Black Tokyo! Well, this is for the crew I summoned with my pervy powers.

[Chris Brady]

Alrighty, who's in again?

Premise:

"Black Tokyo, a mirror, a sideways passage to another realm, a dark one where things aren't what they seem at best, and are, at worst.  A realm where things best left unsaid walk walk the streets, stalk the people, a world apart and yet not."

That's the premise.  A Tokyo that exists parallel to the 'real' one where people sometimes slip into and end up on the missing persons sheets, often never found.

The players can be from either 'realm' at their discretion.

So sound off as to who's here, and whatever idea you may have.

[AstraKiseki]

I'm here, and I was thinking of making a 'real' girl, who is a Harem Mage, protected by three guys, named Ichigo, Nisen, and Sanro.  They are actually Dreamboys made by the girl's skill and desire for big brothers, but otherwise, they are normal guys, all overprotective of their 'little' sister.  There isn't any romantic interest... yet.  But who knows what Black Tokyo will do to their spirits?

[WyzardWhately]

I'm here.

My concept so far is a boy in his later teens, with the Mage career from d20 Modern.  I may take some feats and spells from the new book, but I'll probably stick mostly to urban arcana material.  He's been pushed around too much, pushed too far, and turned to the occult.  I'm planning on playing around with the whole power corrupts theme with him, although how seriously villainous he is will depend greatly on the other PCs and what we end up doing.  I know you mentioned Persona 3 at one point, and the idea of the PCs going to or being near a high school that transforms at midnight is pretty much super badass in my book.  Or at least it works very well with my character concept. 

I think he's from the real world, although he desires contact with the shadow world in order to gain more arcane power.  I was actually thinking he might be a foreigner - maybe he got sent to a boarding school in Japan after getting into some kind of trouble?  Some really odd background like that. 

[WyzardWhately]

Ichigo, Nisen, and Sanro

Bad form, Astra, Bad form.   ;)

[Chris Brady]

Once I know who we have, I'll open the doors to my limit.

Until then, let 'em roll.

[WyzardWhately]

Once I know who we have, I'll open the doors to my limit.

Until then, let 'em roll.

You got any idea what level/attribute generation method we're going for?  I have some tragic time constraints in my life, and it'd be better for my if I could go ahead and do most of the number-crunching stuff now, and just make adjustments later.

[Chris Brady]

Um, go standard generation for now.  As for classes, the basic ones, and...  Make everyone 2nd level to start.

[WyzardWhately]

Um, go standard generation for now.  As for classes, the basic ones, and...  Make everyone 2nd level to start.

Ah, snap.  I get no magics.  Nonetheless, I will do my best to make my PC interesting.

[Chris Brady]

Correction, I hit the wrong number on the number pad.  Make it 5.

[Khayin]

Here!

I'm strongly considering a rage-filled bastard born of a terrible incident with something from the other side that left his mother pregnant with a strange half-breed.  She raised him as her own, but there was always something about the way she looked at him that let let him know that he wasn't normal.  He hates the things that scarred his mother and hates his alien heritage just as much.  He looks mostly human, though with some slightly odd features (sharper teeth, intense gaze, unnatural hair color, etc.), so he just tries to pass for a normal guy.  He despises rapists of all sorts and deals with them violently whenever he catches them.  What bothers him the most, though, is that he knows that when he flies into a rage, his lust is unnaturally powerful.  He often fears that if he loses control, he'll become the very monster he hates.

I can see him eventually taking the Devil Heart Hunter PrC.

[AstraKiseki]

We need to know how we are doing/rolling stats too.

[Reshki]

Ok, interested in this, but I have no idea about character.  I'm thinking something like an exchange student from America or something, but I'm willing to work with someone else if they need a sibling/partner-in-crime, whatever.  ;)

[Hikari]

I'm thinking about a character who is a normal Japanese schoolgirl by day, but has the ability to enter Dark Tokyo and take on her alternate persona of...  a Magical Girl!  Or possibly a Magical Catgirl, ala Tokyo Mew Mew.  There's probably some half-baked story about how she's the long lost orphaned daughter of some horrible Dark Tokyo dynasty*, but regardless of that fact she's grown up a pretty average girl and normally leads a pretty average life, when she's not trying to save the comely young women of her educational institution (and their suspiciously, inexplicably sexy school uniforms) from extradimensional monsters.

As far as stats go, I'm not very experienced at D20, so I'm open to suggestions.  Probably an Agile and/or Charismatic type of hero?

*For instance, she could be some sort of succubus-kin whose powers come from leading humans into indecent/illegal sorts of thoughts, whose very presence is the cause of everything around her being so bizarrely oversexed, even if she doesn't realize it.

[Reshki]

Ok, I’m thinking an American exchange student in Japan, maybe going to the same school as Hikari’s character.  She comes from a family of ghost-busters, like the characters from the Supernatural TV show.

I’m looking at a Smart Hero/Student, with skills on researching the supernatural.  She’s also got knowledge of handling firearms and is learning kendo.  She obviously didn’t bring any guns with her from the US, but she’s probably almost always got her practice bokken with her.

[Hikari]

Random brainstorming:

Her name should be Hikari, I think.  It's both a fairly standard girl's name and has a nice, if not particularly subtle, tongue-in-cheek dual meaning in this particular context.  ("Pure Light" or "Holy Light", though it's as often just seen as shorthand for "Purity".)  I don't think her alternate persona has a name, yet, because it would be interesting to see what other PCs or students take to calling her and work that out through play.

I'm thinking some Charismatic Hero simply for charming/dazzling (how else can you get people to stand still during your long, gratuitously naked dance-y henshin sequence?), then some Fast Hero for actual combat.  Probably no Fast Hero right now, though, since to start out with she's going to be a typical noob magical girl with no clue how to fight.  Hopefully an adorable talking-mascot creature will teach her the ropes someday.  High Charisma/Dexterity, obviously, probably a low mark in either Intelligence or Wisdom (I don't know if I want her to be ditzy, or naive, yet, but likely one or the other).

A student, obviously.  I'll probably focus on defensive-fighting type Feats, at least until I find some pervy stuff that interests me.

[WyzardWhately]

My concept as it currently stands is a Smart hero/Mage.  He's nigh-upon incompetent in combat, but has some decent out-of-combat skills, and access to a few low-level spells.  I think he probably gets by via careful planning and sheer cunning.  My thought was that he was going to be half-japanese (to make him even more of a social reject), who was raised in America and sent here after he got into trouble.  I can see now that might be stepping too much on other people's toes, since it looks like we have two other foreigners already.  He's been more or less a reject his whole life anyway, but having discovered a few arcane secrets he's starting to turn things around for himself. 

Is there any chance this could be like a boarding school?  A male dorm at one end of campus, a female dorm at the other end, kind of thing?  I think that would work for me.

[Chris Brady]

Sorry about that.  I need to sleep.  :P

Okay, attribute spread is 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.  And you may move one for one from one attribute to another, but nothing higher than 18.  All I ask is that you be reasonable.

And because I can't find it saying yay or nay, I'm going to say everyone gets to add a +1 to an attribute of one's choice because everyone is over level four.

[WyzardWhately]

Sorry about that.  I need to sleep.  :P

Okay, attribute spread is 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.  And you may move one for one from one attribute to another, but nothing higher than 18.  All I ask is that you be reasonable.

And because I can't find it saying yay or nay, I'm going to say everyone gets to add a +1 to an attribute of one's choice because everyone is over level four.

It's in the D20 Modern book under "levelling up" or whatever that section's called.  You are correct though.


EDIT:  How do you want us to figure HP?  High side of average, or what?

[Chris Brady]

Max at 1st level, average the rest, add your Con as usual.  Any fractions round up.

[AstraKiseki]

Charismatic Hero here.  Kimekomi Ichigo  is on the cusp of becoming a Harem Mage, as in 'next level she is taking it.'  She is hopelessly sickly and coddled by her very handsome 'brothers' Ningyo Nisen and Ningyo Sanro.  Nisen and Sanro are creations of Ichigo's late mother, another Harem Mage herself.  She was skilled enough that she made her then-twelve-year-old daughter a pair of brothers as her last glorious work, and a way to protect her little girl.  The Ningyo twins look about their mid-twenties.  In a lot of ways, the guys are still innocents, since they were born/created four years ago to protect a girl, not fuck her.

Nisen is a perfect gentleman and something of a homemaker.  He is the one who cooks the most (though he makes his siblings clean a lot), and tends to fret over Ichigo's clothes (he screamed in horror when she first tried on the uniform).  He often invokes the name of his creator when upset or trying to keep the other two in line.  He somehow appears the oldest, especially when he and Sanro look identical (but Ichigo can tell them apart).

Sanro's personality is at ends with his appearance as a bishonen.  He rides his motorcycle to work, he is loud, somewhat obnoxious, smokes, drinks, and very good at his job as an English teacher at the school.  He has a string of relationships, but his devotion to his sister (and making her life a living hell at times, he IS her brother) is unquestionable.  Since the school is one of the best, and Ichigo so bright, Sanro was able to get his sister into the school, though she doesn't live at the school.  Sanro is unaware of the happenings at the school.

Stats
Charismatic Hero Level 5
Hit Points: 14
Age: 16
Starting occupation: Creative (Craft (visual art), Knowledge (art), Spot)
Wealth Bonus: +5

Strength 8
Dexterity 10
Consitution 8
Intelligence 16
Wisdom 14
Charisma 17


Craft (Visual Arts)       8
KNowledge (Arcane)        8
Knowledge (Art)           8
Knowledge (Life Sciences) 4
Diplomacy                 8
Gather Information        8
Read/Write Language       2 (English, Korean)
Speak Language            2 (English, Korean)
Bluff                     8
Knowledge (Pop culture)   4
Spot                      8
Listen                    4

Feats: Creative, Iron Will, Windfall, Studious
Talents: Charm, Coorindate

[Hikari]

I'm not well-acquainted with d20 Modern.  Do PCs still get a general feat every 3rd level, or just the two general starter feats and a class bonus feat every even level?  Do they still get a bonus point to an ability score every fourth level?

I'm not sure how starting equipment works out, either, but I'd honestly just prefer to throw together a 'wishlist' and let you decide what I actually start with.  I don't know most of the equipment well enough to have strong preferences, anyway.  Is that okay?

[WyzardWhately]

I'm not well-acquainted with d20 Modern.  Do PCs still get a general feat every 3rd level, or just the two general starter feats and a class bonus feat every even level?  Do they still get a bonus point to an ability score every fourth level?

I'm not sure how starting equipment works out, either, but I'd honestly just prefer to throw together a 'wishlist' and let you decide what I actually start with.  I don't know most of the equipment well enough to have strong preferences, anyway.  Is that okay?

PCs still get the feat every third level.

EQ and money generally works through a much-decried abstract Wealth system.  The wishlist may be your best option if you don't really care to mess with it, as its highly unlikely you'd be unable to get basic high school student stuff.  It's generally modern-day eq available.  If you take a profession skill at max ranks, or even get up to six ranks by third level and then leave it, you'll be doing more than fine for a high school student.

[Chris Brady]

I'm not well-acquainted with d20 Modern.  Do PCs still get a general feat every 3rd level, or just the two general starter feats and a class bonus feat every even level?  Do they still get a bonus point to an ability score every fourth level?

I'm not sure how starting equipment works out, either, but I'd honestly just prefer to throw together a 'wishlist' and let you decide what I actually start with.  I don't know most of the equipment well enough to have strong preferences, anyway.  Is that okay?

Sounds good to me!

[Hikari]

Thanks for clearing that up!  I think I'm down to one question, and that is whether the two starting feats assumes a bonus feat for being 'human' (as in, do characters of non-human races have one fewer feat)?  I'm liking the idea of playing a virgin succubus-kin; because she's never had sex, her powers have never manifested, so she has no reason to suspect she isn't a human.  Of course, once it, er, 'happens' for her, she'll also gain her alter-ego in the form of the succubus-kin's innate transformation ability.  (Henshin a-go-go!)

Of course, it also means she's going to have trouble on hallowed ground, which is kind of odd for a magical girl, but she is a hentai magical girl, I suppose...

[WyzardWhately]

Here's my character.  I may make slight adjustments before the game starts.

Matt Tatami is, to put it lightly, a weird kid.  He was raised in America, often spending summers with his even weirder paternal grandfather.  As he grew up, he became more of a loner and more rejected by regular high school society.  He turned to the occult, secretly exploring the mouldering books in his grandfather's library.  As of yet, not even his parents suspect that he's been an occult practitioner since he was 14. Magic appeals to him, even more than computers used to.  It's a secret and intellectual discipline, practiced in private, that can be turned into temporal power with a little effort.  It's everything computer hacking used to be for him, turned up to eleven.  Of course, there are downsides.  His occult studies have exposed him to the shadow world, that part of the cosmos only visible to some.  It's dangerous, there, and Matt's no warrior.

Still, there was a showdown between him and a teacher who was doing something to the other members of his class.  Matt was afraid he might be next.  So, he marshalled what magic he's managed to learn and confronted the suddenly fanged and red-eyed Mr. Martin.  That night culminated in Matt beating him to death with a baseball bat.

Nobody would have believed his tale, but there was enough extenuating circumstances that he could create a reasonable doubt of self-defense.  Also, after Mr. Martin's body disappeared from the morgue ("Stolen," but leaving a trail of bloody footprints), everybody just wanted rid of Matt and to sweep the whole matter under the rug.  His mother, in a fit of national pride, said that only a Japanese boarding school would do to get her son on the straight and narrow.  He's managed to move into a private room in the dorm without too many questions being asked about his stuff, and he's kept his spellbook and bank accounts pretty much concealed. 

So here he is.

Name:  Matt Tatami
Level 5 (Smart 3, Mage 2)
Occupation: Student (Research, Arcane Lore, Computer Use)
Age 16
Half-Japanese
Reputation: +2
Wealth: +17

Str 8 -1
Dex 10
Con 14 +2
Int 17 +3
Wis 14 +2
Cha 10

AP: 8
HP: 32
Attack: +2 (Melee +1, Ranged +2)
AC: 12
F: +3
R: +1
W: +7


Feats:
Simple Weapons
Focused (+2 Balance/Concentration)
Iron Will
Arcane Skills
Spellslinger

Talents:
Savant: Arcane Lore (+3)
Exploit Weakness

Skills:
Concentration: +8 (+2)
Spellcraft +8
Computer Use +8 (+1)
Craft: Chemical +8
Craft: Electronic +6
Decipher Script +7
Investigate +7
Knowledges:
•   Arcane Lore +8 (+1) (+3)
Repair +7
Research +7 (+1)
Search +6
Speak Language 3 [English, Latin, Sumerian]
Read/Write Language 3 [English, Latin, Sumerian]
Profession:  Programmer +6

EQ:
Spellbook
Messenger Bag (Spell component pocket)
School Supplies –books, notebook, laptop (upgraded +1, broadband)
Really badass cell phone
Honda Silverwing

Elsewhere:
Flash drive hidden in his mattress with backup spellbook
Encrypted file in an off-site server also containing a backup spellbook
Metal Baton under bed (+1 Attack, 1d6-1, 19-20x2)
Deluxe Evidence Kit
Deluxe Electronic Kit
Chemical Kit
Rope, handcuffs, etc.
Extensive Personal Library

Spells:

0-Level (5)
Daze X
Light X
Mage Hand X
Prestidigitation X
Message
Read Magic
Magic ID X
Mending
Alarm

1st-Level (4)
Change Self X
Mage Armor
Magic Missile
Sleep X
Obscuring Mist X
Comprehend Languages
Degauss X
Magic Weapon
Shield


NOTE:  Chris, it turns out that the Black Tokyo adds Charm Person back in, but it's 2nd level.  So, soon enough.

[Chris Brady]

Thanks for clearing that up!  I think I'm down to one question, and that is whether the two starting feats assumes a bonus feat for being 'human' (as in, do characters of non-human races have one fewer feat)?  I'm liking the idea of playing a virgin succubus-kin; because she's never had sex, her powers have never manifested, so she has no reason to suspect she isn't a human.  Of course, once it, er, 'happens' for her, she'll also gain her alter-ego in the form of the succubus-kin's innate transformation ability.  (Henshin a-go-go!)

Of course, it also means she's going to have trouble on hallowed ground, which is kind of odd for a magical girl, but she is a hentai magical girl, I suppose...

Yes, the extra feat is because you're human.

[Hikari]

A bit of a rough draft, but it should give a working idea of what I'm going for...

Hikari Koga doesn't know it yet, but she's got a very interesting life.

Oh, sure, it's exciting enough as it is: she's been a semi-professional gymnast since she was little, and at one time even tried out for Japan's Olympic team (even if she didn't quite make it).  Her aspirations were cut short by a figure that's grown a bit too...  curvaceous...  to manage the sort of maneuvers that the sport demands, but thanks to her moment in the spotlight she's retained a bit of local notoriety and become very popular at her high school.  (Okay, so the two big reasons she can't compete as a gymnast anymore might also have something to do with that...)

But, as far as she's aware, she's just a middling student at a boring school with lots and lots of ordinary friends.  She's got her talents--they call her the 'Cosplay Queen' around the schoolyard because of her extraordinary costuming skills and penchant for all things trendy and popular--and she's got her foibles--she's barely more self-aware than a cactus, usually letting the punchline (and everything else) go right over her head in blissful, well-meaning naivete--but they're strictly within the limits of what any person would consider 'normal', right?

Except that she's the illegitimate child of a wayward incubus, and she doesn't even know it yet.  After all, she's still a virgin, so her latent powers have yet to manifest.  Lying in wait beneath her cute, idyllically Japanese facade is a heroic alter-ego, the inner 'star' she hid away when she gave up on being a champion gymnast, which normally only sees an outlet through costume play.  The beautiful, sensational, unbeatable super-girl inside!

Hikari has the sort of sense of justice and niceness that comes from sheer, nigh-impenetrable innocence.  She's extremely likable, even to people who aren't only interested in staring at her chest, simply because she's normally so humble and kind.  Her alter ego, however, is vibrant and energetic, demanding to be the center of attention; she has a practiced flair for the dramatic the results in a much showier sense of fashion and more daring way of acting.  The freedom of the mask makes her feel uninhibited and alive, letting her soak up the attention she secretly craves.

Normally, Hikari appears to be a relatively normal sixteen year old girl.  Certainly, she's far bustier than most Japanese girls--or most girls of any nationality her age, and certainly of her body type--and in superb shape due to her gymnastics, but the only tell-tale sign of her heritage (well, aside from her capital-class knockers) is a pair of gold-flecked amber eyes that are questionably abnormal, but most people pass off as vanity contacts.  Of course, when she 'transforms' into heroic self, she tends to go for flashier accents: cat ears and tail, strawberry pink-blonde hair, 'cute' little fangs, and immeasurably long legs that just seem to rise all the way to heaven...  not to mention modes of dress that call more attention to the attributes she had to begin with, like hyper-pleated short (short, short) skirts and curve-hugging corsets.

Not knowing her own heritage, and having nothing better to base her assumptions on than popular Japanese culture (which, as a closet wannabe-idol she absolutely inundates herself with), she's going to assume she's a magical girl when her powers manifest, and try to act the part.  Of course, unlike most 'magical girls', she hasn't been blessed with any means of vanquishing demonic villains, and she probably won't have much luck with her bare hands, regardless of how good they are at pummeling boys who get grabby on dates...

Hikari
Charismatic Hero Level 5
Succubi-Kin
Occupation: Athlete (gymnast)
Reputation +3
Wealth +1
BAB +2
Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +1
Defense +2
HP 21
AP 7

Ability Scores
10 Strength
16 Dexterity
11 Constitution
12 Intelligence
4 Wisdom
18 (22*) Charisma

Talents: Charm (Males), Favor, Captivate
Feats: Junishi Zodiac (Tiger), Brawl, Dodge, Combat Martial Arts, Agile Riposte
Skills: Bluff Rank 6, Diplomacy Rank 5, Disguise Rank 5, Craft (visual arts) Rank 8, Knowledge (popular culture) Rank 7, Perform (dance) Rank 8, Jump Rank 6, Tumble Rank 6, Balance Rank 5
Special: Charisma +4*, Bluff +8*, Diplomacy +8*, Gather Information +8*, Darkvision 60 ft.*, change self at will*, Lustful Translation*, Intimate Hunger*, Racial Weakness (blessed weapons and hallowed ground)

Wish List:
Cosplay Gear/Disguise Kit (fabric, accessories, make-up, etc.)
Cosplay Accessories (anime-type weaponry, gadgets, and other silliness)
Cold Winds Skirt (the defining item in the Magical Girl wardrobe!)
Oni-Bane Memento
Oni-Bane Ribbons
Ghost Sight Goggles (are they available in a fashionable retractable visor?)
Lady Raven Pseudo-Wings (little inflatable plastic cherub wings, not big feathery flying wings)

Basic Plan:
Her next level, she'll take Cosplay and start making costumes for her budding alternate persona.  She may also start taking some levels in Fast Hero to better represent her superheroic side, or if her exploits start to get around, maybe Renown and some levels of Celebrity.

To be fully useful, she might need another character to act as the 'Haruhi' to her 'Miruku'.  IE, someone to exploit her charms for fun and profit, since she might be too clueless and friendly to do so on her own.  She probably won't contribute much in combat outside of sheer distraction value (henshin and pose, baby), but hopefully she'll at least be able to keep herself alive by fighting defensively (in other words, panicking and dodging a lot).

Like any good magical girl, she never sees a trap before she's caught (0 Spot/Listen and -3 Wisdom modifier!), never suspects the painfully obvious treachery going on around her (Sense Motive, wha?), and is pretty much guaranteed to get dominated, brainwashed, or otherwise fall under evil influence with pitiful ease (Will Save = No thanks).  But, that makes her at least as much of a superhero as Robin or Aqualad, so she should be fine.

[WyzardWhately]

Hikari:  Cool.  I calculate your HP to be sitting 1 higher, at 22, though. 

Oh, and your will save is so bad, you're totally going to get mind-controlled.   So, that ought to be amusing.  ;)

[Chris Brady]

*Is still cracking up at 'Capital Class Knockers'*

[AstraKiseki]

Physically, Ichigo looks like a sickly Japanese girl.  You know, just like what she really is.  There's hints of gaijin blood in her, with her long curly black hair and somewhat larger eyes, but for the most part, she looks like a pretty girl who just doesn't get out much, normally curled up in blankets to keep from getting sick.  It really does not help; she normally is armed with cough drops, hot tea, kleenex, and other sundry items packed in a small make-up case to ease any sort of illness she currently has.    Her uniform is a boy's winter uniform, due to the influence of a certain English teacher ("Like fucking HELL am I going to allow my sister to be in THAT sort of skirt!") and his brother ("Ichigo-chan gets so sickly, could she wear something that keeps her warm?").  Nothing like overprotective brothers to get stuck in a stupid boy's uniform.  She still pulls it off, much to the brothers' concern.  She really would like to be in a girl's uniform, but her brothers do have a point...

Now, if only she could talk to a boy without her brothers cracking their knuckles.  As a note/sidebar, it may be possible that the only thing that keeps her brothers from being physically attracted to their sister may be her virginity...

More detail/changing/adding the rest:
Charismatic Hero Level 5
Hit Points: 14
Age: 16
Starting occupation: Creative (Craft (visual art), Knowledge (art), Spot)
Wealth Bonus: +5
Reputation Bonus: +2

Strength 8
Dexterity 10
Consitution 8
Intelligence 16
Wisdom 14
Charisma 17

Craft (Visual Arts)       8  (+14)
Knowledge (Arcane)        8 (+12)
Knowledge (Art) 8 (+11)
Knowledge (Life Sciences) 4 (+7) X
Diplomacy                 4 (+7)
Gather Information        8 (+11)
Perform                      0 (+5) X
Read/Write Language       2 (English, Korean)
Speak Language            2 (English, Korean)
Bluff                     8 (+11)
Knowledge (Pop culture)   4 (+7)
Research                0 (+5)
Spot                      4 (+6)
Listen                    4 (+6) X
Treat Injury            4 (+6) X

Feats: Simple Weapons, Creative (visual arts, sing), Iron Will, Windfall, Studious, [To be determined]
Talents: Charm (Males), Coordinate
BAB: +2 (Melee +1, Range +2)
Fort: +2, Reflex +3, Will +3

Wishlist
Coinless Card
Gashapon Armada Bag
H-book
Glisten Shirt
Linemaker’s Polymer
Oni-Bane Mementos
Otome’s Slip

Draft of the brothers (both level 5 heros)
Identical brothers, both Nisen and Sanro look like a pair of attractive Japanese men in their twenties.  The only physical difference is a pair of freckles on Nisen's left side of his neck, and Sanro possesses three clustered in a triangle on the same spot.  Created by a master Harem Mage and assigned to the mage's daughter, and fed with the mother's experience as she waited to die of cancer.  Four years later, and there is no hint that the Ningyo twins are anything out of the ordinary (though people comment on them being called 'the second and third dolls').
Nisen, Dedicated Hero 4/ Strong Hero 1
Sanro, Dedicated Hero 1/ Fast Hero 2/ Tough Hero 2

(Editted to include feat modifiers on skills)

[Khayin]

Kurokawa Masato is a very disturbed young man.  The reason for this is primarily due to the terrible nature of his birth.

His mother, Sayomi, had always been sensitive to the supernatural even as a young girl.  She reasons that it was this very trait that attracted oddities to her -- oddities like the monster that attacked and raped her when she was only in high school.  She never knew where it had come from nor what it was exactly, but when she became unexpectedly pregnant, her extremely conservative parents wrote her off as a whore and a lost cause.  No one would believe her story of monsters, and so Sayomi was forced to care for herself and the baby she'd decided to keep.  Her methods of survival were not always decent, but they were honest and she tried to raise Masato as best as she could, being a young, single mother.  She never told her son what exactly had raped her.

But even from birth, she knew that Masato was unusual.  He was always a bit on the large side and his skin was tan enough to almost be red.  His white hair and abnormally sharp fangs did not help his alien appearance any, so Sayomi regularly colored his hair black to help him fit in.  While most of his appearance could be dismissed as traits of a foreign father, however, it was Masato's often violent temper that truly set him apart from normal children.  It was very difficult at first for Sayomi to keep her son in school when he would frequently be suspended or expelled for fighting.  As he matured and saw his mother in constant anguish over his actions, Masato began to realize just how fortunate he was to have someone genuinely care for a freak of nature like himself... and how he was repaying her love by hurting her.  He vowed to keep his temper in check from then on and be the model citizen in school.  While his scholastic achievements were mostly average, Masato was finally able to maintain some sense of stability in his life, much to his mother's relief.

Unfortunately, Masato found that his violent nature simply became more pronounced as the years went by.  Eventually, he took to venting his frustrations accumulated over the school day on trees, cars, dumpsters and anything that he could hit hard and repeatedly.  Inanimate objects were just not enough, however -- he wanted to hurt someone.  Masato finally found his relief when he took to beating up petty thieves and any other criminals that he came across in the city.  He especially loved to hurt and emasculate rapists.  Masato's hobby meant that he spent a great deal of time on the streets.  Since his mother worked multiple jobs, she did not often notice how much time he spent in the back-alleys and dark spots of the city.  He kept his urban activities secret from Sayomi, of course -- he didn't want her to worry again.

Masato's ferocity steadily grew over time, as if he'd been born to crush others.  After a particularly intense run-in with some local gang members, Masato was approached by a rival Yakuza boss who offered him a job as a part-time junior enforcer.  Being of questionable morals already, Masato didn't put too much thought into becoming one of the criminals he'd been hospitalizing -- especially if it meant that he could pull some extra money in to help his mom.  In just one year, Masato earned enough money to pay for his high school tuition as well as fake income from an after-school job once his mother finally agreed to let him help her with the money troubles.

Masato's goals are to finish school and enter the work force so that he can take care of Sayomi.  Failing that, he'll keep busting heads and just pretend that he's respectably employed so that his mother can hopefully rest easy and have a life of her own for a change.  As he grows, however, Masato has come to realize that there is something in him that is clawing its way to the surface.  He doesn't quite understand the nature of it yet, but he knows that there have been times when he has become so enraged that he has almost killed people.  Worse, he has noticed that his lust during these states is nearly uncontrollable.  These days, he tries his best to keep away from girls in general, but the same looks that once ostracized him have started to attract some attention.  He is extremely tall for his age and noticeably built.  His exotic skin tone and spikey hair (he colors it something different every other week) only seem to add to his subtle allure and more than a few girls have found him dangerously attractive.  He always scares them off with a few screams and a level of rudeness that he reserves for women, though.  Plenty of the yakuza that he works with think that he's just gay.  Really, he's just trying to keep everyone safe from whatever monstrosity is hidden within him.

Character-wise, Masato is a bruiser, pure and simple.  He's also a mama's boy and extremely defensive about it.  I intend to advance him into the Devil Heart Hunter PrC to reflect his discovery of his true half-demon nature.

(Note on Feats: So far, everyone seems to have one fewer Feat than I assumed they would, so I'm not certain I'm calculating Feat allowances correctly.  We do get two General Feats at first level, right?  To illustrate my logic, I detailed how I came to believe I could take that particular Feat in parenthesis next to each respective entry.  Hopefully, that'll help someone tell me if I'm just crazy.  Also, would the benefits of Brawl and Combat Martial Arts combine to allow an unarmed strike that does 1d6 lethal damage, or must I just pick one Feat or the other each time I punch someone in the face?)

Name: Kurokawa Masato
Class: Strong Hero 5
Occupation: Criminal (Gamble, Knowledge: Streetwise)
Age: 16
Reputation: +1
Wealth: 6

Str: 17 (+3)
Dex: 10
Sta: 16 (+3)
Int: 10
Wis: 10
Cha: 10

AP: 7
HP: 39
Attack: +5 (Melee +8, Ranged +5)
Defense: 15 (+3 Class, +2 Racial)

Fortitude: +8
Reflex: +1
Will: +1

Feats:
Simple Weapons Proficiency (Automatic Class Feat)
Brawl (Criminal Occupation Feat)
Racial Exotica (1st Level Feat)
Combat Martial Arts (2nd Level Class Bonus Feat)
Great Fortitude (3rd Level Feat)
Power Attack (4th Level Class Bonus Feat)

Talents:
Melee Smash
Improved Melee Smash
Advanced Melee Smash

Skills:
Bluff +0 (+4 Racial Bonus – Sexually Oriented), Climb +4,  Disguise -4 (Racial Penalty), Intimidate +1, Jump +4, Knowledge – Streetwise +6

[WyzardWhately]

D20 Modern sort of starts out with the assumption that everyone is human.  So, if you're playing a non-human, like you are, you need to have one less feat and also subtract the skill ranks out - eight by our level.

[Hikari]

I'm off to Qatar.  Hopefully I'll find some internet access while I'm there, but if not I'll be back in a few days regardless.  Try not to have too much fun without me!

[Khayin]

D20 Modern sort of starts out with the assumption that everyone is human.  So, if you're playing a non-human, like you are, you need to have one less feat and also subtract the skill ranks out - eight by our level.

Fixed.  Thanks.

Know anything about how Brawl and Combat Martial Arts interact?

[Chris Brady]

Fixed.  Thanks.

Know anything about how Brawl and Combat Martial Arts interact?

Brawl just ups your damage, doesn't do anything about AoOs.  However, with Combat MA, you no longer count as unarmed.  The Brawl 1d6 overrides the 1d4 that CMA gives.

[Stattick]

Ok, I just got approved for this site. I've given the book a cursory look over, but since this is the first d20 book I've ever bought, I might end up needing some help w/ chargen or at least a good look over of my charsheet to make sure I did things right.

The idea that I had for my char is dreadfully close to several of the other characters, but I didn't know it until I got approved a few minutes ago. I was thinking of playing a foreign exchange student of some sort that's a succubi-kin but doesn't know it... She's still a virgin, but she knows that there's something different about her. (I still haven't looked through all the feats, and I'm hoping that there's one that'll accomadate me here...) See, she has tentacles "down below". Just a few, and they only "come out" when she's aroused... The day after I came up with the concept, I realized that the concept was very similar to Clara's Octopussoir from Drawn Together. I imagine that as she levels up, that her Octopussoir will get more and more powerful.

I can't for the life of me remember what class I was looking at but it was from the Black Tokyo book (because it's the only d20 book I have). I remember that there was one other possible race that would work for the concept. I can't remember the name, but it was some sort of demonic sex doll thing that was very pretty.

I'm sorry, but I just don't have time to look up the info right now... it's almost shift change, and I don't want to have the pdf open when my relief arrives. Yes, I'm at work right now.  ;D

I'll post more when I get home. I have today and tommorrow off, so I should have time to nail the character by then. Um, nail her down. Crap, that doesn't work either. Get her fixed up, get her going... damn, my mind's just too much in the gutter right now.

EDIT:
Ok, I'm at home now... Whew, that was close. I got a slew of customers, and then my relief was walking in through the doors. So I posted, cleared history, and got everything closed out by the time she came around to my side of the desk... :) 

Anyhow, if my concept's too close to anyone else's, lemme know and I'll make some changes. Oh yeah, and when I say that my character's a "virgin", I mean that only in the sense that she's never had a sexual experience with someone else. She has tentacles ~ they sorta have a mind of their own... So when she gets too aroused, they have a tendancy to find a nearby warm moist place and do their thing. Yeah, so her crotch violates itself.  *lol*

[Reshki]

Here's Jessica Kane so far.  She's going to have skill points coming out of her ears (44 for first level, 11 for each additional level, so 88 total  :o ).  Chris, I'm making her available as a conduit for exposition for you, so if there are any knowledge skills you'd like her to have, let me know.  I'm assuming some arcane lore and theology and philosophy are givens, considering her background.  But if there's something else you want her to have, just say so.

I hope to have her finished by noon Tuesday.  Let me know if that's not soon enough

Jessica Kane

Daughter of Elizabeth Kane, daughter of Beatrice Kennedy.  It was Beatrice who took the family tradition, handed down from mother to daughter, a sacred charge since at least the Middle Ages, of fighting supernatural evil, and turned it into a business.  Since then, Jesus & James Detective Agency has been the front for their ongoing war against the forces of evil.  Robert Kane was the son of a drunkard who got himself possessed by a demon.  After Beatrice and a Catholic exorcist managed to banish the demon, Beatrice took Robert under her wing, and found him work at the agency.  Today, he’s CEO, though Grammie Bea still calls the shots. 

Jessi, as her friends call her (never Jess), was raised to take on the family tradition.  Where other girls might learn Grandmother’s recipe for chicken and dumplings, or makeup tips from Mom, Jessi learned how to spot the supernatural, and how to shoot and care for semi-automatic pistols.  Still, she’s managed to live a mostly normal life.  She’s had a few boyfriends, attends a small private Catholic school, and her parents have been able to keep the Things That Go Bump in the Night away from home.  Most of the time, anyway. 

The exchange program that sent Jessica to Japan was supposed to be something of a vacation for her.  No memorizing the Spates Catalog or Tobin’s Spirit Guide.  No spending every other Sunday afternoon down at the shooting range.  She hasn’t even been to confession since she landed in Tokyo. 

An entire semester without ghosts and vampires, spirits or demons.  Beth and Rob thought it was important for her to live, at least a brief while, as a normal girl.

Grammie Bea, of course, knew better… 

So far Jessi enjoys Japan.  She’s picked up the language pretty quickly, it’s a lovely country, and the people are very polite.  But she doesn’t fit in very well.  At 5’8”, she was tall back home.  In Japan, she feels like Godzilla.  When she first saw how the girls tittered behind their hands instead of laughing out loud, she thought it was cute.  Then it got annoying.  Now that she’s caught herself doing it, it’s starting to piss her off.  Even worse, some of the boys are convinced that all girls from America are sluts.  Sure, she’s not as pure as fresh-fallen snow anymore; she’s had her share of back-seat romance.  But she’s not some whore, ready to spread her legs for any guy who winks at her, and she very nearly started a riot when she ground the heel of her shoe into the instep of some dirty old freak who groped her on the subway.  And while she grew up wearing school uniforms, she hasn’t had to wear one since she started high school.  She didn’t remember the pleated plaid skirts she used to wear being quite this short...

And Japan is eyeball-deep in the supernatural.  You’d have to be blind not to see it, and she can’t understand how people can’t not be freaked out by it.  Most of the spirits she’s seen have been fairly tame, hanging around the shrines and playing with fallen leaves.  She thinks she saw a kitsune, but it wasn’t there when she looked again.  So she’s a lot more relaxed than when she first arrived.  Which, as Grammie Bea always says, is when the damned bastards are sure to get you.   

Jessica Kane
Smart Hero Level 5
Occupation: Student
Wealth ???
BAB +2
Fort +1, Ref +3 (+2 DEX), Will +4 (+1 WIS)
Defense +2
HP 20
AP 7

STR: 10
DEX: 14 +2
CON: 11
INT: 15 +2
WIS: 13 +1
CHR: 10

CLASS SKILLS (+1 Competence Bonus)
Computer Use
Knowledge (Arcane Lore)
Research

SKILLS: 88
Read/Write: English (native), Latin, Mayan, Japanese, Spanish
Speak: English (native), Latin, Japanese, Spanish

Computer Use (INT) 4 +2
Decipher Script (INT) 4 +2
Investigate (INT) 6 +2
Knowledge: arcane lore (INT) 6 +2
Knowledge: history (INT) 4 +2
Knowledge: pop culture (INT) 4 +2
Knowledge: religion and philosophy (INT) 4 +2
Research (INT) 5 +2
Search (INT) 4 +2

Concentration (CON) 2
Drive (DEX) 2 +2
Gather Information (CHR) 2
Hide (DEX, armor check penalty) 2 +2
Move Silently (DEX, armor check penalty) 3 +2
Ride (DEX) 2 +2
Spot (WIS) 3 +1
Swim (STR, armor check penalty) 2
Treat Injury (WIS) 2 +1

FEATS
Combat Expertise
Exotic Weapons (katana)
Personal Firearms
Simple Weapons
Studious

TALENTS
Exploit Weakness
Linguist
Savant (Research)

UPDATE: Here she is with skills, feats, and talents.  Let me know if I screwed anything up please.  Jessi is a researching machine!  With Research as a class skill (+1) and her Savant talent (5), her total bonus is 13!  This is my first chance to play d20 modern, so please excuse my noobness.  :P

[Stattick]

Well, found me a webcomic.
;D  http://www.ghastlycomic.com/d/20010526.html  ;D

[Chris Brady]

Ah, Stattick?  I'm not sure your character would quite fit.  This isn't quite as silly as apparently I've misled you to believe.

[WyzardWhately]

Here's my character, probably sitting at a V.9 now.  I caught a few miscalculations that I've since corrected, changed a few ideas about how he should play.  I may make another adjustment or two before the game starts, but I'm increasingly happy with his writeup.  I would welcome some commentary on this, by the way, since I think this game is going to thrive of die by communication between players.

Matt Tatami is, to put it lightly, a weird kid.  He was raised in America, often spending summers with his even weirder paternal grandfather.  As he grew up, he became more of a loner and more rejected by normal high school society, as he spent most of his time with books and computers.  Eventually, the rejection and bullying became too much for him to bear, and he had to find a way out of the path life had set him on.  He turned to the occult.

Matt's family had a lot of secrets, and what his grandfather had done for a living was one of them.  Matt found some hints when he started exploring the dark recesses of the old man's library.  As of yet, not even his parents suspect that he's been an occult practitioner since he was 14. Magic appeals to him, even more than computers used to.  It's a secret and intellectual discipline, practiced in private, that can be turned into temporal power with a little effort.  It's everything computer hacking used to be for him, turned up to eleven.  Of course, there are downsides.  His occult studies have exposed him to the shadow world, that part of the cosmos only visible to some.  It's dangerous, there, and Matt's no warrior.

He's been successful so far.  His studies have progressed rapidly, and he's moved from tiny cantrips on to real dweomers, with the next tier of attainment already so close he can taste it.  He's had some practical successes as well.  There was a showdown between him and the new geography teacher, Mr. Martin, who was doing something to the other members of his class.  After spying, observation, and some research, Matt determined the man was really a low-level monstrosity from the Shadow World, sneaking through to prey on teenagers.  Mostly the cheerleaders, but a few loners.  Matt was afraid he might be next, as Mr. Martin was starting to suspect something.  So, he marshalled what magic he'd managed to learn and confronted the suddenly fanged and red-eyed Mr. Martin, in a midnight showdown set against a strangely twisted version of the High School.  That night culminated in Matt beating him to death with a baseball bat.  The next morning he woke up to horrified janitors and lit-up police cruisers. 

Nobody would have believed his true tale, but there was enough extenuating circumstances that he could create a reasonable doubt of self-defense.  And there WAS a girl, obviously deranged, but stating in no uncertain terms that Mr. Martin had attacked her.  Also, after Mr. Martin's body disappeared from the morgue ("Stolen," but leaving a trail of bloody footprints), everybody just wanted rid of Matt and to sweep the whole matter under the rug.  His mother, in a fit of national pride, said that only a Japanese boarding school would do to get her son on the straight and narrow.  He's managed to move into a private room in the dorm without too many questions being asked about his stuff, and he's kept his spellbook and bank accounts pretty much concealed.  He's new to Japanese culture, although he knows the language.  He's determined to be less of an outcast here than he was at home, but it's time for his first day of school and he hasn't had as much time to adjust as he'd planned...

So here he is.

Name:  Matt Tatami
Level 5 (Smart 3, Mage 2)
Occupation: Shadow Scholar (Research, Arcane Lore, Gather Info)
Age 16
Half-Japanese
Reputation: +2
Wealth: +17

Str 8 -1
Dex 10
Con 14 +2
Int 18 +4
Wis 13 +1
Cha 10

AP: 8
HP: 32
Attack: +2 (Melee +1, Ranged +2)
AC: 12
F: +3
R: +1
W: +6


Feats:
Simple Weapons
Heroic Surge
Iron Will
Arcane Skills
Spellslinger
Eschew Components

Talents:
Savant: Arcane Lore (+3)
Exploit Weakness

Skills:
Concentration: +8 (+2)
Spellcraft +8
Computer Use +8
Craft: Chemical +8
Craft: Electronic +6
Decipher Script +7
Investigate +7
Knowledges:
•   Arcane Lore +8 (+1) (+3)
Repair +7
Research +7 (+1)
Search +6
Speak Language 3 [English, Latin, Sumerian]
Read/Write Language 3 [English, Latin, Sumerian]
Profession:  Programmer +6
Gather Info +8

EQ:
Spellbook
Messenger Bag (Spell component pocket)
School Supplies –books, notebook, laptop (upgraded +1, broadband)
Really badass cell phone
Honda Silverwing

Elsewhere:
Flash drive hidden in his mattress with backup spellbook
Encrypted file in an off-site server also containing a backup spellbook
Metal Baton under bed (+1 Attack, 1d6-1, 19-20x2)
Deluxe Evidence Kit
Deluxe Electronic Kit
Chemical Kit
Rope, handcuffs, etc.
Extensive Personal Library

Spells:

0-Level (5)
Daze X
Light X
Mage Hand X
Prestidigitation X
Message
Read Magic
Magic ID X
Mending
Alarm

1st-Level (4)
Change Self X
Mage Armor
Magic Missile
Sleep X
Obscuring Mist X
Comprehend Languages
Degauss X
Magic Weapon
Shield

[AstraKiseki]

The impression I have gotten is that this is much more of horror than comedy.  Yes, there will be jokes, like in most anime, but...

The mental I get can be summed up in 'flashes.'

Hikari frozen still, staring at Masato, who just slammed his fist into a wall inches away from her, struggling with his rage.

Matt and Jessica staying up late at school for studying, and discovering the dire secret within the school.

Ichigo, Jessica and Matt arguing over the implications of the strange signs around the school, Ichigo worrying over how it will affect her brothers and any siblings she could create, as they are creatures born of magic.

The girls kidnapped and their innocence offered up to some sort of... thing.

That sort of thing.  Is that the sort of thing that should be going though my head?

[WyzardWhately]

The impression I have gotten is that this is much more of horror than comedy.  Yes, there will be jokes, like in most anime, but...

The mental I get can be summed up in 'flashes.'

Hikari frozen still, staring at Masato, who just slammed his fist into a wall inches away from her, struggling with his rage.

Matt and Jessica staying up late at school for studying, and discovering the dire secret within the school.

Ichigo, Jessica and Matt arguing over the implications of the strange signs around the school, Ichigo worrying over how it will affect her brothers and any siblings she could create, as they are creatures born of magic.

The girls kidnapped and their innocence offered up to some sort of... thing.

That sort of thing.  Is that the sort of thing that should be going though my head?

I'd sort of hope so.  I think the system we're using is much more suited to a horrific game than a comedic one.  At least that's my take.  The stuff you're throwing out is pretty much precisely on-target for where I'm wanting to go.  I think that later this evening I'll work out a summary of the characters involved, and it'll maybe encourage people to start bouncing ideas off of each other.  It'd be handy if maybe at least a few of the characters knew each other off the start, somehow or another.

[Reshki]

It'd be handy if maybe at least a few of the characters knew each other off the start, somehow or another.

Since my character's an exchange student, she might be staying with the family of one of the other student characters.

[Reshki]

Is that the sort of thing that should be going though my head?

I was also thinking darker and more serious in tone.  Yes, a pinch of Buffy, but more Wicked City, the Tokyo Babylon OVA, and the Vampire Princess Miyu OVA.  But that's just me.

[Chris Brady]

Dead on, peeps.  Depending on people's limits, it can be pretty 'horrific'.

[AstraKiseki]

Kimekomi Ichigo is hopelessly sickly and coddled by her very handsome 'brothers' Ningyo Nisen and Ningyo Sanro.  Nisen and Sanro are creations of Ichigo's late mother, another Harem Mage herself.  She was skilled enough that she made her then-twelve-year-old daughter a pair of brothers as her last glorious work, and a way to protect her little girl.

Ichigo still misses her mother, but she has learned that it's better to live, as she would have wanted, and so Ichigo has excelled in school to make her brothers proud and studied her mother's books to become closer to her.  The latter has inspired her to follow in her mother's footsteps; she now stands on the cusp of following in a long line of Harem Mages, both male and female.  But other than the supernatural aspects that come naturally to a girl learning the occult and speaking with her brothers, Ichigo has been safe from the horrors of the dark.

Physically, Ichigo looks like a sickly Japanese girl.  You know, just like what she really is.  There's hints of gaijin blood in her, with her long curly black hair and somewhat larger eyes, but for the most part, she looks like a pretty girl who just doesn't get out much, normally curled up in blankets to keep from getting sick.  It really does not help; she normally is armed with cough drops, hot tea, kleenex, and other sundry items packed in a small make-up case to ease any sort of illness she currently has.    Her uniform is a boy's winter uniform, due to the influence of a certain English teacher ("Like fucking HELL am I going to allow my sister to be in THAT sort of skirt!") and his brother ("Ichigo-chan gets so sickly, could she wear something that keeps her warm?").  Nothing like overprotective brothers to get stuck in a stupid boy's uniform.  She still pulls it off, much to the brothers' concern.  She really would like to be in a girl's uniform, but her brothers do have a point...

Now, if only she could talk to a boy without her brothers cracking their knuckles.  As a note/sidebar, it may be possible that the only thing that keeps her brothers from being physically attracted to their sister may be her virginity...


Charismatic Hero Level 5
Hit Points: 14
Age: 16
Starting occupation: Creative (Craft (visual art), Knowledge (art), Spot)
Wealth Bonus: +5
Reputation Bonus: +2

Strength 8
Dexterity 10
Consitution 8
Intelligence 16
Wisdom 14
Charisma 17

Craft (Visual Arts)       8  (+14)
Knowledge (Arcane)        8 (+12)
Knowledge (Art) 8 (+11)
Knowledge (Life Sciences) 4 (+7) X
Diplomacy                 4 (+9)
Gather Information        8 (+13)
Perform                      0 (+5) X
Read/Write Language       2 (English, Korean)
Speak Language            2 (English, Korean)
Bluff                     8 (+11)
Knowledge (Pop culture)   4 (+7)
Research                0 (+5)
Spot                      4 (+6)
Listen                    4 (+6) X
Treat Injury            4 (+6) X

Feats: Simple Weapons, Creative (visual arts, sing), Iron Will, Windfall, Studious, Trustworthy
Talents: Charm (Males), Coordinate
BAB: +2 (Melee +1, Range +2)
Fort: +2, Reflex +3, Will +3

Normal gear: first aid kit, sundry stuff for a student, cell phone, sketchbook, pencils, digital camera, penlight
At home: Piles of books relating to harem mages and other arcane lore, her brothers, materials to make dolls and clothes, desktop computer

Wishlist
Coinless Card
Gashapon Armada Bag
H-book
Glisten Shirt
Linemaker’s Polymer
Oni-Bane Mementos
Otome’s Slip

Draft of the brothers (both level 5 heros)
Identical brothers, both Nisen and Sanro look like a pair of attractive Japanese men in their twenties.  The only physical difference is a pair of freckles on Nisen's left side of his neck, and Sanro possesses three clustered in a triangle on the same spot.  Created by a master Harem Mage and assigned to the mage's daughter, and fed with the mother's experience as she waited to die of cancer.  Four years later, and there is no hint that the Ningyo twins are anything out of the ordinary (though people comment on them being called 'the second and third dolls').  They were both originally Dedicated Heroes, as a nod to their 'duty.'
Nisen, Dedicated Hero 4/ Strong Hero 1
Nisen is a perfect gentleman and something of a homemaker.  He is the one who cooks the most (though he makes his siblings clean a lot), and tends to fret over Ichigo's clothes (he screamed in horror when she first tried on the uniform).  He often invokes the name of his creator when upset or trying to keep the other two in line.  He somehow appears the oldest, especially when he and Sanro look identical (but Ichigo can tell them apart).

Sanro, Dedicated Hero 1/ Fast Hero 2/ Tough Hero 2
Sanro's personality is at ends with his appearance as a bishonen.  He rides his motorcycle to work, he is loud, somewhat obnoxious, smokes, drinks, and very good at his job as an English teacher at the school.  He has a string of relationships, but his devotion to his sister (and making her life a living hell at times, he IS her brother) is unquestionable.  Since the school is one of the best, and Ichigo so bright, Sanro was able to get his sister into the school, though she doesn't live at the school.  Sanro is unaware of the happenings at the school.



On knowing people:
Ichigo probably knows Hikari well, and she tends to just float around everywhere, friendly to everyone.  Normally, she is sketching in her free time, and Matt and/or Jessica may recognize some of the designs she draws as arcane formulas involving life.

I was also thinking darker and more serious in tone.  Yes, a pinch of Buffy, but more Wicked City, the Tokyo Babylon OVA, and the Vampire Princess Miyu OVA.  But that's just me.

I thought so too, but I didn't want to go into detail, and I wanted to focus on the characters' interacting.

[Mostlyjoe]

Behold!

Nakamura Haruki aka. Haru-kun

Strong Hero 4/Martial Artist 1
Profession: Athlete

Age 19
Japanese
Rep +0
Wealth +5

Str 15
Dex 14
Con 13
Int 10
Wis 10
Cha 10

BAB + 5 (+7 melee, +8 Katana), Defence +6 ( +7 in melee), AC 16/17

Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3

Feats:
Simple Weapons Proficiency
Combat Martial Arts
Defensive Martial Arts
Iron Will
Exotic Weapons Proficiency: Katana
Weapon Focus: Katana

Talents:
Ignore Hardness
Improved Ignore Hardness (4 total)

Skills:
Climb 4 (+1 comp bonus)/7
Jump 8 (+1 comp bonus)/11
Swim 2/4
Knowledge: Popular Culture 4/4
Tumble 6/8
Read/Write English
Speak English

Equipment:
Family Katana (   2d6   19-20   Slashing   -   Large   6 lb.   12)
Backpack
Cellphone
Marital Arts Gi
Honda 919

Haruki was born into a proud family tradition of sword masters. Going back to his earliest recorded ancestor if there was a Nakamura, they were swordfighters. But the fighting is done these days and Haruki has to worry about his standing as an athlete more than as a fighter. He was what you would call a solid B student, not that that mattered, he had the family gift with the blade. Perhaps, none of his family in recent history were as good as him. He breezed through high school and was accepted into the local Kusai Martial Arts Academy. Life should be perfect...

But Haruki feels wrong. He's almost perfect at what he does but he's feeling like it's all pointless. Practice and school eat up all his college life. He's thinking about moving to America and opening up a studio there to train and maybe get away from the echoes of his hearts longing.

You see, Haru-chan is a hero at heart. He always saw himself as the Samurai of old charging into save the day for his Lord or Lady. He fancies the girls that hang around such an up and coming freshman, but really can't seem to make the time for a real relationship. As time moves on he feels something changing about the world around him. Shadow loom larger, rumors take on new life, his warrior spirit is called to action, even if he's clueless as to what's really going on.

Haru is a bit clueless most the time unfortunately, but at least his hearts in the right place.

[WyzardWhately]

As promised, I'm going to make a summary of those characters posted so far.  I know people love their PCs, so I apologize in advance if I misinterpret your writeup.  Let me know, and I will correct with all due haste any misstatements.  In fact, I suppose people could give me their own character summary, and I'd replace mine with theirs.  I think the real function of this is to put them all in one place, so we can look at how they might relate.

Kimekomi Ichigo
Player: AstraKiseki
Concept: Budding Harem Mage
Kimekomi is a sickly young girl with a broad artistic streak.  Her mother was able to create realistic, magically animated humans, and Kimekomi is following in her footsteps.  Her mother has fortunately left behind two artificial bishounen older brothers; Nisen the homemaker and Sanro the motorcycle-riding English teacher.  They can't be distinguished from normal people unless they die.
Plot Hooks: 
She has two artificial older brothers, whose true nature is secret. (possible risk of exposure, but it's not easy)
Her brothers are extremely protective of her. (tension between anyone she wants to get close to, and them)
There is some potential sexual tension there. (It's hinted that they could go strange once she becomes sexually active)
She has a strong desire to become a harem mage. (someone could use that desire to manipulate her)
We know nothing about her father. (Does she even know who he is?  Family seems to be something of a theme for her)
Mechanical Niche: Charismatic Hero, Social & Artistic Skills, Minions

Hikari Koga
Player: Hikari
Concept:  Cosplaying Ex-Gymnast, shading into magical girl
Hikari used to be a champion gymnast, but puberty had some big surprises for her.  She's still extremely agile, and her star-power continues to shine through.  She's also, unbeknownst to her, part-succubi.  It is highly probable that she's going to decide she's a magical girl and try to fight evil once she gains her powers.  Hikari is all-around incredibly naive and friendly to a fault.  She seems like the type to be nice to everyone, maybe even the big bad wolf...
Plot Hooks:
Hikari used to be on-track for the olympics, but lost that.  (This gives a good hook for any potential antagonist trying to tear down her self-esteem)
Her heritage is still unknown to her (There's a whole bag of stuff here.  She could go magical girl and try to fight evil.  She could find out the truth.  She could find out the truth after campaign events cause her to develop a real serious hatred for demonkind, maybe even incubi specifically.)
Her powers won't develop until she breaks some kind of mystic seal, conveniently located in her hymen.  (There's all kinds of potential there, too.)
She is very, very naive.
She likes cosplay and pop culture, and could probably be tempted by an Idol, especially one offering her a chance to be in the limelight again.
Mechanical Niche:  Charismatic Hero, some gymnastic abilities, darkvision, a couple demonic powers, non-trivial amounts of hand-to-hand combat skill.  NOTE TO HIKARI:  Take Weapon Finesse: Unarmed!  It will fill your days with happiness and to-hit bonuses.  :D

Kurokawa Masato
Player: Khayin
Concept:  Angry half-demon enforcer
Masato has anger control problems.  This probably comes from the half of his bloodline he received from his father, when he raped Masato's mother.  It's also given him great strength, and a completely unreasonable degree of combat prowess for a high school student.  He's lately spent some time as a street vigilante, beating up a lot of muggers and really seriously beating up rapists.  This has resulted in his timely employment as a yakuza enforcer.
Plot hooks:
His appearance has been altered by his heritage, giving him nearly red skin, spiky white hair, and a slight case of fangs.  (He could potentially be recognized, esp. if he runs out of hair dye.)
He has major, major anger control problems, esp. with rapists.  He possibly could be tempted into violence at inappropriate times.
He seems as though he'd do anything for his mother.  Someone could use that against him.
His mom has had to work very hard to keep the two of them solvent.  Easy money could tempt him.
Also, his grandparents disowned his mom before he was born (over him, in fact.)  How would he react if confronted with that?
He knows he's a freak, but doesn't seem to know the particulars of his nature.  The circumstances of that discovery could potentially be kind of traumatic.
He has issues with women, lust and rage intermingling inside him.  There's some serious danger involved if a girl tried to get too close to him, inside his defenses.
Going along with the above, his mom seems to love him, and hasn't had to confront that part of him.  He's hidden his violent side from her pretty successfully.  What happens to their little family when she finds out the truth about him? (I'm thinking here a scene where he simultaneously part-loses-control with a girl who has insisted on pursuing him romantically, and his mom walks in while he's got just a bit too rough with her.)
Mechanical Niche:  Strong hero.  Ass-whuppings.

Jessica Kane
Player: Reshki
Concept: Girl raised to fight monsters (It's Supernatural in a pleated skirt!)
Jessica is an exchange student from America, trained from a very young age in Catholic doctrine and how to kill monsters.  She's been sent to Japan as a sort of vacation - her family has been doing this since the middle ages, and her parents thought the war against evil wouldn't collapse from her taking a little shore leave.  Sadly, the high school she's been sent to is probably not ideal for that purpose.
Plot Hooks:
Jessica actually knows what she's facing, and has been trained to face it.  She might not react too awful well to Masoto or Hikari (once she pops.)
Her family has been doing this for a long time, but she hasn't.  Some of the things her parents or grandparents may have fought could still be out there - and looking for a little revenge now that her parents aren't there to protect her.
She likes weapons, which aren't wildly popular in Japan.
She feels a little off here, since she's so tall and not-japanese.  High-school angst could come into play here. 
People have mistaken her for being much easier than she is.
Seems to default to violence when groped.
Mechanical Niche: Smart Hero.  Great at Research.  Reshki:  I suspect your skills aren't exactly right, it looks like you don't have near max ranks in any of your primary skills.  If you maxed out research, you should be sitting at a total bonus of 16, 18 with studious.  I hate to advise this, but...have you considered going fast hero instead?  You could get way more combat ability, play up her agility, and if you pick the right occupation, still know a fair bit about the darker things in the world.  I feel like you're trying to straddle two different roles, and you're coming up pretty light on the defeating-evil side of things.  Just a thought.

Nakamura Haruki
Player: Mostlyjoe
Concept: Martial Artist with a romantic streak
Haruki has spent much of his life learning the art of traditional Japanese sword-fighting.  He's in college, now, and he's still on the Kendo team.  However, he desires on a deep level to use the skills he's learned for more than earning trophies.  He wants to fight monsters and rescue distressed damsels like the heroes in a story.  But there seems to be a shortage of that kind of opportunity in modern-day Tokyo...or is there?
Plot Hooks:
He has a big family tradition of swordsmanship.  Family martial arts secrets?
Ancient feuds between rival schools?
Any other martial art movie trope?
He really wants to fight monsters and rescue the girls.  Just give him a shot.
Seems inclined to possess a real weapon, and maybe use it if he sees something scary.
He's also in college.  Could cause him some problems, hanging around with all these HS students...
Mechanical Niche: Strong Hero/martial Artist.  Great with a katana. 

Matt Tatami
Player: WyzardWhately
Concept:  Outcast nerd turned to the occult
Matt Tatami fled a life of social mediocrity and computer hacking into his grandfather's library, where he picked up some magic.  He finds himself attracted to the darkness and shadows, and he's rapidly learned a great deal about the hidden things of this world.  He can also already cast a few spells.  After beating to death a monster masquerading as a geography teacher, he's been sent to board at a Japanese high school.
Plot Hooks:
Matt is half-japanese.  He's going to be subject to some flak for that.
He believes he's not getting what he deserves out of life.  Waving a chance to gain power, prestige, popularity, or a hot girlfriend under his nose is likely to make him bite.
He's too fascinated with the darkness for his own good, he wants more arcane power, and he's willing to do dangerous things to get it.
There are some indications that Mr. Martin isn't as dead as he looked.  Matt only beat him through surprise and preparation the first time.  He might not be so lucky a second.
Matt does some questionable things (magic, hacking, chemistry) and he has to live in a dorm right now.  He's either going to find another living arrangement or get busted for something.
Matt also has some contraband - an extendable metal baton, and probably a fair amount of illicit software on his computer. 
He knows a lot, and can find out more.  He could play the role of a go-to guy for other PCs - at a price, if they haven't earned his friendship.
Power corrupts.  Matt finally has some real power for the first time in his life.
Mechanical Niche:  Smart Hero, Mage.  Useful skills, a little combat & utility magic, good wealth check.


Stattick:  Please don't feel left out, I'm not ignoring you.  I thought you might be doing a rewrite, though, so I'm going to wait.

[Reshki]

Reshki:  I suspect your skills aren't exactly right, it looks like you don't have near max ranks in any of your primary skills.  If you maxed out research, you should be sitting at a total bonus of 16, 18 with studious.  I hate to advise this, but...have you considered going fast hero instead?  You could get way more combat ability, play up her agility, and if you pick the right occupation, still know a fair bit about the darker things in the world.  I feel like you're trying to straddle two different roles, and you're coming up pretty light on the defeating-evil side of things.  Just a thought.

Which probably means I've spread my skills too thin (something I often do) or I've made some mechanical error.  That's fairly easy to fix.

The goal was to create a character who was primarily a research-specialist, but wasn't useless in a fight.  Maybe not terribly useful mind you, but not underfoot and needing to be rescued constantly.  It seemed to me we have a number of good bruiser types already.  However, if this game is going to be heavy on the combat and light on the investigation, I suspect your suggestion would be a good one to follow.  I'll poke around and see how making her a fast hero would change things.  Thanks for the suggestion.

Chris, do you have an opinion one way or another?  What sort of game are you imagining this will be?

[Rune]

I was thinking about playing a sorceress and using the feats from Black Tokyo. Are you going to be using the d20 modern rules or tie it in to the dnd rules?

How about that she is a prophesied demon hunter. She can use the power unlocked by sex to defeat the demons.

I was even thinking about going the Ramna 1/2 route. SHe was a he until she comes within 100 yards of a demon? What do you think?

[AKunoichi]

Hmm I finally got here.

I have two ideas.

First idea is a ninja schoolgirl,
She just want's to be a normal girl but her parents expect her to seduce men 3 times her age, Stab them in the gut, and Chop off there appendages leaving a warning to anyone who would dare deify the yukuza. Stumbling into Black Tokyo hasn't made her life any better.

The second is a sadistic Yukuza punk,
He's a very dangerous criminal who has stumbled into Black Tokyo and thinks it is his kind of town. Has he bitten off more than he can chew?

[Chris Brady]

 :o

Oh, wait a tick.  Apparently, I may have to run two games!

The first crew hit my limit as to how much I can handle on a thread...

[AstraKiseki]

As promised, I'm going to make a summary of those characters posted so far.  I know people love their PCs, so I apologize in advance if I misinterpret your writeup.  Let me know, and I will correct with all due haste any misstatements.  In fact, I suppose people could give me their own character summary, and I'd replace mine with theirs.  I think the real function of this is to put them all in one place, so we can look at how they might relate.

Kimekomi Ichigo
Player: AstraKiseki
Concept: Budding Harem Mage
Kimekomi is a sickly young girl with a broad artistic streak.  Her mother was able to create realistic magical androids, and Kimekomi is following in her footsteps.  Her mother has fortunately left behind two artificial bishounen older brothers; Nisen the homemaker and Sanro the motorcycle-riding English teacher.
Plot Hooks: 
She has two artificial older brothers, whose true nature is secret. (risk of exposure)
Her brothers are extremely protective of her. (tension between anyone she wants to get close to, and them)
There is some potential sexual tension there. (It's hinted that they could go strange once she becomes sexually active)
She has a strong desire to become a harem mage. (someone could use that desire to manipulate her)
We know nothing about her father. (Does she even know who he is?  Family seems to be something of a theme for her)
Mechanical Niche: Charismatic Hero, Social & Artistic Skills, Minions

Correction: the Ningyo twins are flesh and blood, though if they die, it's very, very obvious they aren't real; they vanish in a swirl of light.  Once Ichigo learns the art, hers will be living as well, made by sketching and drawing, just like her mother did.

And holy crap, you are right!  She knows nothing about her father!  Her mother never really talked about it, and the brothers have no idea either.

Note: She is also the most physically ill, and possibly the only medic in the group.

[Reshki]

Note: She is also the most physically ill, and possibly the only medic in the group.

Jessi's got a smidge of first aid training in her current "Jill of All Trades, Master of None" build.  I plan on keeping that one, if possible.

[Reshki]

Thanks, WyzardWhately!

First, yes, I had done the math wrong.  I'd forgotten the additional +2 from my Studious feat.  Her Research is +15, not 13.

Also, I tightened up her skills a bit, focusing a bit more on her core, Nancy Drewness.   ;D  This means I dropped Concentrate and Gather Information.  She's still a student, and hasn't really been tested enough to have Concentrate, and Gather Information is too much a people-skill.  She's no misanthrope, but she's no socialite, either.  I also dropped Ride.  It was cute, but that's it.  Of the three I dropped, that's the one that hurts the most.  :'(  I might put it back, just 'cause.

I also changed how I listed her skills, putting the total bonus in parenthesis, so I won't have to calculate on the fly, and will be less likely to miss things like my Studious feat or Class Skills.

Jessica Kane

Daughter of Elizabeth Kane, daughter of Beatrice Kennedy.  It was Beatrice who took the family tradition, handed down from mother to daughter, a sacred charge since at least the Middle Ages, of fighting supernatural evil, and turned it into a business.  Since then, Jesus & James Detective Agency has been the front for their ongoing war against the forces of evil.  Robert Kane was the son of a drunkard who got himself possessed by a demon.  After Beatrice and a Catholic exorcist managed to banish the demon, Beatrice took Robert under her wing, and found him work at the agency.  Today, he’s CEO, though Grammie Bea still calls the shots. 

Jessi, as her friends call her (never Jess), was raised to take on the family tradition.  Where other girls might learn Grandmother’s recipe for chicken and dumplings, or makeup tips from Mom, Jessi learned how to spot the supernatural, and how to shoot and care for semi-automatic pistols.  Still, she’s managed to live a mostly normal life.  She’s had a few boyfriends, attends a small private Catholic school, and her parents have been able to keep the Things That Go Bump in the Night away from home.  Supernatural Evil has apparently written off west Texas, at any rate, so the agency now spends more of its time doing the usual work of detective agencies: tracking down deadbeats and trailing cheating spouses. 

The exchange program that sent Jessica to Japan was supposed to be something of a vacation for her.  No memorizing the Spates Catalog or Tobin’s Spirit Guide.  Not spending every other Sunday afternoon down at the shooting range.  She hasn’t even been to confession since she landed in Tokyo. 

An entire semester without ghosts and vampires, spirits or demons.  Beth and Rob thought it was important for her to live, at least a brief while, as a normal girl.

Grammie Bea, of course, knew better… 

So far Jessi enjoys Japan.  She’s picked up the language pretty quickly, it’s a lovely country, and the people are very polite.  But she doesn’t fit in very well.  At 5’8”, she was tall back home.  In Japan, she feels like Godzilla.  When she first saw how the girls tittered behind their hands instead of laughing out loud, she thought it was cute.  Then it got annoying.  Now that she’s caught herself doing it, it’s starting to piss her off.  Even worse, some of the boys are convinced that all girls from America are sluts.  Sure, she’s not as pure as fresh-fallen snow anymore; she’s had her share of back-seat romance.  But she’s not some whore, ready to spread her legs for any guy who winks at her, and she very nearly started a riot when she ground the heel of her shoe on the instep of some dirty old freak who groped her on the subway.  And while she grew up wearing school uniforms, she hasn’t had to wear one since she started high school.  She didn’t remember the pleated plaid skirts she used to wear being quite this short...

And Japan is eyeball-deep in the supernatural.  You’d have to be blind not to see it, and she can’t understand how people can’t not be freaked out by it.  Most of the spirits she’s seen have been fairly tame, hanging around the shrines and playing with fallen leaves.  She thinks she saw a kitsune, but it wasn’t there when she looked again.  So she’s a lot more relaxed than when she first arrived.  Which, as Grammie Bea always said, is when the damned bastards are sure to jump you.   

Jessica Kane
Smart Hero Level 5
Occupation: Student
Wealth
BAB +2
Fort +1, Ref +3 (+2 DEX), Will +4 (+1 WIS)
Defense +2
HP 20
AP 7

STR: 10
DEX: 14 +2
CON: 11
INT: 15 +2
WIS: 13 +1
CHR: 10

CLASS SKILLS (+1 Competence Bonus)
Computer Use
Knowledge (Arcane Lore)
Research

SKILLS: 88
Read/Write: English (native), Latin, Mayan, Japanese, Spanish
Speak: English (native), Latin, Japanese, Spanish

Computer Use (INT) 4 (+7)
Decipher Script (INT) 4 (+8)
Investigate (INT) 6 (+8)
Knowledge: arcane lore (INT) 6 (+9)
Knowledge: history (INT) 4 (+6)
Knowledge: pop culture (INT) 4 (+6)
Knowledge: religion and philosophy (INT) 4 (+6)
Research (INT) 5 (+15)
Search (INT) 4 (+6)

Drive (DEX) 2 (+4)
Hide (DEX, armor check penalty) 4 (+6)
Move Silently (DEX, armor check penalty) 5 (+7)
Spot (WIS) 3 (+4)
Swim (STR, armor check penalty) 2 (+2)
Treat Injury (WIS) 4 (+5)

FEATS
Combat Expertise
Exotic Weapons (katana)
Personal Firearms
Simple Weapons
Studious

TALENTS
Exploit Weakness
Linguist
Savant (research)

WISH LIST
Ghost Sight Goggles
Linemaker’s Polymer
Oni-Bane Memento
Oni-Bane ribbon (either blue or silver)
silver folding-knife
access to secret (or maybe not-so-secret) online database of the occult and supernatural

While I imagine Witchbane Rounds are fairly standard tools of her family’s trade, I doubt she brought any with her to Japan, and even if she had, where would she get a gun to fire them?

[Stattick]

The impression I have gotten is that this is much more of horror than comedy.  Yes, there will be jokes, like in most anime, but...

The mental I get can be summed up in 'flashes.'

Hikari frozen still, staring at Masato, who just slammed his fist into a wall inches away from her, struggling with his rage.

Matt and Jessica staying up late at school for studying, and discovering the dire secret within the school.

Ichigo, Jessica and Matt arguing over the implications of the strange signs around the school, Ichigo worrying over how it will affect her brothers and any siblings she could create, as they are creatures born of magic.

The girls kidnapped and their innocence offered up to some sort of... thing.

That sort of thing.  Is that the sort of thing that should be going though my head?

This is the same impression that I had gotten of the game as well. Dark and horrific being the two most overriding aspects of the game.

Perhaps I presented my character concept poorly. Takara (means treasure, precious object) is not supposed to be a humorous character. She's trying to live in a (relatively) human world and thinks of herself as human, but there's a dark secret that few people, or no one, knows about. Perhaps her mother was raped by a tentacled demon, or maybe Takara's an artificially created construct, a melding of human and demonic flesh. What's certain is that although Takara appears human, she certainly is not. The only visible difference in her is her purple hair. (Elsebound race chosen out of the Black Tokyo book.) However, when she is full of lust, several tentacles emerge from her flesh. These tentacles are nearly impossible for her to control, and they are fueled only by lust. She's terrified that she's some sort of monster, and that one day the lust will overcome her, and she'll turn into some sort of rapacious fiend. So far she's been able to resist her carnal impulses, but she does not know how much longer she can do so. Perhaps the secret to whatever she has become since puberty hit is hidden in her past. For reasons she cannot explain, she has no memories of the time before she hit puberty. (I'm still undecided as to whether to make her an orphan.) Takara is understandably standoffish about sex of any sort. She fears what might happen if she were to let go, and the only semi-controllable tentacles were able to ravish an innocent. As stated above, she has a great deal of difficulty controlling them once they emerge. The tentacles have not been kind when they've ravaged Takara in the past and shown her a a painful form of carnal pleasure that makes her feel dirty and shameful. It is not uncommon to see bruises on her that the tentacles have given her. She is strongly considering going to a temple to see if the priests can perform an exorcism to rid her permanently of her possessed flesh, but at the same time fears to do so. What's worse is that as time goes on, there's a part of her that's starting to enjoy the tentacles.

Now that I've had the the chance to go through the book, I see that there's no actual feats to create a tentacle demon. A strange oversight for a hentai game. Tentacled Myriad is the closest, but it creates a huge area of effect (40 foot spherical radius!) of ephemeral semi-tangible tentacles that aren't even physically attached to the demon in question. I was looking for something a little different. Perhaps there is a feat from another source that one of you know about that can be adapted? As far as other feats are concerned, I was thinking of taking Vaginal Prison, and its prerequisites Gifts of Ecstasy, & Iron Will (which doesn't seem to be in this book). The combination of Gifts of Ecstasy and being an Elsebound means that once she does give in to carnal desires and starts learning to work with her body instead of against it, she'll be one hell of a lover if she can learn to direct her tentacles better.

After careful review of the classes presented in Black Tokyo, none of them seem to fit my character concept. I don't know the character classes from other sources at the moment, but I'm thinking that she'd be someone that probably has some street smarts, and is perhaps a bit roguish. Having not decided yet whether her mom is still in the picture, or whether she's just a distant and foggy memory for Takara, I haven't decided yet whether to include a period of homelessness in her background, but it's a possibility. I need to get these details nailed down and get her written up, or start a new character ASAP.

Chris, if the character concept still is not one that you like, please let me know and I'll come up with a new one. Perhaps by morning I can offer an actual charsheet or two for review.

[Hikari]

Weapon Finesse would definitely be a good buy, but I don't really want her to be a killing machine right now.  As she doesn't have any supernatural fighting abilities yet, and very limited conventional combat skills, I'm trying to keep her more defensive by nature; Brawl's more of a fluke pick up (it's either that or Archaic Weapons as an Athlete), and Combat Martial Arts is more defensive in that it mostly just protects from AoOs.  If she starts picking up Fast Hero levels then Weapon Finesse and other aggressive feats (Improved Combat Martial Arts/Brawl, etc.) might be in the cards.

Right now, most of what she's going to do in combat is get an enemy's attention--with Captivate, dramatic poses and threatening oration, and maybe a few weak punches--and then have no real clue what to do with it.  She means well, but she's not really Sailor Moon, so she doesn't have any demon-slaying frisbees or magic rape-be-gone wands.  Not even a Venus Love-Me-Chain!  So, she probably shouldn't be able to handle anything more threatening than a pushy first date on her own, at least for the moment.

I'm okay with her knowing other students.  She's a nice girl, and naive enough that she doesn't 'know better' when it comes to avoiding the stranger or more incongruous students like most Japanese will.  Heck, she wouldn't even call Ichigo strawberry-head and beat her up for being different!

As far as the 'dark' theme goes, I generally agree.  This character may seem light-hearted, but it's all a matter of perspective; what happens when you throw a character with (potentially) 22 Charisma, the 'a mind-blowing lay' racial power, negative marks in Sense Motive and Will Saves, and only just enough combat ability to aggravate into Dark Tokyo?  Especially when, considering her nature, she's going to derive power from that sort of thing and probably even inexplicably, instinctually enjoy it.

In other words, I'm going more for the 'playing a cute kid in an All Flesh Must Be Eaten' than the 'cute and funny' character type.  Bad things are going to happen, but they should be fun!

[AstraKiseki]

I'm okay with her knowing other students.  She's a nice girl, and naive enough that she doesn't 'know better' when it comes to avoiding the stranger or more incongruous students like most Japanese will.  Heck, she wouldn't even call Ichigo strawberry-head and beat her up for being different!

Ichigo probably has fired back insults at anyone who has insulted her.  She may be sickly, but she has the brains and the personality to fight back.  And a camera helps a bit too.  She is a nice girl, but there is something of a worldiness to her, even though at times, she can be also insanely disturbing.  Just wait until you see her interacting with other Daydream creations. *evil grin*

In other words, I'm going more for the 'playing a cute kid in an All Flesh Must Be Eaten' than the 'cute and funny' character type.  Bad things are going to happen, but they should be fun!

Same here, lady.   ;D

[Stattick]

It doesn't look like I got in on time for this. I just wanted to give the other players a head's up, so you don't plan on my character being around or include her in stuff.

Well, I hope everyone has a great game.

Later,
Statt

[AKunoichi]

:o

Oh, wait a tick.  Apparently, I may have to run two games!

The first crew hit my limit as to how much I can handle on a thread...

So did I get in on time?

[WyzardWhately]

Weapon Finesse would definitely be a good buy, but I don't really want her to be a killing machine right now.

Well, that's fine.  I just thought you'd mentioned you weren't much of a d20 player, so I thought you might have overlooked it.  My character is even less of a fighter than yours is, so I'm not in any position to tell people they need more damage output or anything. 

So, who would like to know each other before the game starts?  I'd like for Matt to know at least one other PC.  I do kind of want to go with the conceit that he's only been in the country for maybe a week (Chris, you think it'd be cool for the first day of the campaign to also be the first day of school, or just before?  Because I'd be in favor of that.  Not sure if anyone else cares.) 

Good options for him that I can think of right now are:

Ichigo: Maybe she was drawing magical sigils in a sketchbook in the park, and he recognized what she was doing.  I'd think more of a passing acquaintance than a close friendship, but they both know the other has some arcane knowledge & experience.  They'd at least recognize each other at school.

Jessica Kane:  This would go the other way.  Maybe Jessica and her family read a newspaper article about Matt's little incident, and managed to read between the lines.  Finding him at the same school she's exchanging at would be a coincidence, and she might have made contact with him to confirm her suspicions...and maybe gain a little backup.

He also could have seen Masoto whupping the shit out of someone, or otherwise had a random encounter where Masoto was standing out.  Masoto does strike me as a character who tends to generate memorable encounters.

Thoughts?  Other ideas?

[Reshki]

Yeah, if Matt shows up on her radar, she'll definitely check him out, if nothing more than to make sure that he wasn't "infected" by whatever it was he killed.  But she'd probably keep it casual, mostly feigning ignorance of his past and building a bond based on them both being Americans.  If he brings it up, she'll say something like, "Oh, yeah, I remember reading something about that," but letting him tell his story of events.  But she won't bring it up if he doesn't.

[Chris Brady]

So did I get in on time?

Sorry, man.

[Chris Brady]

Alright, before I get into the info dump as it was called, I need to know something.

What do people want out of this game?  Give me a direction to start in.  I can't promise I'll use all the elements, but I will try to weave what I can into it.

Oh, and I'm removing most of the stuff out of the setting that would break the forum rules.

[Hikari]

Crass exploitation!

Oh, uh, plot elements.  Demons are good.  Normal people who are just plain sick in the head can be good, too, especially if they're the sort to be consorting with demons or similarly stirring up incongruously huge amounts of mischief.  And some of the things the setting book promises but delivers on inconsistently or not at all: weird, sometimes perverse elements of Japanese society hypersexualized.  Anything you've seen that made you say, "Oh, those wacky Japanese!" should be fair game, from perverse gameshows to subway molestation.

[Khayin]

He also could have seen Masoto whupping the shit out of someone, or otherwise had a random encounter where Masoto was standing out.  Masoto does strike me as a character who tends to generate memorable encounters.

Masato would be somewhat stand-offish at first, but I think he'd probably grow to like Matt.  He has some serious balls to be messing with the stuff he's involved in.  As for how they would have met, I can't say that Masato is much of a defender of the weak, but any excuse to take out his aggressions on people works for him -- he may have put the hurt on a punk or three that decided to give Matt shit.  And, honestly, anyone who can help him figure out what monster was responsible for his existence is a back he's willing to scratch.  Once his inner beast erupts, he's going to want a target.

And I also thought your character summary plus hooks was awesome.  That really did help.  The only correction I'd make is the spelling of Masato's name.  :D

[AKunoichi]

Sorry, man.

Could have done a count and reserved slots back on RPGnet.

[Reshki]

Oh, and I'm removing most of the stuff out of the setting that would break the forum rules.

Thank you.  Honestly, I’ve not seen some of the stuff that’s in the book in any hentai horror I’ve watched, but I’ve not watched a lot of it, so…

Mostly, I agree with Hikari.  I’m hoping for a bit of investigation as the horrible menace grows, a la CoC.  But instead of losing our sanity, I expect our characters to lose their innocence, their inhibitions, and maybe a bit of their humanity.  (Those of us that are human, anyway. ;) )  I expect the characters to face down threats to their school(s) and fellow students.  I expect sometimes they won’t be successful.  Sometimes, they’ll be mostly successful, but will have to pay a cost.

I expect we’ll see hideous things, have hideous things done to us, and sometimes have to do hideous things.  Because of the genre, I expect it to involve a bit more blood-and-guts than I might normally be comfortable with.  I also expect mind control to be a major part of the game, ranging from having our characters “nudged” towards certain behaviors, to out-and-out giddily happy mind-controlled, lust-driven slaves of things Man Was Not Meant to Know.

One thing about having characters molested.  In the anime I’ve seen, even when they don’t want it, the victims end up enjoying it, often in spite of themselves.  I didn’t see anything about that in the book, which surprised me.  Yes, it takes some of the edge off the topic, but I consider that a good thing.  I suspect characters who have been raped by demonic powers to be confused, wierded out, even horrified.  But I don’t expect them to be emotionally or mentally crippled, any more than I’d expect a fighter who got taken below zero hit points in D&D to be physically crippled.  That’s going to be a difficult line to walk, just like with the mind-control, so I expect a lot of OOC conversation when such issues come up.

The key core I’m expecting is, exploring an erotically focused, supernatural, exaggerated anime Japan.  I expect horny demons with a mysterious purpose for us to ferret out, sexual magical ceremonies that we might use to fight them, or be used in to further their wicked aims, and PC-to-PC interaction as we pick sides in the supernatural struggles happening around us and try to make sense of a world even more bizarre than the one most teenagers have trouble finding their place in.   

I'm also very flexible about this, so if my vision doesn't match everyone else's, I'm open to exploring other possibilities.

[WyzardWhately]

Alright, before I get into the info dump as it was called, I need to know something.
What do people want out of this game?  Give me a direction to start in.  I can't promise I'll use all the elements, but I will try to weave what I can into it.
Oh, and I'm removing most of the stuff out of the setting that would break the forum rules.

Before I go off on a huge rant, two suggestions:  We have a fair number of players, many of whom seem to be capable of self-direction.  I think we can probably establish a lot of our own scenes without troubling you.  Don't get me wrong, I really like having the GM around as arbiter, generator of NPCs and plot-hooks, etc.  But we probably shouldn't be afraid to just have two PCs meet in the hall and talk, argue, etc.  Essentially, I'm suggesting giving the players a bit of narrative autonomy, just because I think PBP games work best that way.  Secondly, we might eventually want to establish a few secondary PCs, or after the game's been running for a while, let other people come in to play bit-parts or cameos or whatever.  Just a thought.  Now, on to the big rant that I wrote because I'm a pedantic sonofabitch at heart.

Hmmm.  My ideal, I think, is a fair degree of horror with breaks for comedy, cameraderie, and the occasional win for the good guys.  Stay with me, please, as I'm probably going to talk for a while.  Buffy has been mentioned, and that's a good thing to talk about.  Buffy was so successful at what it did that it would be impossible to do the teenage protagonists and horror elements thing without inviting comparison to the whedon-verse.  So, we can start with that, and move on to what we want to do differently.

I think we should start with Buffy, and move it about five shades darker, five shades more sexual, and move the focus.  Buffy was very much a metaphor for the trials and tribulations faced by a lot of teenagers; it was a coming-of-age story in a lot of ways.  The big metaphor was often violence.  And we have some room for that.  However, we also get to use sexuality much more explicitly, both sex-as-sex and sex-as-metaphor.  Sex is inextricably tied to a person's identity: their orientation, their morals, the madonna/whore dichotomy, it's intimately tied into a person's desire to assert dominion over their own body and self, and the selves and bodies of others.  It's not explicit enough in the Black Tokyo book, but there's heady symbolism here.  The Weaponized Penii as a metaphor for men who use sex as a weapon (A set that might be larger than rapists alone), the similar feats available to female characters, and the tantric wisdom feat chain that lets people use their sexuality as a healing gift to someone they care about.  Ideally, those functions would have been subsumed into general genre-rules rather than  a feat chain, but we deal with what we've been given.  As Hikari mentioned above, Japanese culture has produced some wacky things.  I personally attribute that to the culture being fairly normative and repressive (you'll notice that even a lot of the expressions of individuality coming out of Japanese culture, things like cosplaying or the other "Dress up" subcultures, tend to be named, categorized, and formalized.  Think about that - even the outlets are pre-defined.) and so you get some weird leaking out around the edges.  I could be way wrong about this, I'm not an expert on comparative culture studies or anything, but there is a great emphasis on fitting in.  When pressure gets too high, leaks start to occur...

So, I think taking the psychology of sex and the backdrop of japanese culture, we have a lot of room to play around with not just sexual identity, but identity itself as a theme.  This is rich, fertile ground for psychological horror.  I also think we should downplay the physical effects of violence - we should be tossing around a fair amount of non-lethal damage, and probably trying to reduce people to that 0-HP state of relative helplessness.  (If anyone here is a fan of UA, think Isolation, Helplessness, and Self checks.)  We should be playing up ability damage, maybe even ability damage through psychological trauma, if we can come up with a way to mechanically do that.  Anything to make combat and confrontation about more than whittling away HP until someone goes down.

Also, see the Hellraiser movies.  They did glorious things with sexuality, identity, desire, and the trauma of facing your own darkness.  Also, death tended not to be permanent.  This was also a theme in Kult, maybe the best horror RPG I've ever seen.  The various shadowlands and whatnot behind reality, where the dead go?  That should be something people come back from.  Not via a resurrection spell, but simply because people decide to come back, and have the outright will and determination to do so. 

This makes killing the enemy or one of the PCs far less of a goal in its own right, and far less final.  I'm not saying it should be like, "Oh, this guy died, he'll be back next week."  I'm just suggesting it as a way to put violence and death less of a theme than the other kinds of horror available to us.

I realize that was kind of rambling, I hope somebody can drag something useful out of it.  I'd be willing to go into more detail about Unknown Armies' madness meters if anyone finds it interesting, it's actually an interesting introduction to the basic building-blocks of psychological horror by itself.

Masato would be somewhat stand-offish at first, but I think he'd probably grow to like Matt.  He has some serious balls to be messing with the stuff he's involved in.  As for how they would have met, I can't say that Masato is much of a defender of the weak, but any excuse to take out his aggressions on people works for him -- he may have put the hurt on a punk or three that decided to give Matt shit.  And, honestly, anyone who can help him figure out what monster was responsible for his existence is a back he's willing to scratch.  Once his inner beast erupts, he's going to want a target.

And I also thought your character summary plus hooks was awesome.  That really did help.  The only correction I'd make is the spelling of Masato's name.  :D

*headdesk*  So, that's two things I need to correct. 

I was really just picturing that Matt might have seen him beating the hell out of people for the normal reasons Masato beats the hell out of people.  Although, really, any of the PCs could have seen that, Matt's just one of the least likely to be very judgmental about it.  And, yes, I think Matt would probably agree to help him investigate his heritage once they got to know each other.  Honestly, Matt's first assumption would likely be that Masato already knew what his dad was.

[Chris Brady]

All good stuff so far, but I need both Astra and Khayin to add to this.

And as for ambulating between players without my intervention, I'm all for it.  Just give me a sign when/if you need something adjudicated.

[Stattick]

Secondly, we might eventually want to establish a few secondary PCs, or after the game's been running for a while, let other people come in to play bit-parts or cameos or whatever.  Just a thought.

I'd just like to say that if Chris and the players want to do something along these lines, I'd be willing to play a secondary PC, bit-part, cameo, or whatnot if you'd be comfortable with me doing so. I don't have a problem with someone else writing up the character (probably faster that way anyhow), predefining how they'd like me to portray the character, or assigning me a particular plot goal. Just drop me a PM @ rpg.net (Stattick) or a YIM message (stattick) if you would. I'm hessitant to ask to have a PM dropped on this site, only because I'm not sure at this point how active I'll be here.

I'll just add that I think everything that Wyzard wrote was pure gold and reminds me of the OCC discussions that we've had in the Buffy Gilead pbp game I'm in on rpg.net. Ok, I think that's enough from the audience, I'll go back to lurking.

[AstraKiseki]

I'll go with 'all of the above' please.  All of this is making me squee.  Though, yes, heavy on the physiological horror, and the lack of constant 'good guys win.'  Mind control, yes please, and blackmail. I want to have Ichigo facing her somewhat sociopathic outlook when it comes to Daydream Dolls and the true degree of loyalty the Ningyo brothers have towards her, and just truly messed up in the head she is.  Come on, she has been exposed to these dolls since almost birth, and knows that they die in a flash of light.  She probably attended an all-girls' school from preschool to high school (which allows for the awkwardness of meeting boys in an academic setting).  At this point, she would cheerfully use the dolls as tools for blackmail, and she will easily send them into a fight just as a distraction.

Ichigo: Maybe she was drawing magical sigils in a sketchbook in the park, and he recognized what she was doing.  I'd think more of a passing acquaintance than a close friendship, but they both know the other has some arcane knowledge & experience.  They'd at least recognize each other at school.

That would work wonderfully.

She probably knows Hikari, especially if Ichigo asks to do a sketch of her.  At school, Ichigo strikes a balance in between geek and social butterfly, even though people tease her for being in a boy's uniform.

[Reshki]

So, I think taking the psychology of sex and the backdrop of japanese culture, we have a lot of room to play around with not just sexual identity, but identity itself as a theme.  This is rich, fertile ground for psychological horror.  I also think we should downplay the physical effects of violence - we should be tossing around a fair amount of non-lethal damage, and probably trying to reduce people to that 0-HP state of relative helplessness.  (If anyone here is a fan of UA, think Isolation, Helplessness, and Self checks.)  We should be playing up ability damage, maybe even ability damage through psychological trauma, if we can come up with a way to mechanically do that.  Anything to make combat and confrontation about more than whittling away HP until someone goes down.

Another thing that surprised me by not being in the book, but is in the, I think, three episodes of "La Blue Girl" I've seen is the idea of sexual combat.  The idea of resisting desire, and defeat coming not with death, or even a KO, but with surrender to desire, is pretty central to most of the hentai I've seen.  The theme seems to be the conflicting demands of society and biology on the individual.  Forced transformation (emotional, spiritual, and sometimes even physical) is the price for defeat, shaping the loser to be more in attune with the desires of the different forces that tug them this way and that.

Anyway, long story short, I agree with WW.  Our characters should be struggling against the transformative powers of the evil spirits that confront them (as metaphors for the transformative powers of society's expectations and the chaos of the biological transformations into adulthood).  Some of our characters, especially those who are already half-demon, have this theme already built into their characters, obviously. 

Also, see the Hellraiser movies.  They did glorious things with sexuality, identity, desire, and the trauma of facing your own darkness.  Also, death tended not to be permanent.  This was also a theme in Kult, maybe the best horror RPG I've ever seen.  The various shadowlands and whatnot behind reality, where the dead go?  That should be something people come back from.  Not via a resurrection spell, but simply because people decide to come back, and have the outright will and determination to do so. 

This makes killing the enemy or one of the PCs far less of a goal in its own right, and far less final.  I'm not saying it should be like, "Oh, this guy died, he'll be back next week."  I'm just suggesting it as a way to put violence and death less of a theme than the other kinds of horror available to us.

Again, I agree.  As in Lovecraft's "Shadows of Innsmouth", the threat is not death, but transformation.  The existence of ghosts and other spirits make death an imperfect solution to conflict.  Which means our characters will need to find another way to neutralize our foes.  In Vampire Princess Miyu, she doesn't destroy the demons, but rather sends them back to hell.  (Very much like the current show "Reaper".) 

This would give us a lot of neat flexibility as well, since PCs might change sides, either by choice or by force, as the story moves along.  This would also be in keeping with the horror hentai I've seen, where the friends of the protagonists are often converted into minions of the Big Bad, Bodysnatchers style.   

Anyway, we could do that with attribute damage, or maybe be very flexible in how we interpret hit points, maybe saying they're much less measures of physical stamina and integrity, and more a vague measure of will, and both emotional and physical fortitude, and how much resistance you're able to offer any foe in any sort of contest.  I dunno, again, like I said, I'm pretty flexible.

(And I love yakking about stuff like this, so thanks for indulging my inner grad-student.  ;D )

[Khayin]

Apologies for the delay in sounding off.

Hikari, Reshki and Whately managed to capture my ideals better than I could have expressed myself, especially on the concept of employing sexuality in terms of character identity.  Masato is the first "bruiser" type I've played and it's primarily for the chance to explore the more ferocious and violently carnal side of sexuality (emotionally, of course -- not just gory) for good and ill.  Of course, his desire to keep from becoming the monster he is inside means that he's set up rather well for a terrible fall.  He fears hurting the ones he cares for, but he has so much anger that it's just a matter of time.  Eventually, he'll decide to take this out directly on the real monsters -- then he won't hold back anymore.

I'd also like to echo the notion that while characters would definitely be disturbed and probably hurt by all the awful things that will happen to them, it should never be something that absolutely ruins them.

But, yeah -- everything said so far has been pure gold.  I'm extremely excited about the story.

[WyzardWhately]

Reshki:  I'm actually sort of a grad student myself - I'm in law school, background in psych and philosophy.  I agree with pretty much everything you said, and congratulate you on saying it in about a third the wordcount of my own ramblings.

Stattick:  I'll keep you in mind when we start needing people.

[WyzardWhately]

Apologies for the delay in sounding off.

Hikari, Reshki and Whately managed to capture my ideals better than I could have expressed myself, especially on the concept of employing sexuality in terms of character identity.  Masato is the first "bruiser" type I've played and it's primarily for the chance to explore the more ferocious and violently carnal side of sexuality (emotionally, of course -- not just gory) for good and ill.  Of course, his desire to keep from becoming the monster he is inside means that he's set up rather well for a terrible fall.  He fears hurting the ones he cares for, but he has so much anger that it's just a matter of time.  Eventually, he'll decide to take this out directly on the real monsters -- then he won't hold back anymore.

I'd also like to echo the notion that while characters would definitely be disturbed and probably hurt by all the awful things that will happen to them, it should never be something that absolutely ruins them.

But, yeah -- everything said so far has been pure gold.  I'm extremely excited about the story.

Rant #2:  (This is relevant to the above post)
Rape is, even more than most sex, about power and control.  It's about making decisions for someone else.  This ties in pretty interestingly with the madonna/whore dichotomy I was referencing above.  A lot of women get trapped in what society tells them, that they shouldn't want sex if they're "good girls."  This is why so many girls with strict christian upbringings end up having rape fantasies - it essentially is a play where they get to have sex without the moral stain of consenting to sex for pleasure (yes, I realize this is not universal, and I think we all know that rape fantasies don't have much to do with real-world rape, etc. etc.)  Essentially, it lets them have the pleasure without having to take responsibility for the decision.  Somewhere out there is a girl with that problem turned up to eleven, anime-style.  She has incredibly oppressive parents, she has been taught her whole life that sex is naughty and dirty, that she has to be a Good Girl, and that boys only want one thing.  She may even have an equally-pure boyfriend, who just can't wait to marry her six or so years from now, so they can be husband and wife.  Ideally, this girl is going to realize, subconsciously, the tightrope that Masato is walking, and start trying to get him to fall off.  She can't ask him out, she can't be his girlfriend.  She can't flirt with him or show him that she likes him.  But she wants him, because she knows on some level he'll make the decision for her.  All she can do is keep trying to be around him, accidentally end up alone with him, fall and flash her panties, somehow run into him when she's soaking wet in the rain(that cute white uniform blouse turned tragically transparent) and he just happens to have an umbrella, etc.  Until he snaps, which is what she really wants.

That's the kind of "extra" PC we need, btw.

[Stattick]

Stattick:  I'll keep you in mind when we start needing people.

Thnx...

Ok, just a quick reference to the genre conventions vs the game mechanics of d20 for you to think about. I'm wondering if it might not be a good thing for you to graft some sort of social or "willpower" type of hit points for this game. The sort of thing that once it has been depleated, that the character will submitt or give in to whatever it is that is trying to break down his or her will without the PC being bludgeoned half to death... I don't know d20 well enough to know if something like that could be easily added though.

That's the kind of "extra" PC we need, btw.

I can probably potray something like that. However, I think that it should probably be at least a couple of weeks before you bring in any "support" PC's, if you ever do. I think that because of the unique nature of this type of playing, that the PC's need time to get comfortable w/ ea other and the GM before introducing "support" type PC's. That's just an opinion mind you, and I could be wrong...

[Chris Brady]

Okay, good stuff.  Gives me plot and stuff to throw out.

Here's my new take on the setting.

As you know Black Tokyo is along side of the 'real' Tokyo, one of separate, and not-so-separate realms where everything is exaggerated and dark.  The key point is that the real world has links to it.  Portals where people slip into and fall.  And true to nature it doesn't care who it takes in.  The innocent, the vile, the pure or the debase.  All are welcome in there.

Those traveling to the other side, however, is much rarer.

Now, the setup is that at the current school, of which I'm looking for a name, there have been students disappearing late at night, during after school activities, with some of them having been returned violated, but alive.  However, the returned don't seem to think that they actually left the school...

The police are baffled, students are scared, but none want to leave, because until recently, it's where all the best come from.  The record of employment or attending good universities beats any other school in the prefecture.

A few changes, a lot of the Forum rule breaking monsters are gone.  Okay, ALL of them are gone.  The Ironclub Oni do NOT have a female species (Makes them less Hentai to do so in my mind.)  Kitsune can hide their tails in full human form, but the mirror flaw stays.  And as everyone pointed out death won't as pervasive as it seems to be in the book.

Other than that, I think we're good to go!

[WyzardWhately]

Can I get a clarification of what monsters would break forum rules, and why?  Essentially, I'd like to have our boundaries set out in a forthright manner before we get started.

Edit:  we should also all take this opportunity to post our personal boundaries, etc.

[Mostlyjoe]

All I ask if I have the freedom to be heroic with out being belittled by the setting for trying. I can provide the pathos and cheesiness enough to take care of the rest. Beyond that, follow the forum guidelines and you have free license to screw with my head. And I'll have my character still have ties to his old kendo club at the school so I have a reason to be there.

[AstraKiseki]

I want mind-fuckery and just plain insaneness.  The site limits are ze limit.   ;D

[Chris Brady]

PC races as NPC's.

Akaname - Undead with fetish for bodily wastes.

Koropokkuru - are OK, except the over beastiality.

Ohaguro - Undead.

The nasty nasties.

Sazae-Oni - cuz I just don't like the concept.

[Reshki]

And I'll have my character still have ties to his old kendo club at the school so I have a reason to be there.

Which is a good link for Jessi to know him.

[Khayin]

I want taboos broken.  The site limits are the only thing to consider as far as I'm concerned.

[WyzardWhately]

I want mind-fuckery and just plain insaneness.  The site limits are ze limit.   ;D

Well, as soon as Matt gets Charm Person...

Incidentally, I have no idea how his personal ethics are going to shape up.  That's probably going to depend a great deal on the course of events in-game, and the influence the other PCs have on him.

[Chris Brady]

Alright, now that, that's out of the way, time to think of a good starting post.

[Chris Brady]

Here are the threads! 

The IC one

The Not So IC one