Unknown Armies (always recruiting)

[Demigod1945]

I do like to think my way through problems, typically. ^^ Combat is only interesting for me in the sense that it's another type of conflict that drives a plot forward.

I'll get a post up a little later tonight with my practice combat turn.

Yeah I'm the same way, the only reason that I had Chris throw that punch was so that I could actually how the combat works right off the bat.

[Kythia]

Well, this is why I wanted it as a separate, consequence free, combat.  So you can all dick around and learn how things work without any threat or danger.

[Remiel]

Right.  First draft of character Bio.

Name: Norm L. Mann (born Geoffrey Spencer, but had it legally changed)
Age: 32
Occupation: a low-level accountant employed by Honer and Sons

August 8th is: the date that his mother killed herself

Obsession: Shady secret conspiracies.  The Men in Black cannot know that he's onto them.  The Illuminati cannot know he knows their secret.    The followers of Cthulhu must be unaware that he tracks their every move.  He alone knows that 9-11 was masterminded by the American government in cooperation with the global telecom corporations, and that global warming is a sinister ploy engineered by the Catholic church.

Rage Stimulus: Stupid people who blindly swallow the propaganda spoon-fed to them every day by their newspapers, televisions, and magazines.

Fear Stimulus: Darkness. The creak of the footstep in the hall at 2AM.  Alleys.  Being spied on.  Being implanted against his will with a microchip that sends mind-altering frequencies to his brain.

Noble Stimulus: "I'm mad as hell, and I can't take it anymore."  Norm secretly dreams of being the one to throw the hammer through the giant monitor, metaphorically speaking. 

Stats:
Body: 60
Speed: 40
Mind: 70
Soul: 50

Skills:
Body Skills:
General Athletics: 25% -- Norm played on his boarding school's football team.
Struggle: 45% -- Norm took up karate and judo for many years, believing that if he was ever in a life-or-death situation, he should know some self-defense.
Poison Resistance 20% --  Norm poisoned himself with miniscule doses of cyanide powder for years, to build up an immunity should he ever encounter the lethal gas.  Why? Because he can.

Speed Skills:
Dodge: 15%  -- Norm is not particularly good at dodging things.
Drive: 15% -- Norm is perfectly average at driving.
Initiative: 20%
Firearms: 40% -- Believing that it's only a matter of time before the robot armies of the one-world government kick down his door, Norm has trained himself in firearms under the guise of learning to hunt.  He has bought a small-calibre pistol on the black market and keeps it locked in his desk drawer.

Mind skills:
Conceal: 25%
General Education: 30%
Notice: 25%
Amateur Electronics (Building HAM radios and the like): 35%

Soul Skills:
Charm: 15% -- Norm is not particularly likeable.
Lying: 35% -- Norm is preternaturally good at lying.  This relates to his obsession skill:

Blending into the Crowd: 30% -- Norm has the ability to blend into a crowd.  He has no particularly distinguishing characteristics, and just seems average in all aspects.  People have difficulty remembering what he looks like, or picking him out of a lineup.

[Kythia]

Like it, Remiel.

The only point I'd make is that the game is set in the UK so firearms are a little (lot) less available than in the UK.  It is possible to be part of a shooting club, and even to get a licence to have firearms in your house, but it requires regular (and potentially unannounced) checks from the police to make sure you're following the law.

[Demigod1945]

Like it, Remiel.

The only point I'd make is that the game is set in the UK so firearms are a little (lot) less available than in the UK.  It is possible to be part of a shooting club, and even to get a licence to have firearms in your house, but it requires regular (and potentially unannounced) checks from the police to make sure you're following the law.

Well I won't be moving the UK anytime soon because of that.

[Kythia]

I toyed with whether or not to point that out as I really don't fancy a discussion on gun laws in the two countries, attitudes to guns, rights to bear arms, or anything else that can be mentally classed as "Massive Can Of Worms"

Rightly or wrongly, if you own a gun legally in the UK - which is a long and convoluted affair getting the necessary permissions -  the police can come and check on it whenever they get bored.  It probably won't happen in Newcastle as they have other things to occupy their time, but it does happen in the countryside.

Carrying a gun in public is illegal, regardless of whether you own the gun legally or not.

There are of course illegal guns, but they're illegal.

[Blythe]

Oh, this is set in the UK? Good to know. ^^

Also, my apologies for being slow with practice combat.

And Remiel....why do I get the feeling that Miyo and Norm are going to get along? Miyo--paranormal buff who passionately debates all of that and is an accountant at Honer's, and Norm, who is a conspiracy theorist and an accountant at Honer's. And they both had a parent die. Either they will get along or be intensely paranoid at all their similarities!  ;D

[Kythia]

Yes, sorry.  I did put Newcastle England in the intro post but sorry for not making that clearer.

Part of the charm of the game is how firmly it is set in the real world, albeit with added occult nonsense.  The mundanity of the setting sets off the other elements.  So I wanted to set it in a town I knew well that I could try to capture.  So we're left with town I was born in, town I went to Uni in, town I now live in.  I plumped for the one I was born in as everyone should experience the paradise on earth that is Newcastle even if only through roleplay.

Just got some bits or bobs to do then I'll put up a rules post in here.  However, talking of the real world setting reminds me of something.  Does anyone have any "offs"?  Obviously this is in non-adult so we'll fade to black if anyone wants to get jiggy.  What I meant was themes or plots that could trigger.  For example, I had toyed with adapting a prepublished scenario that deals with the hijacking of a plane.  The absolute last thing I want to do is reawaken any painful memories through what should be a fun game.  So is there anything anyone can think of?  Feel free to PM me if you would prefer keeping it off the table (demigod - if there's something you want to discuss with me that you'd sooner keep private then please shout up and I'll see if I can think of a way of doing that.)

Following on from that, if anyone gets uncomfortable then obviously shout up as well.

[Blythe]

Yes, sorry.  I did put Newcastle England in the intro post but sorry for not making that clearer.

No, no--I didn't read it closely enough. No need to apologize. I'm actually quite excited, as this is the first non-USA setting RP I've been in.  ;D

As for Demigod and you....if he would like to speak privately, perhaps he could have an individual OOC between just you and he, that Remiel and I would not post in? It could function just like any other 1x1 OOC, which would be passably private, all things considered.

And....hmmm. I don't think I have any Offs in regards to plot.

[Remiel]

You know, I thought about the whole firearms thing when I was creating the character.  I know that you lot don't have the equivalent of our concealed weapons permit, but Norm is paranoid enough that he wouldn't trust the police to protect him, preferring to take measures into his own hands.     He would jump through as many hoops as necessary to purchase a firearm of some caliber (nothing flagrant, I'm thinking just a .38 or 9mm), although I'll certainly modify that if you think it unrealistic.

And Blythe, yep!  It was only after I'd finished that I noticed Miyo was an accountant, too.   They're going to be coworkers, I suppose. :P

[Kythia]

That's fine.  Handguns are really hard to lay your hands on - they were all but banned after an incident at a school.  So here's your choices.

Legally you can have a rifle or shotgun.  Illegally you can have a small calibre handgun.

[Demigod1945]

Uh, I don't really have anything that I would want to discuss privately.

[Kythia]

Cool.  Just wanted to make sure you knew the option was there if you felt you needed it.

[Remiel]

That's fine.  Handguns are really hard to lay your hands on - they were all but banned after an incident at a school.  So here's your choices.

Legally you can have a rifle or shotgun.  Illegally you can have a small calibre handgun.

A shotgun, eh?  Let's go with that, then.

[Kythia]

Coolio.

Congratulations on your brand new:
Mossberg Model 500ATP8 pump-action, a 20 gauge calibre with 8 shot capacity.

What is it with roleplaying games that makes them feel the need to have huge tables of guns.

Boys.  *shakes her head despairingly*

[Remiel]

I'm pretty sure it's a Freudian thing.

[Kythia]

Most things are.  Particularly shotguns, I suppose.  They have that slidey thing on them don't they, don't know what its called.  You rub it a couple of times and then something comes out.  Probably smoking a cigar while you do it.

[Kythia]

OK.  IC is up.  The game proper won't start until roughly next Monday but I wanted to get the IC up to give anyone who wants to chat ICly an opportunity to do so.  I'll be checking it so if you have actions to take then please feel free to do so but the "trigger" for the game, as it were, won't come until Monday-ish so don't worry if it feels a little unclear what you should be doing next.

Rules post to follow once I've brought a couple of my games up to date.

[Blythe]

I'm gonna take a peek at the IC, now that I've got a little time. Sorry about being a little sparse at the moment. >.<

[Kythia]

Meh, not a concern.  Still got some people I want to mention the game to anyway.  Been a bit slack myself, tbh

[Demigod1945]

Sorry for not being on regularly, my classes have started back up so I won't be on here that much.

[Kythia]

Again, don't sweat it.  You guys not posting just gives me one less thing to feel guilty about procrastinating over.  Cannot seem to get it together this week.  Meh.

[Kythia]

OK.  Gonna hold off the trigger for a bit (week maybe?).  Gonna do a recruitment push and give Blythe and Remiel a chance to chat.  Will be checking the IC periodically so if you have crunch-y actions you want to take then feel free.

[Blythe]

Coolio. Thanks for the heads up, Kythia! ^^

[Kythia]

OK.  Trigger has been posted, game officially starts.

I've sent some PMs out to people who I think may be interested - heard back from some, not from others.  But I've shifted a couple of things round to allow permanent recruiting (and will change the title of this thread to reflect that) so if you know of anyone who you think might find this fun then feel free to point them this way.

Over the next day or so I'll be editing the first post of this thread to keep all characters together along with a few other bits and bobs.

Is there anything else people need from me?