Wars games are my current favorite, I love their quality and artwork, and I like the rules (and really like Star Wars). If only I could have gotten more than one player to pitch in on describing things...

Sweet. I love it so far.

It all looks good to me!

Awesome!

I'm a bit worried TLO won't show, in which case... having a Stalker in the Zone is fairly paramount - enough of you have Stalkers you're friendly with in your backstories that I could easily send them along without you having to hire one (gear table indicates you can hire services :) ), but with the way stats work in this game, there's a very, very thin line between an NPC and a GMPC, so I'm reluctant.

I think Love And Submission offered to make a Stalker if TLO doesn't appear, but if he would prefer to play an Enforcer instead, I could change Kennedy, or just make a new character, or I guess just be Rusty.

A note on location and weather: the apocalypse happened, and it was brutal. Arguably, it happened multiple times - you've heard stories of plagues, natural disasters, wars, great bombs from the heavens, divine punishment, and while you aren't sure which are true, it's definitely easy to argue for literally whatever I want.
-cut-

Oh, for sure! I wasn't sure how closely you wanted to hew to things, but since the map you posted was different from what I saw, I figured it probably wouldn't be too close. And an apocalypse(s) is an excellent reason to change whatever you want.

[Xue]

Question 1: I vote for Boston, because the wildlife in Florida is scary, and Boston is further away from it than North Carolina is.

Man after my own heart. Hopefully not literally.

[William Blake]

Man after my own heart. Hopefully not literally.

Harder to keep alive out of the chest cavity, I find. Maybe Kirby will have more luck...

We'll figure the Stalker thing out eventually. It's just difficult to find things and/or not die without Find the Path. ;)

[Love And Submission]

Hurst

NAME: Hurst

ROLE: Scout

Appearance:


Fetishes: Non-Con
Offs: Player's O/Os

Background:
Hurst is a frontiersmen at heart. He loves the challenge and  excitement of  surviving the zone. Despite the character that most Scout's possess, he's actually a rather affable fellow.  He's a student of the wild and an accomplished survivalist. He prides himself on being able to endure even in the harshest  conditions. In a pre-apocalypse world, he'd have been a mountaineer or a wilderness guide. In this world, he's a  scout.

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

SKILLS:
[Find The Path] -- 3
[Shoot] -- 3
[Know The Zone] -- 3
[Fight] -- 1

TALENTS:
[Monster Hunter] You Get a +2 modification when you scout a beast of any kind.

MUTATIONS:
[Tracker] You Sense Of Smell Is Extremely Well Developed.   

GEAR:
1: [Scrap Rifle]
2: [Tinderbox / Light Item 2]
3: [Light Item 3] / --------   
4: [Heavy Item 1]
5: [Heavy Item 1]
6: --------
7: --------
8: --------
9: STR CAP
0: STR CAP

TINY ITEMS:
[Half A Foot Of Tree Cordage]

WORN ITEMS:
[WEIGHTLESS THINGS LIKE BOOTS AND JACKETS ARE TRACKED HERE, BUT ALSO WEIGHTED ITEMS LIKE ROT SUITS]

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

CONDITIONS:
CRITICAL INJURIES:

[PC NAME 1]:
PC NAME 2]:
[PC NAME 3] - BUDDY:
I HATE: The stalker Yassan,  because he went deeper into the zone then me.
I NEED TO PROTECT:No one. If they can't protect themselves they deserve to die.

MY BIG DREAM:
To venture deep into the Zone and find Eden.

DEN: Hurst lives in a cabin on the ship. It's furnished as if it's a hunters lodge. There's a big deer skull  on one of the walls and a few other hides scattered throughout the place. His desk has a large hand draw map on it with a few binders tucked into the hutch on top.

DEN STOCKPILE:.

GRUB: 3
WATER: 3
BULLETS: 4

Notes

Things to note or consider.

[Miss Sykes]

Ches

NAME: Ches
ROLE: Slave

Appearance:
[Floatright] [/Floatright]
Ches is 6ft tall with a slender build, as a side effect of her mutations she has ears, a tail and claws like a cat with fur the same dark purple as her hair growing up her arms to her elbows. She has 3 scars across her face and bright orange eyes.
Fetishes: Bondage, orgasm control, non con.
Offs: piss, scat, gore

Background:

Growing up it was survival of the fittest and she was never one of the fittest, rather than fighting she gave herself up as a slave to one of the the more power hungry people earning herself a relatively easy life. While Slavery wasn't always easy it was quickly found she had no talent for missions when she ran foul of a beast earning herself a rather large scar across one side of her face and the removal of part of an ear. Future missions she was sent as part of a convoy collecting things for her Master as required.

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

SKILLS:
Fight 3
Force 2
Sneak 2
Shake it Off 2
Move 1


TALENTS:
Resilient

MUTATIONS:
Manbeast
Extreme Reflexes

GEAR:
1: Spiked Bat
2: Grub
3: Water
4: Grub/Water
5:
6:
7:
8:
9:
0:

TINY ITEMS:
[Name]

WORN ITEMS:
Torn tank top and pants, simple shoes, slave collar (Leather and padlocked)

MUTATION POINTS: 2
ROT POINTS: #/# [Total/Permanent Specifically]
EXPERIENCE: 0

CONDITIONS:
CRITICAL INJURIES:

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

MY BIG DREAM:
To return to Master with something to make her proud of me!
DEN:
DEN STOCKPILE:.

GRUB: 5
WATER: 6
BULLETS:

Notes

Scratching her behind the ears works a treat.
Touching, pulling or playing with her tail without permission will end badly.

[Xue]

Mind if I put you down as my character's buddy, Sykes? The boys are scary ;)

Besides, visionary chronicler and naive catgirl sounds like an amazing duo. I'll teach you to read!

[Miss Sykes]

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 :)

[Amarlo]

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. ^^

[Xue]

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.

[Miss Sykes]

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.