Mutant: Year Zero - Adventures After the Apocalypse - {Recruitment!}

[Outcast]

Mutant: Year Zero

https://www.youtube.com/embed/RaD4BSoh81U

Roleplaying at the End of Days - or the Beginning:  the apocalypse came and the world ended, long before you were born.  Now the Ark - in which you have lived for as long as you can remember - is in peril, as tensions rise among the People, the Elder is seen ever more rarely, and rumours spread that the grub is running out.

What will you do to make this a new beginning?  To make this the 'Year Zero' that launches a new age?

The nature of the game: exploration and discovery - with an emphasis on trying to equip the People of the Ark to survive.  Players can do a great deal to shape the work undertaken by the People and the kind of society they develop.  Brave souls can venture out into the 'Zone' (the ruined and Rot-tainted metropolis surrounding the Ark) to hunt for resources, especially precious Artefacts that have survived since the time of the Ancients.  Such things can be immensely powerful and precious in their own right, but can also be studied and used to open up new knowledge and possibilities for the People.  At home, politics within the Ark can pose their own dangers, while the Zone might unleash new perils that threaten the Ark.

What this is: an interest-check.  I think that I might be able to run this via the forum, while sustaining reasonable momentum.  The M:YZ system is (mostly) quite simple to use, and the game is set up to encourage exploring a map bit by bit, alongside efforts to strengthen the Ark and shape its society.

What the characters are: mutants.  Every member of the People has a significant mutation, that grants superhuman capabilities of a specific kind.  Some are more useful (or tasteful) than others, but all allow the wielder to briefly exceed the conventional constraints of their bodies - and often of physics.  Exhaling gouts of fire, taking to the air for brief flights, or sprouting claws and going berserk are all possible, as are mental capabilities and other strangeness.

But unleashing one's mutations is always a gamble: one's body (or mind) can sustain lasting damage, though it is also possible for wholly new powers to manifest as latent potential is unlocked.  Life within the Ark has (mostly) been safe, but now that things are threatening to fall apart, the time has surely come to venture out into the Zone in search of answers and solutions: however risky they are to use, mutations might be the People's most powerful tools in meeting such challenges.

What could I play?  In addition to the (single) noteworthy mutation with which a character starts, PCs stand out from the crowd as unusually-capable individuals.  Each belongs to one of eight professions that offers its own special options in play, and provides unique possibilities for a character's continued advancement.  Professions can be changed in play, to suit a character's developing story, though it's not something to be done casually.

* Bosses: gang-leaders, organisers, politicians, and cult-founders.
* Chroniclers: archivists, researchers, orators, and entertainers.
* Dog Handlers: why risk your own neck when you can train a mutt to do it for you?  Or perhaps you feel that mutts are a mutant's only true friends.
* Enforcers: warriors, protectors, bodyguards, and thugs.
* Fixers: wheelers, dealers, brokers - and sometimes blackmailers.
* Gearheads: techies, mechanics, and inventors.
* Grunts: labourers, slaves, and the most enduring of workers.
* Stalkers: scouts, hunters, and explorers - among the few to have made a habit of venturing out of sight of the Ark.

What can't I play?  Apologies to anyone who knows the broader M:YZ line, but I'm ruling out anything except Mutant: Year Zero itself.  Every character will be one of the People of the Ark, without exception.

Similarly, every character must be someone who will volunteer to help the Ark in dangerous ways.  A willingness to work together to give the People a chance is an essential element: in spite of its setting, this is not a game of grimdarkdoomdeath - amidst all the devastation and danger, there is still hope.

What would I have to do?  Cope with a GM who's prone to making lengthy posts, and who wants players to read them.  :-[

Also:
* Be willing to cooperate with other players both in and out of character: IC disagreements are fine, but if the characters can't bear to spend time together (not even to save the Ark), the game won't work.
* Accept the GM handling dice-rolling in most cases.  Rolls are rarer than in most systems (e.g. it's presumed that if characters take the trouble to try then they will succeed in things like searching a room for hidden objects or clues), but where they do come up, I'm keen to avoid getting caught up in the slow back-and-forth of questions over precisely what and how to roll.  Your PC's actions would remain yours, but I'd handle as much of the system side of things as possible.
* Try to keep up with posts, and - if possible - let me know when you can't.  Given ill health, my own posting rates will fluctuate... but that makes me all the more eager to take advantage of those periods when I am fit to provide updates.  In action scenes, I'm likely to set an OOC time limit for posting, after which I'll try to have any undeclared characters act as appropriately and competently as I can.
* If you know the lore of the M: YZ world, please don't provide spoilers to those who don't.  I'd rather not say how much of the published material might be applicable - but it's probably nice to avoid revelations in any case.  Surprises in RP can be fun!  ;D

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.

Four Quarters, T. S. Eliot





The sun turns black, Earth sinks in the sea,
The hot stars down from Heaven are whirled;
Fierce grows the steam and the life-feeding flame;
Till fire leaps high about Heaven itself.

Now Garm howls loud before Gnipahellir;
The fetters will burst, and the wolf run free;
Much do I know, and more can see
Of the fate of the gods, the mighty in fight.

Now do I see the Earth anew
Rise all green from the waves again;
The cataracts fall, and the eagle flies.
And fish he catches beneath the cliffs.

The Poetic Edda

About the Apocalypse
“How did the world end?  Some Stalkers and other braggarts say they know what happened.  That a great plague swept the world and killed everyone.  That the bosses of the Old Age fired their weapons of mass destruction at each other and drowned the world in flames.  That the gods among the stars, the Ancients’ overlords, had enough of mankind’s hubris and decided to end it all in fire and brimstone.  Maybe it’s true, maybe it’s just lies and tall tales.  The truth is, no one knows for sure.  Except maybe the Elder.  And he refuses to talk about it.  We learned as children not to ask, he would curse and rave at us every time the subject came up.  But I’ve heard him mumble in his sleep.  He said that the Ancients ended themselves.”
   ~ Hanneth, Chronicler

About the Elder
“Do you remember what it was like before the Elder got sick?  He used to walk around in the Ark and talk.  Talk and help us with anything we needed.  During the days, it was school time and he taught the People to read and count.  At night, we’d sit around the fires and listen to stories about the Old Age.  The Elder said he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, but that he had read books and seen moving images that showed what a fantastic time it must have been.  When the Elder got sick, all that stopped.  Maybe it’s the Rot that finally got to him.  Maybe he’s just old.  I don’t care which.  I just want to sit in his lap again, to hear him talk about the green fields, the blue lakes and the great cities full of people.”
   ~ Silas, Chronicler

About the Origin of the People
“Did you ever think about where we come from?  About the source of our mutant powers?  The People have lived in the Ark as long as we can remember, everyone knows that.  But before then?  Are we born here, or have we come here from somewhere else?  The only one with answers is the Elder.  And he always refused to tell us.  ‘Don’t look back’, he’d say.  ‘The past holds nothing but death and destruction.  Look ahead.  Build a new and better world.’  Now he’s on his deathbed, they say.  Now we might never know.  Unless the answer is in Eden.”
   ~ Victon, Chronicler

About the Barren People
“Our days are numbered.  The People are doomed to wither and die.  We’re not like the wild mutts or the Zone-Ghouls that seem to multiply every day.  Not like the Ancients, who filled the world to the brim with their offspring before the end.  We mutants cannot breed.  We are barren.  No children are born in the Ark.  You know that you say, everyone knows that.  Sure.  But there is hope.  We must go into the Zone, seek contact with others.  They say there are other Peoples out there, that we can join to grow stronger.  What if we are only barren to each other?  What if there are artifacts that can help us?  Listen to me.  If we just stay here in the Ark, we will perish.  We have no choice.  We must go into the Zone.  We must search for others.”
   ~ Astrina, Chronicler

About Men & Women
“No children are born in the Ark.  So what?  I think that’s a good thing.  During the Old Age, men were in charge and women had to take care of the children, did you know that?  Not any more.  Now I call the shots.”
   ~ Marlotte, Boss

About the Grub
“The Elder always took care of us.  Protected us, comforted us, gave us grub.  There was a stockpile of canned grub, and he knew how to grow more right out of the ground.  Now the stockpile is almost gone, and nothing is growing.  Grub is scarce and what little there is, is controlled and rationed by the Bosses.  Soon there won’t be any grub left.  Then we’ll starve - unless we learn how to grow grub or kill beasts and eat them, like the Ancients did.”
   ~ Maxim, Chronicler

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

About Zone Ghouls
“There are many dangers out in the Zone, but trust me, the Zone-Ghouls are the worst.  They are wretched creatures of the Rot, spawned by the Zone itself.  They are skinny and short like children, but don’t be fooled - they hunger for mutant flesh and don’t have an ounce of humanity left in them!  Thankfully, there are ways to avoid them.  First of all, only move through the Zone during daytime.  The Zone-Ghouls can’t stand the sunlight, not even through the smog - that’s why they all dress in hoods and wrap up their heads and hands with cloth.  Some say the Zone-Ghouls aren’t even living beings at all, that they are evil spirits from the Old Age.  But I know better.  I know they can bleed, I know they can die.  My advice - bring a scrap rifle and never let them get close.  If you see one Zone-Ghoul, you can be sure there are at least two more nearby.”
   ~ Franton, Stalker

About Other Arks
“Some nights, when the smog lifts, you can see faint lights at the horizon.  Have you seen them?  Some say they are just a mirage or some Zone phenomenon best left alone, but I don’t think so.  I’m sure there is something over there.  Something important.  I once walked as far as I could in that direction, before the grub ran out or the Rot got me.  I didn’t make it all the way, but pretty far.  Do you know what I saw?  Other mutants, just like us.  Believe it if you want, but I’m sure there is another Ark out there.  We are not alone.”
   ~ Krin, Stalker

About the Rot
“So, you want me to take you into the Zone?  You think you have what it takes?  You have no idea what it’s like out there.  No idea.  Let me tell you about the Rot, and we’ll see if you still want to go after that.  The good kind of Rot is the kind you can see.  Green sludge floating on a still pond.  If you get it on your body, it will seep into your wounds, your mouth and eyes.  It will slowly break you down.  The bad kind of Rot is invisible.  You won’t know it’s there until your bones and muscles ache.  If you go too close to the hotspot, your hair will fall off.  You puke blood.  If you don’t get away quickly, you’re done for.  How do I survive in the Zone, you ask?  I know where to go, and where not to go.  I know what water to drink, what food to eat.  And I know how to endure pain.  The Rot hurts more than you could imagine.  Are you still sure you want to go?”
   ~ Yassan, Stalker

About the Enclaves
“When the world ended, not all people died.  We are proof of that.  They say some people fled the Apocalypse.  They dug deep underground, dove to the bottom of the ocean or left the Earth to build floating cities in the sky.  These sanctuaries were called enclaves.  But the Apocalypse didn’t let people get away that easily.  They say a great war broke out between the enclaves, that the last people tried their hardest to annihilate each other.  Mighty weapon-strikes crushed underground enclaves and felled others from the sky in a rain of fire.  How the war ended?  Who knows?  Maybe it’s still going on?”
   ~ Hanneth, Chronicler

Images and much of the text have been borrowed (with some minor tweaks) from the Free League.

Later Additions:

Professions and Mutations
Character Creation & Introduction to the System
Character Template

And if you would like a Free PDF covering rules and character creation in more depth, feel free to grab it.

[AndyZ]

The idea that comes to mind for this is a character who has a tenuous relationship with gravity, maybe thanks to control of kinetic force or something, working as a parkour scavenger.  If you've ever seen some of the Prince of Persia games or the live action Mulan where characters literally run up walls, you get the idea.  Would that work well for this?

[Envious]

Looks interesting!

[Outcast]

The idea that comes to mind for this is a character who has a tenuous relationship with gravity, maybe thanks to control of kinetic force or something, working as a parkour scavenger.  If you've ever seen some of the Prince of Persia games or the live action Mulan where characters literally run up walls, you get the idea.  Would that work well for this?

I've only seen the films rather than any of the games, I'm afraid, but I believe I know the kind of thing you mean. 

Mutations tend to be "use when it truly matters" powers rather than things to employ at all casually, because they are draining and risky to activate.  So long as you have the energy to 'fuel' your mutation then it will always come into play when you call on it, but every activation runs the risk of a harmful backlash or other surprises.  The more power you put in, and the more impressive the effect you create, the higher the risks.  Of course, some mutants embrace those risks, in the hope that if the power runs wild it will open up new abilities...

As for the specific ability: short bursts of running up walls should be feasible, yes.  Probably with the added option to make otherwise-impossible leaps. :D

There're a couple of dozen mutations already written up in the rules; pulling inspiration (or directly lifting snippets of the rules) from those to make new ones should be fairly simple to manage, if people have clear ideas on things they would particularly like to have.  E.g. in this case (and speaking off the top of my head), I'm pretty sure that wall-crawling and leaping are parts of what two different existing mutations offer: wall-running and gravity-defying jumps could combine to make a new and viable mutation, I think.

If there's enough interest, I can certainly post up a summary of how character creation might work.

[Outcast]

Looks interesting!

Thank you!  I hope that other people agree.  ;D

[Wolfling72]

This looks so damned epic.

[Kuroneko]

Tentatively interested while I ponder a character.

[Valerian]

Count me in!   ;D

[Outcast]

This looks so damned epic.

Hee!  :-[

I certainly do think that the setting has a lot of potential.  I'm curious as to whether I can get it to work on a forum... but I'm hopeful that some of its quirks will actually make that more feasible than would be the case with many games.

Tentatively interested while I ponder a character.

Don't feel obliged to come up with anything definite, as yet.  :D

Something that's probably worth stressing is that characters are very much part of the Ark, and that you don't need to either come up with every detail yourself, nor make them 'self contained' heroes like you might see in some other games.  Even if the PC is a dog handler whose chief ambition is to retire to a life of teaching old dogs new tricks, they will have at least a couple of ties to other PCs and NPCs: part of character creation involves figuring out such connections.

And though I'll define most things about the Ark and its starting situation, players can influence quite how things are at the start of play - including influencing the kinds of roles that NPCs fill.  Is it important for a particular character that the Ark includes a conniving, treacherous Boss who betrayed them in the past?  Then there'll be one.  Does someone else need there to be a kind-hearted Chronicler with medical expertise who treated them for Rot sickness even though most people were too scared to even come close?  There'll be one, if none of the PCs fill the role.

Count me in!   ;D

Yay!  Thank you.  ;D

[TheLaughingOne]

oohh! I like Mutant! I backed it and almost all its other varients on KS, specially like mechatron.

Shall see i can come up with for a good mutant;3

[Ssieth]

Oh - count me in if this makes it off the drawing board.  I've played in the M:YZ a couple of times in tabletop form and loved it :)

A vague idea for a gearhead with TK powers and a fear (not overwhelming) of dogs :)

[Outcast]

oohh! I like Mutant! I backed it and almost all its other varients on KS, specially like mechatron.

Nice to see another enthusiast for it here.  :D

Oh - count me in if this makes it off the drawing board.  I've played in the M:YZ a couple of times in tabletop form and loved it :)

A vague idea for a gearhead with TK powers and a fear (not overwhelming) of dogs :)

I can't remember quite how much of it you've seen...  I'm intending to use canonical material (mostly), and if we do get as far as making any grand discoveries then I wouldn't want it to be dully familiar to any player (nor a constant fight to avoid giving spoilers).  But gearhead is definitely an enjoyable option to play, and nervousness around the Ark's many mutts (as well as wild dogs in the Zone) could certainly make for an interesting quirk!  ;D



Since people are starting to come up with character ideas, I should probably provide a little more guidance for what those might look like....  :D

Professions are one of the things that best help to define a character.  Each grants access to an unique skill, that anyone not pursuing that Profession is unable to acquire.  If you move to a new Profession then you retain whatever you learned in the previous one(s), but the only specialist skill you can improve is the one for your current Profession.

Each one also grants access to a trio of otherwise-inaccessible Talents.  The vast majority of Talents can be learned by anyone, but there are some special perks only open to those in the know.  PCs start with one Talent, and it's recommended that it be one of the unique abilities open to their Profession: more can be acquired during play.

It's worth emphasising here that about half the People in the Ark won't even have a single point in a Profession skill, and very few have gained more than one Profession.  Player characters have the potential to become very unusual indeed, if they can keep each other alive through their adventures!

Click to see some Profession info!

Bosses:
* Special Skill: Command
* Special Talents: Commander, Gunslinger, Racketeer.
* Are the best because: they can have a cadre of NPCs available to do their bidding.  This might be a work-crew labouring away in the Ark while the Boss explores the Zone, an armed posse of guards to watch her back, members of her cult, or a group of would-be revolutionaries.  They can even generate income (by fair means or foul) on your behalf.  Just don't push them too far, or you might face a challenge for leadership!

Chroniclers:
* Special Skill: Inspire
* Special Talents: Agitator, Bonesaw, Performer.
* Are the best because: they can inspire people to amazing feats of competence, even in areas about which the Chronicler knows nothing - or hinder people who are trying something they want to see fail.  They can also become better healers and entertainers than anyone else.  And, no matter how far the Ark's culture has declined, a Chronicler is guaranteed to be literate.

Dog Handlers:
* Special Skill: Sic a Dog.
* Special Talents: Bloodhound, Fight Dog, Mutant's Best Friend.
* Are the best because: they and their mutt make for a great team, and the dog (which is strong and exceptionally agile) can take the lead in many dangerous situations.  It also feeds itself, tracks quarry, and can provide emotional support to its handler.

Enforcers:
* Special Skill: Intimidate.
* Special Talents: Barge Through, Mean Streak, Sucker Punch.
* Are the best because: they can force people to make a choice between fighting the Enforcer or doing what they're told, instil soul-shaking fear - and have a chance to resist other Enforcers trying such things on them.

Fixers:
* Special Skill: Make a Deal.
* Special Talents: Juicy Info, Vicious Creep, Wheeler Dealer.
* Are the best because: they're the masters of information and of profit - even performance-focused Chroniclers and greedy Bosses can struggle to match the opportunities found by a good Fixer.

Gearheads:
* Special Skill: Jury-Rig.
* Special Talents: Inventor, Motorhead, Tinkerer.
* Are the best because: they can fix damaged equipment, turn scrap into temporary gear to help with unanticipated problems, and even make permanent bonus-granting kit.  In a world where a bat with nails hammered through it counts as a significant weapon, a gifted Gearhead can seem like a magic-worker - making simple guns, rafts, temporary protection against the Rot, and whatever else is required.

Grunts:
* Special Skill: Shake it Off
* Special Talents: Cynic, Rebel, Resilient
* Are the best because: they can try to shrug off virtually any kind of trauma (physical or mental).  They are by far the best "tanks", and can seem unstoppable in comparison to the rest of the People.

Stalkers:
* Special Skill: Find the Path
* Special Talents: Monster Hunter, Rot Finder, Scavenger.
* Are the best because: they can find clean water, edible food, and ancient artefacts out in the Zone - while identifying (and avoiding) threats, and perhaps even picking out the most Rot-free routes.   Long-range scouting from vantage-points, rapid travel, and other options are also possible.

Note: all of the above is meant as a 'flavour' of what the Professions offer, rather than a comprehensive guide to character creation!  ;D



Mutations

Each mutant starts with one mutation - but use of it risks the power coursing through them in an uncontrolled fashion.  Such experiences can do lasting damage to their body (or mind), but can also open up new abilities that had previously lain dormant.  Of course, the more mutations an individual has the more they are likely to be tempted to use one or another of them, and the more frequently they will be tempted to risk further harm to themselves....

Though things are usually fine, it is entirely possible to kill oneself through uncontrolled use of mutations over a prolonged period!

Warning duly issued, here are brief outlines of the main batch of 'official' mutations.  Almost all of these abilities require the tapping of (usually very limited) reserves of energy to use in a significant fashion, with the risk of backlash and damage or other 'interesting' results:

Click to see Mutation info!

Acid Spit: Attack a nearby target; melt through a rope or bar; more delicately destroy a small target (such as a lock).
Amphibian: something of a misnomer, since the traits are rather more fishy and reptilian.  Breathe underwater, absorb physical damage, and a dangerous bite.
Beastmaster: Take control of a nearby living being that lacks Wits; the bigger and stronger it is, the more expensive it is to control.  Other actions can be taken while maintaining control for up to half an hour, but if the Beastmaster takes any trauma (of any kind) then control is broken.
Clairvoyance / Psychometry: Glimpse a place or person you know; receive a vision of the past for a location or object you touch.
Corpse-Eater: a rare 'constant' ability that allows you to cope with eating meat from virtually any source without picking up Rot.  Also grants access to a dangerous bite.
Cryokinesis:  Freeze a living creature you can touch; freeze a radius of water around you or create a bridge of ice leading away from you across water; put out a fire or cool something down - small fires might not even require a Mutation Point to suppress.
Electrokinetic: Deliver a shock to a target you can touch (bypassing almost all armour); provide ~30 minutes of power for  significant device (in the Ark or elsewhere); create a stream of small sparks that might ignite flammable material, or generate a (dim) electric glow for a few minutes.
Extreme Reflexes: boost your initiative in combat, take an extra action in a round, or try to dodge an attack you otherwise couldn't.
Flame-Breather: narrowly-focused or a broad blast, it's dangerous!
Four-Armed: climb with ease, defend against multiple attacks at the same time, attack twice in the same round.
Frog Legs: jump inhumanly far, spring-attack onto targets, escape conflicts.
Human Magnet: move metallic items, use them to launch attacks, shield yourself from metal projectiles.
Human Plant: thorns, bark-like skin, photosynthesis.
Human Toad: Catch small objects (and creatures) with your tongue; secrete a paralysing poison through your skin; hibernate to avoid all trauma from cold and lack of food or water, up to 24 hours per activation.
Insectoid: hardened skin, wall-crawling, rapid-healing.
Insect Wings: short flights, spring-attacks, profoundly unsettling buzzing.
Luminescence: blinding burst of light at a single target, illuminate an area around oneself, briefly bend light to allow for a personal escape from danger.
Manbeast: sprout fangs and ferocious claws, terrifying roar, get back up when broken.
Mind Terror: confuse or terrify victims, bewilder a target to cost them actions in combat, implant a convincingly-real illusion into a single person's mind.
Puppeteer: hijack a humanoid target's next action - potentially even forcing them to use a mutation or harm themselves.
Parasite: leech from a target to heal your own body or mind, steal a target's mutation for one round (in which you can use it yourself), heal someone's injuries by taking them onto yourself - and potentially wholly-cure critical and life-threatening wounds.
Pathokinesis: instil or remove fear or doubt (including in oneself), affect the mood of a group for a few minutes.
Pyrokinesis: set fire to something flammable and inanimate, set fire to something living and nearby, keep an area comfortably warm for an hour.
Reptilian: rapid changes of skin colour and patterning to create 'active' camouflage (naturally most useful when mostly or wholly naked), contort your body to push through gaps at least a few inches wide, entrance a humanoid target with your gaze - not full hypnosis, but it can cause serious confusion.
Rot-Eater: near-immunity to most damage from the Rot, use temporary Rot taint to heal yourself, expel Rot you are currently tainted by to infect someone next to you.
Sonar: gain a few minutes of accurate 'sight' even in total darkness, stun enemies, disrupt someone trying to do something requiring fine control (such as aim accurately).
Spores: make someone really miserable with itching skin and streaming eyes, stink so horribly that your victim chokes and suffers severe nausea, erupt a dense cloud of spores to cover your escape.
Sprinter: double the efficacy of any move actions you take in a round, escape from a conflict without a contested roll.
Telekinetic: Push or pull an object no heavier than yourself, within short range; throw small objects at targets within short range.  More versatile than Human Magnet, but provides no shielding ability.
Telepathy: read surface thoughts / intentions (e.g. honesty or deceit), plant a simple thought into someone's mind without him realising it came from an outside source, scramble someone's thoughts.
Tracker: follow the trail of a person or creature, sense someone (or something) sneaking up on you, find grub in the Zone (though it's likely to be Rot-tainted and need skilled preparation to render safe).

There are some more 'official' mutations, but I don't have those to hand at the moment - and the above should give a good range of options, and an idea of how they tend to work.

[Ssieth]

I can't remember quite how much of it you've seen...  I'm intending to use canonical material (mostly), and if we do get as far as making any grand discoveries then I wouldn't want it to be dully familiar to any player (nor a constant fight to avoid giving spoilers).  But gearhead is definitely an enjoyable option to play, and nervousness around the Ark's many mutts (as well as wild dogs in the Zone) could certainly make for an interesting quirk!  ;D

How much I've seen.... not a massive amount if I remember.  Things stalled before I think I hit anything in the way of serious plot.  Certainly if I did hit anything really significant, I don't remember it.

And looking at the mutations list - I'm actually tempted by rot-eater, now that I've seen it :)  Rot-eating gearhead with a serious dose of nervousness around dogs :)

[c0i9z]

I'm interested.

[Outcast]

Since it seems that we have some confirmed interest, I find myself in need of the character creation outline that I had absolutely intended to have written up and ready to go before I posted the original interest-check.  Oops.  Sorry about the delay - and apologies for any gaps or incoherence in this!  :-[

What follows should give a pretty good idea of character creation, though it's not intended to be entirely comprehensive  I've also added a little on the mechanics of the system, since those might be relevant to character-design.  Key parts of it are best handled cooperatively, especially when it comes to sorting out ties between PCs and how they relate to the Ark and its inhabitants.  If you feel that more discussion (or more setting information) is needed before you embark on anything, then that's absolutely fine.

If it looks too daunting, then don't feel that you have to dive in.  I can help to guide people through, or even make characters for people... but I promise it's actually quite simple!

All you need are some personal details, to throw a few points at four abilities, to choose your profession and some skills, to pick a single Talent, take your mutation, establish some connections, and finally receive some gear.

If you want a free PDF covering much of this in greater detail (and with more illustrations), then you can grab one on DriveThruRPG.  I don't think it contains any spoilers...



Personal Details
Name:  A single word, often at least tangentially related to 'real world' names of various kinds... though some have simply adopted things they think sound 'right'.  No need to settle on one just yet, in any case!
Age: 20-25.  Everyone came to the Ark as a baby or a very young child; everyone is now a young(ish) adult.  The very, very oldest among the People are rumoured to be 26 or even 27, and no one seems to be under 20.  But those figures are based on the Elder (formerly) being able to remember everyone's individual ages.  Birthday celebrations tended to be communal things, without firmly-fixed dates.  Many of the People no longer pay any attention to such things.
Height, Weight, etc: Rarely measured by the People, but might be of some use for OOC descriptions.
Description:  All the People feature at least some visible deviation from baseline human norms, though this can sometimes be quite subtle.  Use of mutations can lead to further physical changes, though you'll always (as a player) have a say in what form any alterations take.
Sex and Gender: A free choice.  The People tend not to question equality of the sexes, and the capabilities granted by mutations help to ensure that judging someone on appearance alone can be deeply unwise.  The Ark is fairly literally a patriarchy, having been led by the Elder for longer than most of the People can remember, but his authority was based on age, knowledge, and the care he took to protect and educate hundreds of People throughout their childhoods.

Abilities / Attributes / Characteristics / Statistics  ~  and Trauma

Whatever you call the category, you get a pool of points to split between Strength, Agility, Wits, and Empathy.  Each starts at 2; you then have 6 points to allocate.  The maximum in any single ability is a score of 4, unless it is the one most strongly associated with your Profession.  That stat (and only that stat) can start with a score of 5, if you want it to.

5 is the highest a mutant can have in any ability.  A totally-average member of the People has a score of 3 in each: your characters are noticeably above-average!

Note: there is an option to sacrifice one (and only one) ability point in return for starting with a second mutation.  Given the importance of abilities (each one is needed to cope with a particular type of damage, and is the base for a quarter of the available skills) I would advise against taking this option unless it is key to your character concept that they have a particular combination of mutations.  Also bear in mind that abilities can drop in play, should use of a mutation go 'wild' and cause lasting changes.

Extra Information: Trauma, Conditions and Rot

Trauma: When things go awry, mutants can suffer trauma.  There are four different types, each of which targets one of the abilities.  Every point of trauma reduces its corresponding ability by 1; if an ability reaches 0, then the victim is considered Broken.  They're not dead, but they're out of action.

Physical damage affects Strength, fatigue affects Agility, confusion affects Wits, and doubt affects Empathy.  The more of a particular type of trauma you suffer, the worse you will get at related skills - and the closer you come to being Broken.  This applies to NPCs and monsters, too: if you can identify an area in which a foe is weak, then targeting it can be very worthwhile!  Scaring, tiring, and confusing opponents can be just as important as damaging them.

Damage is recovered with a chance to relax (for at least four hours) and enjoy some grub.  Fatigue is counteracted by rest and water.  Confusion can be banished by sleep.  And doubt is dispelled with rest and the friendly company of another person (or her mutt, in the case of a Dog Handler).

The Heal skill allows for one character to help another, potentially restoring some trauma.  Especially serious wounds might result in a critical injury, with lasting effects: those require expert assistance... or perhaps the magic-like miracles of the Ancients.

There are persistent rumours of wonder-drugs from the Old Age, that can heal any wound (be it mental or physical) and perhaps even restore someone to full health in every way - even restoring permanently-lost ability points.  The closest equivalent that the People can offer is Ark-brewed booze: drink enough of that, and you might (temporarily) forget about some of your damage and doubt!

Conditions: If you go a day without eating at least one ration of grub, you begin starving, which is bad.  Even worse is going a day without a ration of water: dehydration is very bad news!  Going without at least four continuous hours of sleep in a day results in the sleepless condition.  And being too cold for too long can induce hypothermia.  Food, (clean) water, sleep, and warmth are all important - and the Ark's already running low on one of them.

Rot: A special case that's a sort of mix of a Condition and trauma: whenever you acquire Rot, there's the risk of it doing damage.  The more Rot you acquire, the more risky it is to gain more: every time the amount of Rot within you increases, it gets more and more dangerous.  You can cleanse it when you get to somewhere safe with plenty of clean water (such as the Ark), but there's always a risk that some of it might permanently affect you.

In summary: avoid Rot, if you possibly can.  Unless you're a Rot-Eater... and even then, if your mutation can't keep up with the quantities you're exposed to, you can still wind up in deep trouble.

Skills

Each ability has 3 'basic' skills attached to it.  Everyone can learn these skills, and they can be attempted untrained (with a score of 0) by just rolling the ability they're based on. 

Strength: Endure, Fight, Force
Agility: Move, Shoot, Sneak
Wits: Comprehend, Know the Zone, Scout
Empathy: Heal, Manipulate, Sense Emotion

Each profession has a specialist skill, which is attached to that profession's core ability.  These skills cannot be attempted untrained: you need at least 1 point in a given skill to make a roll on it.

Strength: Intimidate, Shake it Off
Agility: Find the Path, Sic a Dog
Wits: Command, Jury-Rig
Empathy: Inspire, Make a Deal

At the start of the game, you get 12 points to distribute among your skills.  None of them (not even your specialist skill) can be rated above 3 when you enter play.  You must have at least one point in your specialist skill (otherwise you don't count as a member of the profession, really).  With experience, skills can be raised as high as 5.

Talents

Each character gets one talent at the start of play, which should almost always be one of the three that are solely available to their profession.  Many, many more Talents can be acquired in play.

Professional Talents

Boss:
Commander: +2 bonus when ordering your gang to fight for you - which helps to reduce the risk of a mutiny!
Gunslingers: Every member of your gang has a scrap gun of some sort.  If you want them to use the guns outside the Ark, you'll need to provide the bullets.
Racketeer: +2 bonus when using Command to run rackets in the Ark.

Chronicler:
Agitator: +2 bonus when you Inspire someone to Fight or Shoot.
Bonesaw: +2 bonus when using Heal to treat a critical injury.
Performer: While in the Ark, may put on a show of some sort, using Inspire to generate bullets or grub as donations from your admiring audience.

Dog Handler:
Bloodhound: +2 bonus to your dog's tracking ability.
Fight Dog: +2 bonus for your dog's Fight rolls.
Mutant's Best Friend: Your dog can get you out of trouble, often being able to stand in for you in Move and Endure tests.

Enforcer:
Barge Through:  Use Strength rather than Agility with the Move skill.
Mean Streak:  When you Intimidate someone and inflict doubt, they take an extra point of it.
Sucker Punch:  The weapon damage of your unarmed strikes is 2 rather than 1.

Fixer:
Juicy Info: Gain incriminating information on one NPC.  How you use it is up to you.
Vicious Creep:  When you Manipulate someone to give them doubt, they gain an extra point of it.
Wheeler Dealer:  Double the profits generated when you use Make a Deal to conduct "side business" while spending time in the Ark.

Gearhead:
Inventor: +2 bonus when using Jury-Rig to create something new, but not to repair an existing item.
Motorhead: +1 bonus to repair or modify a vehicle, or (when piloting one) to ram a target or flee combat.
Tinkerer: +2 bonus to repair a piece of gear, but not to create a new item.

Grunt:
Cynic: +2 to bonus to Shake Off doubt (but no other form of trauma).
Rebel: Every success in a Shake It Off roll provides a bonus to your immediately-following action.
Resilient: +2 bonus to Shake Off damage (but not other form of trauma).

Stalker:
Monster Hunter: +2 bonus to Scout a beast of any kind.
Rot Finder: May use a Stunt on Find the Path to lower the effective Rot level of a zone, for the duration of one visit to it.  Has huge impact on the Rot exposure of a group.
Scavenger: May choose to make finding Artefacts and valuable scrap the top priority when using Find the Path, rather than putting safety first.  Receive a +2 bonus to the roll when doing so.

General Talents

An incomplete list, to give an idea of what is possible:
Admirer, Archaeologist, Assassin, Bad Omens, Bodyguard, Butcher, Combat Veteran, Cool Head, Counselor, Coward, Fast Draw, Flyweight, Gadgeteer, Good Footwork, Hard Hitter, Jack of All Trades, Light Eater, Loner, Never Surrender, Pack Mule, Personal Arithmetic, Sharpshooter, Sleepless, Stoic, Therapist, Weapon Specialist, Workhorse, and Zone Cook.

Connections

Each character is likely to start with connections to two NPCs, and a key one to a PC.  You can leave these up in the air, or (especially if your character is a Dog Handler, who can draw emotional support from their mutt) you might choose to simply do without one or more of these.  But each connection provides a potential source of XP, as well as helping to provide roleplaying opportunities.

By default, each character will have:
* One NPC whom they resent or hate or want to out-do.  This might be someone whose glorious achievements they yearn to surpass, the hated former owner of an ex-slave, a romantic rival, a political opponent, or anything else suitable.
* One NPC whom they want to protect.  A mentor, a pupil, a comrade-in-arms, a lover, a brilliant leader whose visions must be brought to fruition if the Ark is to surive - again, the options are pretty much limitless.
* One player character who is a 'buddy', who must be protected, or who merits support in all they do.  They're someone worth taking (serious) risks for.  The feeling does not have to be reciprocated!

Clear relationships can be defined for all PCs, of course - but XP can be earned by taking risks on behalf of those whom you want to protect, or to triumph against the one you want to surpass or bring down.

The Big Dream

Something that the character is striving to accomplish - whether for themselves, on behalf of the Ark, or to affect the whole world.  It should be something towards which clear progress can be made ("universal harmony among all living things" would probably not be a good choice), but can vary quite widely in scope.  "Venture farther from the Ark than anyone has before" might be viable, as might "learn how to help the People to reproduce" or "bring stability and prosperity to the Ark".

Each profession has a few example Big Dreams in its write-up: I can provide them if required.  If you're stuck, then a good default option could relate to finding / looting / learning from Eden (see Legends below).

If you complete your Big Dream, or it no longer suits your character, then a new one can be chosen.  But working towards it is a way to generate XP - so it's good to have it be something you can actively pursue.

Gear

Every profession offers a (small) selection of starting gear, including at least a little in the way of clean food and water.  Food, water, and bullets serve as interchangeable trade items / currency within the Ark: it's quite normal to trade a mixture of the three for a desired item, or to 'cash in' a useful piece of kit for some extra grub.  Every PC will start with some kind of weapon, as well as some reasonably sturdy clothing - but most good stuff will need to be traded for, made by a Gearhead, or found in the Zone.



Game Mechanics - The Year Zero Engine

Anything straight-forward, characters are presumed to succeed in without a roll.  Anything risky will require a roll.  Things that fall in between might either be rolled for, or perhaps just take time to accomplish (e.g. thoroughly searching a building for hidden items).

For those interested, a short summary of the system

The core mechanic is that you roll a number of six-sided dice equal to your Ability plus your Skill plus any bonuses provided by Gear.  You can also get some extra dice if people (successfully) help your effort or if it's relatively easy (e.g. identifying one of the best-known types of critter found in the Zone).  Extremely hard things might take dice away - but that's rare, since the presumption is that it's only worth rolling for something if it's already difficult.

Every 6 you get counts as a success.  This means that successes are much less likely per die than in most RPG systems: but a single success will generally be sufficient to do what you want.  E.g. 1 success is sufficient for a Stalker to scout out a square mile of the Zone, while showing the other members of their group enough of it that they could navigate through it on their own in future, and while also spotting any threats before they have a chance to spot the party.  Similarly, with a single success a Gearhead using Jury-Rig could use gathered scrap to make a raft strong enough to safely carry four passengers across a substantial stretch of open water, or build a pipe bomb, or effect a useful repair job on a damaged piece of gear.

Every 6 after the first lets you do extra things, generally called 'stunts'.  These can be as simple as doing a little extra damage in combat, but can cover a huge array of things: e.g. making a foe drop their weapon, or stagger back through a doorway (or off a boat), or maneuvering them away from the Big Red Button of Doom.  Stunts can bolster the effects of any skill: e.g. a Gearhead might make a more dangerous explosive, or craft a permanent piece of Gear that lasts beyond its first task.

Chroniclers have access to the specialist skill Inspire, which has the unique ability to grant people bonus successes, rather than bonus dice.  But if they screw up their attempt to inspire someone, they'll hinder rather than help.  Likewise, they can deliberately try to hinder someone's efforts - e.g. trying to talk an ally out of initiating combat, when they think that diplomacy is a better option - and can take successes away rather than grant them.

After an initial roll, there is the question of whether to try Pushing - rerolling dice to try for more sixes, but with the drawback that ones now harm the character and their gear.

Taking risks in hope of more success

The system is not generous with successes: even when rolling 10 dice, you have a one in six chance of failing to get any successes at all.  But, after every Ability-based roll you can choose to 'Push'.  This is where things get a bit more complicated - but the short version is that this is where you run the risk of overtaxing your body or mind (inflicting trauma on yourself in the course of your efforts) and might break your Gear as you pursue extra successes.  It's entirely possible to be dramatically cinematic, using the very last bit of your strength to knock out an opponent - then passing out a moment after she does.  Or you might shatter your favourite weapon in a futile attempt to break through something's armour.

The details are a little complex (I can explain if desired!), but a key point is that Skill dice (including dice received as a bonus, such as from other people's help) are always 'safe': the more Skill dice you have, the more appealing Pushing becomes.  Combining efforts to help each other is generally a good idea!

If you don't Push, you won't hurt yourself and you won't break your gear... but Pushing is often the best way to turn failure into success, or to gain access to Stunts.  And whenever Pushing sees you inflict trauma on yourself, you generate Mutation Points that can be used to fuel your unnatural power(s).

That's why this bit is out in the open and not under a Spoiler: even if you don't want to know the details of how it works, during the game I'll need to have some guidance from each player on how keen they are to risk trauma in return for fuel for their mutations, and how badly they want to protect their gear from harm!

Mutations

Every mutant gains a slow but steady(ish) trickle of energy, that can be used to fuel his or her mutation.  Quicker boosts to power come from straining oneself to the limits (see Pushing, above), with self-inflicted trauma being the best way of generating a quick surge in weird energy.  Some among the People speculate that their unstable nature is intimately linked to their capacity to 'cheat' the standard laws of reality.  Others hope there might be a way to overcome it.

If you use a "Mutation Point" to activate a mutation, then it will succeed.  Flame Breath will hit its target, Flight will take you where you want to go (so long as it's in range), the powers that offer an escape from conflict will let you get away without needing to make a single roll, and so on.  They might not do as much as you would like - perhaps your target can cope with being set on fire, and if you're already neck-deep in quicksand then Sprinting won't help! - but the mutation itself is dependable.  It's the impact it has on its user that can yield some unpredictable results.



Legends

A few previously-unmentioned things that might be relevant to people coming up with Big Dreams.

Alexandra:  A princess said to live in a tower of light, somewhere out in the Zone.  She's supposed to have been there since the Old Age, according to some stories.

Dark Castle:  A mighty fortress upriver from the Ark, which looks unlike anything else around it.  Not even the greatest of the People's Stalkers are known to have ventured inside.

Eden: The source of answers regarding the People.  The last stronghold of the Ancients.  The first Ark.  A vast treasure-trove of technological wonders....  In effect, it is the great 'lost city' or 'enchanted castle' of the People, and more than a few have vanished without trace while searching for it.  It's the most popular candidate for the Elder's own origin, though he has always refused to say where he (or the People) came from.

Enclaves: In space, far underground, or beneath the seas - there are suggestions that some of the Ancients found refuge from the wars that brought about the apocalypse, and that they (or their descendants) might still be out there now.  Some think that the Elder came from one of these 'enclaves'... or even that  the People did, and that they're what old humanity became in order to survive the end of the world.  Most others think that any enclaves that did exist must have fallen long ago: if there were still Ancients out there, how could the world still be such a mess?

Evil Eye: a vast thing South of the river, that Stalkers say can sometimes be glimpsed staring upwards from a hill overlooking the River.  Strange creaks and groans are occasionally heard coming from that direction.

Mist Towers: an area of immense Ancient towers, surrounded by thick swamps and (even by the Zone's dismal standards) perpetual fog of an unusually dense kind.  Strange cries and screams often drift along the River from them.

Regen: Among all the rumoured wonder-drugs of the Ancients, this one is the most desired by many of the People.  It is said to be able to restore a mutant to the full extent of their original health - in mind as well as body - and to do so without stripping them of any skills, knowledge, or even new mutations they have managed to acquire.  Whether it would work on the Elder is unclear: most stories seem to speak of it in connection with reversing the decline that accompanies new mutations manifesting.

[Ssieth]

OK - here's a stab at Jewel.  Not entirely completed and definitely up for modification if I'm stepping on anyone's toes or stuff just works out better tweaked to fit in the the group.  She's a rot-eating, winged gearhead with a fear of dogs.

Personal Details
Name:  Jewel
Age: 20
Height: 5'6"
Build: Slender
Hair: Mid-brown, short.
Eyes: Blue
Description:  Not quite 'skinny' but not far off.  Jewel has an intensity about her that can be off-putting if you are not used to it.  It mirrors her dedication to whatever task she's currently put her mind to, although she does have a tendency to flit from one thing to another, switching that intensity from task to task. 
Sex and Gender: Cis Female
Sexual Orientation: Pansexual but 90% lesbian within that.
Notes: Has a (relatively mild) phobia of dogs for which nobody seems to have any explanation, including her.

Profession
Gearhead

Abilities
Strength: 2
Agility: 3
Wits: 5
Empathy: 3

Skills
Jury-Rig (Wits): 3
Comprehend (Wits): 2
Shoot (Agi): 3
Move (Agi): 2
Manipulate (Emp): 2

Talents
Inventor: +2 bonus when using Jury-Rig to create something new, but not to repair an existing item.

Mutations
Insect Wings
Rot-Eater

Connections
(NPC) Garan - Dog handler who seems to enjoy the fear he can instil in her.
(NPC) Marlotte - Boss who has stepped in more than once to prevent her being bullied by the dog handlers
(PC) tbd

The Big Dream
Explore the technological marvels left behind in the wastes?

Gear
tbd

[Ssieth]

And the template for my "character sheet" in case it helps anyone else:

Code Select Expand

[float=right][table]
[tr]
[td][img width=300] image url here[/img][/td]
[/tr]
[/table][/float][b][color=maroon]Personal Details[/color][/b]
[b]Name:  [/b]
[b]Age: [/b]
[b]Height:[/b]
[b]Build: [/b]
[b]Hair:[/b]
[b]Eyes: [/b]
[b]Description:  [/b]
[b]Sex and Gender: [/b]
[b]Sexual Orientation: [/b]
[b]Notes:[/b]

[b][color=maroon]Profession[/color][/b]

[b][color=maroon]Abilities [/color][/b]
[b]Strength:[/b]
[b]Agility:[/b]
[b]Wits:[/b]
[b]Empathy:[/b]

[b][color=maroon]Skills[/color][/b]

[b][color=maroon]Talents[/color][/b]

[b][color=maroon]Mutations[/color][/b]

[b][color=maroon]Connections[/color][/b]
(NPC)
(NPC)
(PC)

[b][color=maroon]The Big Dream[/color][/b]


[Valerian]

*yoinks template*  Thanks!  :D

This is obviously still a work in progress, but here's what I'm thinking right now (also still minus a face claim, because those take me forever):

Personal Details
Name: Carey
Age: 21
Height: 5'2" (1.5 m)
Build: Slim
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Bright green
Description: The first thing people notice about Carey are her eyes, which are unnaturally bright.  Tending towards quiet and thoughtful, she gives the impression of noticing a great deal about the world.
Sex and Gender: Cis female
Sexual Orientation: Hetero
Notes:

Profession
Chronicler

Abilities
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Wits: 4
Empathy: 4

Skills

Inspire (Empathy): 3
Heal (Empathy): 3
Comprehend (Wits): 3
Move (Agility): 3

Talents

Bonesaw: +2 bonus when using Heal to treat a critical injury.

Mutations

Sonar

Connections
(NPC)
(NPC)
(PC) TBD

The Big Dream

Finding Eden, in hopes that it holds the answers to where the People came from.


Gear

TBD

[c0i9z]

Can my mutant be an anthro?

[Outcast]

Can my mutant be an anthro?

Erm... a bit.

It's pretty common for members of the People to have some animalistic traits (elongated ears and an unusual 'set' to the face are the most frequent), as well as overt signs of specific mutations.  But full-on anthro is not known among them.

The cheery little chap second from left in that is the most 'anthro' I've seen in the official art of the People (and seems like a candidate for the Sonar mutation).  His(?) companion second from right looks like she(?) might be an 'amphibian' with a crest and gills.  I've also seen an illustration of a mutant who was definitely rather canine in appearance, and a number have scales, clearly-inhuman eyes, and so on - as well as more overt things like wings.

Suitable mutations seem likely to contribute to altered appearances, but there doesn't have to be an absolute link there: every one of the People seems to have latent mutations not yet manifested, so someone's appearance could potentially hint at powers they've not yet learned to use, while showing no overt signs at all of ones they do have.  And many just have odd-looking skin, lumps and bumps (especially on the head, for mental powers), strange colouring (including patterns), and so on.  Basically, you've got a lot of freedom to choose - and to choose whether what's visible has any connection to your mutations at all.

If mutation-use results in changes in appearance during play, then further manifestations of an animalistic side would certainly be possible.  There might well be at least one person in the Ark who's grown a tail, for example.

And if there's something specific you're after, I'm open to hearing it.  Some of the mutations can fairly easily be adapted to have a slightly different focus (e.g. "frog legs" could be linked to any other jumping species, as an obvious one).

*yoinks template*  Thanks!  :D

This is obviously still a work in progress, but here's what I'm thinking right now (also still minus a face claim, because those take me forever):

A Ssieth's a useful thing to have around, isn't it?  ;D

Yeah - I should really have knocked up at least a quick template myself, but was trying to stop tinkering endlessly with the update so that I would actually post the darn thing.  :-[

Both the characters seem good thus far.  It looks like you've succeeded in basic arithmetic, which is always a good start!  ;D  And yeah... the Chronicler's one of the professions that can be most strongly torn between abilities to invest in, given the importance of Comprehend alongside Inspire.  Not starting with 5 in your primary ability is a little unusual, but quite understandable.

[Outcast]

Seven More Mutations

A handful more 'official' offerings for people to consider or be inspired by:

Acid Spit: Attack a nearby target; melt through a rope or bar; more delicately destroy a small target (such as a lock).
Beastmaster: Take control of a nearby living being that lacks Wits; the bigger and stronger it is, the more expensive it is to control.  Other actions can be taken while maintaining control for up to half an hour, but if the Beastmaster takes any trauma (of any kind) then control is broken.
Clairvoyance / Psychometry: Glimpse a place or person you know; receive a vision of the past for a location or object you touch.
Cryokinesis:  Freeze a living creature you can touch; freeze a radius of water around you or create a bridge of ice leading away from you across water; put out a fire or cool something down - small fires might not even require a Mutation Point to suppress.
Electrokinetic: Deliver a shock to a target you can touch (bypassing almost all armour); provide ~30 minutes of power for  significant device (in the Ark or elsewhere); create a stream of small sparks that might ignite flammable material, or generate a (dim) electric glow for a few minutes.
Human Toad: Catch small objects (and creatures) with your tongue; secrete a paralysing poison through your skin; hibernate to avoid all trauma from cold and lack of food or water, up to 24 hours per activation.
Telekinetic: Push or pull an object no heavier than yourself, within short range; throw small objects at targets within short range.  More versatile than Human Magnet, but provides no shielding ability.

I'll add these to the main list above, but thought I should highlight them here in case they're helpful to any brainstorming.  :D

[c0i9z]

How's this?

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

[Outcast]

How's this?

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

That should be fine.  :D

Do you have any ideas for the rest of the character, or was that waiting on finding the right look for her?

[Ssieth]

How's this?

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Kitty!

To be honest, I think the two of us in combination have shocked Outcast in it not being me as the first to ask about having animal ears :)

[c0i9z]

Fox, actually, but close enough!

I usually like to start with an image and build the character from it, but I'm thinking maybe a Stalker. I'll look at it more later.

[Ssieth]

Fox, actually, but close enough!

I usually like to start with an image and build the character from it, but I'm thinking maybe a Stalker. I'll look at it more later.

I stand corrected....

Foxy!

[Outcast]

I was thinking that she looked as if she might be a Stalker.  :D

[Valerian]

Welcome, possible Stalker!  :D

Take two for the Chronicler.  I tweaked the skills slightly, though honestly I'm also waffling a little about the Abilities and whether I should be more traditional and give myself a five.  Also added some info about the NPC connections.

Personal Details
Name: Carey
Age: 21
Height: 5'2" (1.5 m)
Build: Slim
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Bright green
Description: The first thing people notice about Carey are her eyes, which are unnaturally bright.  Tending towards quiet and thoughtful, she gives the impression of noticing a great deal about the world.
Sex and Gender: Cis female
Sexual Orientation: Hetero
Notes:

Profession
Chronicler

Abilities
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Wits: 4
Empathy: 4

Skills

Inspire (Empathy): 4
Heal (Empathy): 3
Comprehend (Wits): 3
Move (Agility): 2

Talents

Bonesaw: +2 bonus when using Heal to treat a critical injury.

Mutations

Sonar

Connections
(NPC) Joss - Fellow Chronicler.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Once friendly rivals, things started to turn bad between them when X played a practical joke on Carey that got out of hand and refused to apologize.  After that both of them got much more serious about trying to outdo each other and make each other look bad, until they could hardly stand to be in the same room anymore.  They can barely manage to work together now and avoid doing that as much as possible.

(NPC) [Name pending] - A Fixer.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Whether he means it or not is anyone's guess, but he acts as though he has a crush on Carey.  Certainly he shows a lot of willingness to do favors for her, though she is generally a little reluctant to accept many of them, in case they come with strings attached.

(PC) TBD

The Big Dream

Finding Eden, in hopes that it holds the answers to where the People came from.


Gear

TBD

[Outcast]

I'm inclined to depart from the (very harsh) official ruling that you can *never* increase an Ability, and instead make it merely quite expensive and rather rare.  Perhaps once per Ability, for treble the cost of advancing a skill or buying a talent, you could nudge it up by one.

So it is possible to undergo rehab for an injury, or undertake personal improvement... but you can't get too far from your natural capabilities.

In any case, part of the idea is that it's a little less 'mandatory' to take a 5 while you can grab it at chargen.  There are plenty of good reasons for wanting to be as good as possible at your profession skill... but I don't like the idea of there being only one 'good' choice to make in key bits of character creation!   :D

[c0i9z]

Personal Details
Name:  Jena
Age: 21
Height: 1.4m
Build: Slim
Hair: Black
Eyes: Piercing blue
Description:  A fox-eared stalker, Jena usually wears bulky, covering clothes which fail to hide her ample proportions. She's slow to open up but tends to form strong friendships.
Sex and Gender: Cis female
Sexual Orientation: Bi
Notes:

Profession
Stalker

Abilities
Strength: 3
Agility: 5
Wits: 4
Empathy: 2

Skills
Sneak (Agility) 2
Move (Agility) 2
Shoot (Agility) 2
Scout (Wits) 1
Know the Zone (Wits) 2
Find the Path (Agility) 3

Talents
Rot Finder

Mutations
Manbeast

Connections
(NPC) Illyara, a chronicler that Jena thinks of as her little sister. She's trying to help the mutants relearn the ways of farming.
(NPC) Jacob, a farmer who assists Illyara, he takes care of the necessary hard labour for the same.
(PC)

The Big Dream



Don't know about connections, dreams or gar.

[Outcast]

Jena looks good.  :)

My one query would be her height: 1.4m is unusually short for an adult.  That's entirely possible (some of the People are very short indeed, courtesy of the quirks in their genome), but it will stand out a little.  If that's what you'd intended, then it's fine.  :D

Regarding connections, etc... I'm intending to post up some info on the Ark and its occupants, when I manage to sort it out.  Largely subject to revision, if there are things that people are particularly keen to see (or not see), and there's plenty of room for NPCs and other elements to be added to it to help with player-character backgrounds and ties - but it should hopefully provide some useful options to consider.

[c0i9z]

Yea, I want her a bit on the short side.

[Outcast]

Apologies for a few days of silence.  RL has been... awkward.  :-\

This has not been forgotten about.  And even though most people seem to have vanished, I'm quite willing to go ahead and give this us a try with just the three players.

I'll try to post some more setting info for you guys in the near future.  ;D

[AndyZ]

I’m sorry.  It’s not that I want to ghost; I’m just blanking.  Not to make excuses, but dealing with the cancer side effects has been awful lately.

[Outcast]

No pressure, honestly.  This is meant to be a fun pastime for everyone concerned!

[AndyZ]

I know ^_^ Just figured you deserved to know what’s up on my end for why I quit posting here.

[Outcast]

Thank you.  I appreciate it.  :D

And... best of luck.  Health issues all too often provide the kind of 'excitement' that gets in the way of relaxation and fun.

[Outcast]

Apologies for the delay in posting further setting information.  RL has been complicated, as I try to sort out problems on behalf of relatives.

I hope to finish up a batch of info for you and get it up here shortly.

[Chreestafer]

Showing interest in the concept, but new to systematic games, so hopefully that isn't an issue.

I'd love do something around the concept of a Relic Hunter of sorts who has telekinetic abilities. 

The story idea reminds me of the tv show Silo on Apple TV.

[Outcast]

Welcome to the thread.  :D

If what has been posted thus far seems to make some sort of sense, then you should be able to cope.  I can certainly help with character creation.

The most important things would be picking a mutation (which it seems you have done), and a profession.  Would you want your character to pursue artefacts of the Old Age as a passionate curiosity (people from any profession can simply have a real interest in them!), to seek to understand and document them (which would probably be a Chronicler), to be responsible for finding them (a Stalker, with a Talent to excel at doing so), to replicate and be inspired by them while coming up with new creations (a Gearhead), to defend the People with the mightiest weapons of the world (an Enforcer or Grunt), to build a collection to serve as a base of power (a Boss or Fixer)...?

There being a degree of overlap between characters isn't necessarily a bad thing: characters being able to help each other can be very useful, at times.  And an ardent artefact-hunter could fit into any of the professions, credibly enough.

Sadly, I don't have access to Apple TV, but from the little I know of Silo it does share similarities: the Silo itself would be one of the "enclaves" mentioned as a rumour in one of the posts above.  At the start of this game, the Ark is in a very bad state (much worse than the Silo)... but not beyond hope, especially given the capabilities provided by the People's mutations.  And the player characters can play a real part in shaping the future of the Ark and the People.

[Chreestafer]

Welcome to the thread.  :D

If what has been posted thus far seems to make some sort of sense, then you should be able to cope.  I can certainly help with character creation.

The most important things would be picking a mutation (which it seems you have done), and a profession.  Would you want your character to pursue artefacts of the Old Age as a passionate curiosity (people from any profession can simply have a real interest in them!), to seek to understand and document them (which would probably be a Chronicler), to be responsible for finding them (a Stalker, with a Talent to excel at doing so), to replicate and be inspired by them while coming up with new creations (a Gearhead), to defend the People with the mightiest weapons of the world (an Enforcer or Grunt), to build a collection to serve as a base of power (a Boss or Fixer)...?

There being a degree of overlap between characters isn't necessarily a bad thing: characters being able to help each other can be very useful, at times.  And an ardent artefact-hunter could fit into any of the professions, credibly enough.

Sadly, I don't have access to Apple TV, but from the little I know of Silo it does share similarities: the Silo itself would be one of the "enclaves" mentioned as a rumour in one of the posts above.  At the start of this game, the Ark is in a very bad state (much worse than the Silo)... but not beyond hope, especially given the capabilities provided by the People's mutations.  And the player characters can play a real part in shaping the future of the Ark and the People.

I see him more as a gofer type if you understand what i mean.  I do see him finding a thrill in the hunt of uncovering the past but also getting paid to find certain items for the ark.  So im guessing a Stalker sounds about where he is? I see him being a book lover and maybe the ark only had a certain number of books in a series and his ultimate hunt is to find the next few books?

I'm still mulling the ideas around in my head.

[Outcast]

I see him more as a gofer type if you understand what i mean.  I do see him finding a thrill in the hunt of uncovering the past but also getting paid to find certain items for the ark.  So im guessing a Stalker sounds about where he is? I see him being a book lover and maybe the ark only had a certain number of books in a series and his ultimate hunt is to find the next few books?

Stalker would indeed be the most obvious candidate (with Scavenger as the starting Talent), but I could see that fitting a few options, potentially.  One alternative could be someone from another profession who went out with Stalkers, to gather items.  Functioning artefacts are rare, but there's a lot of 'scrap' out there that can either be of use in its own right, or can be valuable to Gearheads: e.g. a lone cycle wheel isn't any use to most people, but might be precisely what's required for some device a Gearhead is working on - and could be the kind of thing someone was commissioned to find.

Another option, if a slightly different focus appealed, could be to branch out into the Archaeologist general Talent, and focus on studying and trying to understand ancient buildings.

But someone trying to complete a run of novels could certainly fit.  Most people in the Ark have let their literacy slip in recent years, but a player character could definitely be an outlier who had maintained it (while Chroniclers are guaranteed to have done so).

I should say that this isn't the kind of game where 'doubling up' on broad character types is bad: having two Stalkers in the group could be very useful.  Particularly while the group are learning (both in and out of character) how to survive the Zone, it can be extremely worthwhile having two people working together to find safe(ish) paths and supplies, rather than everything being a single person's responsibility.  However, if something else appeals, go for it.  Every profession has its uses - and its reasons to collaborate with colleagues.

I'm still mulling the ideas around in my head.

Not a problem.  :)  I'm hoping to get some more setting info posted today.  But if you have any questions, do feel free to ask.  ;D

[Outcast]

Sincere apologies for the delay in posting more info.  RL has been stressfully problematic.  Hopefully this at least makes some sense - and is capable of inspiring an idea or two.

The Ark

The Situation:
The Ark is the PCs' home.  Here they live, together with just over 200 other mutants.  Only Stalkers (and a few brave souls escorted by Stalkers) have ventured out of sight of the Ark - and most of the People have never dared to come close to that limit.  The world outside is a sea of chaos and destruction, filled with mutated monsters and other unknown terrors.

The mutants have grown up in the Ark.  How they came to live here, they don't know.  There are rumours that some of the People can remember somewhere that wasn't the Ark, but the only one to know the truth is the Elder, one of the Ancients, and he has not revealed much.

Now, the Elder is dying.  The mutants have grown into adults (though still rather young ones).  Without the Elder's guidance, the established order has all but collapsed.  The ancient stockpiles of food in the Ark are running low - some whisper that they have all but run out - and the small croplands inside the palisade cannot still the hunger.  All too often the strong take what they need through violence, and force the rest into submission.

Three especially competent and charismatic mutants - Maximon, Marlotte, and Oskartian - have emerged as rival Bosses in the Ark.  Astrina and her Chroniclers could be a fourth major faction, but spend almost all their time in the Elder's Suite and the Dawn Vault.  Pontiak has the skills and importance to form another faction, but his exceptional abrasiveness rules him out as a leader.  Will the People unite behind one of these prominent figures, or might another path be found?



Overview of the Ark
The Ark is the wreck of a large Old Age passenger ferry stranded in the Zone.  The vessel has nine decks, but the lower ones are too decrepit and rusted to be of use to the People.  The majority of the Ark's residents live in cabins on decks 8 and 9.  The ferry once had a bow visor, but it rusted and fell off a long time ago, leaving the approach ramp to decks 3 and 4 open.  To protect the Ark from intruders, the People have constructed a scrap palisade in front of the gap.

Quarterdeck:  The old sun deck on deck 9 is used by the People for larger assemblies.  This is where the Elder used to speak.  Nowadays, the place is used by the Boss Maximon for his inspirational (or inflammatory) speeches to the mutants.

Rain Collector:  On the roof above the quarterdeck, the Gearhead Pontiak has mounted repurposed umbrellas and other containers for rainwater collection; they feed into a purification system of his own design.

Holding Cells:  A few small cabins on deck 5 are used to lock up mutants who break the People's rules, or who have just happened to anger one of the Bosses.

Engine Room:  In the Ark's rusty depths, the old engine room can be found.  This is where the Gearhead Pontiak resides.  He has managed to rid the room of the cold and the damp, and keeps it warm and lit with the help of electrical apparatuses powered by his mutations.

The Lifeboat:  By the side of the Ark floats an old metal lifeboat, large enough for some 20 people.  The boat is covered and constructed to withstand any weather.  The cult leader Oskartian lives here.

Palisade:  A simple scrap palisade around the bow of the ship protects the approach to the car deck.  The palisade has no openings; one has to climb it coming in or out.  It is guarded night and day.

Croplands:  Inside the palisade, the Gearheads and the Chroniclers tend to simple plots of mushrooms and beets.  Without these the People would have starved to death a long time ago.

The Dawn Vault:
The Elder no longer controls the Ark: the old man's word is no longer law.  But one of his commandments is still held in high regard by most of the People.  He commissioned them to collect artefacts from the Old Age, study them, and learn from them - and to keep them in a safe place.  The Elder called this the Dawn Vault.

While you grew up, it was strictly forbidden to keep artefacts that you found for yourselves.  Everything had to be turned over to the Dawn Vault, studied and filed.  In theory, that is still the rule.  But as hunger sets in and the old order crumbles, mutants increasingly keep artefacts for themselves or even barter them for grub.

Still, the Dawn Vault remains, and is guarded by a group of loyal Chroniclers who refuse to abandon the Elder's principles.  Following his will, they continue to collect artefacts, study them, and teach what they learn to anyone willing to listen.

Physically, the Dawn Vault is a locked cabin near to the Elder's suite (and Astrina's own small cabin).

Grub and Water:
There is a chronic shortage of grub and water in the Ark.  Anyone carrying more than a few rations will attract attention.

The meager supply of canned food, plus the produce of mushrooms and beets from the croplands inside the palisade, is stored in a locked old cold room in what used to be the ferry's kitchen, near the bow on deck 7.  The supply is guarded by Enforcers and the grub is rationed by the Bosses.  All inhabitants (usually) get one ration of grub every other day.

The People get their water thanks to the rainwater collector and filtration system built by Pontiak.  Barrels and cans of the filtered water are stored on the quarterdeck, and normally contain enough water for all the People for a few days (i.e. a lot!).

[Outcast]

The People

Overview
Every one of the People is a mutant.  Some mutations are more evident than others, and some powers are certainly more frequently useful than others: e.g. the few water-breathers among the People are no better than anyone else at resisting the Rot pervading the River, so that talent tends to only come to the fore in occasional maintenance work aboard the Ark.  Similarly, some mutations are more popular or more feared than others: Rot-Eating is widely regarded as (at best) rather unsettling, but some find psychic abilities to be much more perturbing.  The Elder, however, has always insisted that everyone's powers have merit, and that all should be valued by the People.

Virtually all of the People are 20 to 25 years old.  A handful are said to be a little more advanced in age: Astrina, Marlotte, Oskartian, Pontiak, and Yassan are often rumoured to be a year older than virtually everyone else, and there are a few other (less prominent) mutants who might match them... while Maximon is widely accepted as clearly the eldest of all the People, a little ahead of even them.  He might even be 27 now!  Certainly, many of the People spent their whole childhood with him as 'the big brother' among them all, who often helped the Elder care for all the younger ones.  Indeed, those memories provide part of the foundation for his current influence - though many remain unsure that 'big brother' should turn into 'Captain' now.

Roughly half of the Ark's residents have demonstrated noticeable skill in a profession; about half of those have a professional Talent.  PCs at the start of the game are clearly well above-average - but not (yet) on a par with the best among the People.

Leading Lights:

The Elder:  The Ark's founder and former leader.  He's not been seen outside his cabin (suite, actually) for months; even before then, he was a shadow of his old self.  Every one of the People has memories of him as the closest thing they ever had to a parent.  Astrina and her Chroniclers help him, and rarely let anyone else into his suite: some accuse them of keeping him prisoner.  More think they're protecting him.

Maximon: the Ark's most powerful Boss.  Now wears a patched old captain's uniform, and demands that people address him as 'Captain'.  Has no less than fifty people in his crew (including sub-Bosses), serving for protection and grub.  Views himself as the Elder's heir, and the Ark's rightful leader.  He's dominant and brutal, but not actually evil: his primary goal is the survival of the People.  He's just willing to sacrifice individuals for what he considers to be the Ark's best interests.  Usually resides on the old bridge.  About half of his crew are Enforcers and combat-capable Grunts.  His right-hand man is the Fixer Sixter.  Flame-breather.  Has an Artefact revolver.

Marlotte: the second most prominent Boss.  Commands 20-something underlings as a military unit - as best she knows how.  Tolerated by Maximon due to her value to the Ark's defences, but it's clear she's his most likely current rival.  Marlotte's headquarters are in the old show bar at the aft of the ship.  Insectoid .  Has an artefact semi-automatic pistol.

Oskartian: leader of a cult called The Sentinels of the Apocalypse.  ~20 people largely viewed as harmless loonies.  Live in an old lifeboat moored alongside the Ark. They believe the end of the world was the Gods punishing the Humans, and that the mutants have been put on Earth to watch over the End Times.  Oskartian preaches that all attempts at building a new world or exploring the mysteries of the Old Age are sinful, and must be stopped.  Generally seen as irrelevant (though often quite actively helpful with communal efforts that don't transgress their beliefs), but as of late they have been growing increasingly obstinate.  Pathokinetic.

Mubba: Toughest Enforcer in the Ark.  Works for Maximon.  Ruthless and brutal when called for... but has a strong moral compass.  Four-armed, and can pop claws when she needs to - as well as being scarily strong and skilled.  Four-armed & Manbeast.

Sixter: Fixer and right-hand-man to Maximon.  Charming and charismatic... but a pompous megalomaniac, believing he always knows what's best for the People.  Believed to have some sort of mental powers.  Has a shotgun and artefact sunglasses... which really are rather cool.

Astrina: Leader of the Chroniclers, the group of ~20 who are closest to the Elder.  Their task is to keep a record of everything that goes on in the Ark: in line with the Elder's teachings, Astrina promotes the literal chronicling of events among the People; many of her followers carry around notebooks so that they can write things down as soon as they have happened.  Only the Chroniclers have access to the Elder's suite.  They also keep watch over the Dawn Vault, a locked cabin to which all artefacts collected in the Zone are supposed to be brought so that the People can study and learn from them.  Astrina lives in a small cabin near the Elder's.  Pathokinetic.  Her most treasured personal possession is said to be a floppy booklet filled with pictures of the Old Age.

Pontiak: A Gearhead whose astonishing skill is only matched by his big mouth: he has the unfailing ability to annoy everyone he meets.  Though he is loosely connected to Marlotte and her gang, he will work for anyone willing to pay.  Pale and dirty, Pontiak dresses in overalls that were once yellow.  He is most often found in the Ark's old engine room, which he has converted into his personal den /  mad-science laboratory.  Human Magnet (& probable Electrokinetic).  Has an amazing artefact wrench: huge, heavy, many adjustable settings, secure grip... and pretty lethal as a weapon when it comes to braining people who try to acquire his work without meeting his prices.

Yassan: a living legend within the Ark.  The first one of the People to venture out into the Zone, aged only 10: he invented the concept of Stalking, and is widely credited with naming the profession.  Now damaged by the Rot and speaking in a hissing voice, he wears a home-made Rot mask that he rarely takes off.  He is usually out in the Zone, but hangs around Marlotte when he is back in the Ark.  Extreme Reflexes.

Middling Lights:
Johammed:  A mid-ranking Boss with around a dozen followers.  Chiefly operates as a pimp.  With the declining situation in the Ark, he's increasingly had to push the limits for what he offers in order to both stand out and induce people to spend their resources on fun rather than food.  An ardent collector of artefacts: whether he's just hoarding them or intends to use them to build a better future is open to debate.  He's certainly hired Gearheads to do private work for him in restoring some items.  Quite what he has in working order is unknown: he rotates work among the Gearheads.  Cryokinetic, but surprisingly knowledgeable about mutations in general - has a sideline in helping people to explore and learn to control their abilities.



Power Structure:
Nominal Leader:  The Elder

Bosses and other Leaders:
Maximon: “Captain”, inspirational but harsh leader with ~50 followers.  (See above)
Marlotte: Military commander, with ~20 followers.  (See above)
Oskartian: Founder and Leader of the Sentinels of the Apocalypse cult; ~20 followers.  (See above)
Astrina: unofficial leader of ~20 people (most of the professional Chroniclers, plus students, and dedicated guardians of the Dawn Vault), spends much of her time guarding and caring for the Elder.  (See above)
Johammed: collector of artefacts, pimp, expert in mutations and their uses; ~12 followers.  (See above)
Cristor: would-be revolutionary: ~8 followers
Brictoria: among the very youngest of the People, but an ambitious gang-leader: ~4 followers

Eccentric But Important Individuals:
Pontiak: pre-eminent Gearhead; gleefully rude; loosely affiliated with Marlotte.  (See above)
Yassan: Stalker supreme; often with Marlotte’s gang when actually in the Ark.  (See above)

Maximon’s Crew:
Sixter: The Ark’s leading Fixer, and Maximon’s right-hand man; possible megalomaniac.  (See above)
Mubba: Ark’s most feared Enforcer; powerful moral streak.  (See above)
Gunitt: ‘officer’ under the Captain; very good at keeping things ticking over
Natara: Labour-organiser under Maximon; honest, works hard alongside her underlings
Augustian: brutal organiser of some of Maximon’s Enforcers
Nelma: Obsessively loyal Enforcer; effectively a trusted NCO rather than a leader in her own right



Noteworthy Professionals
Chroniclers of Note:
Astrina: Fervent believer in the Elder's vision; the best physician and surgeon in the Ark.  (See above)
Danova: most frequent leader of funerary (i.e. cremation) rites... something becoming more and more common
Hanneth: specialist in the Apocalypse
Maxim:  More willing than most to answer questions and teach, even in the present climate
Silas: Also more willing than most to answer questions and teach, even in the present climate
Victon: Another more willing than most to answer questions and teach, even in the present climate

Dog-Handler of Note:
Jony: Young and certainly not the best, but perhaps the bravest (or craziest) - has gone on experimental 'runs' with Vorhan (and Grit) into the Zone, to explore what mutts might be able to do to help Stalkers

Fixers of Note:
Denrik: Podgy (even as food supplies diminish), cheerful, and apparently wholly independent of all the Bosses - where most Fixers at least have 'favoured customers', he seems keen to remain popular with as many people as possible (Boss and commoner alike).
Sixter: Would be important even without being Maximon's right-hand man; he's certainly the pre-eminent deal-maker and finder-of-things in the Ark.  Charming and frankly the epitome of cool among the People, but utterly certain he knows best (and that things would be vastly better if more people listened to him).  (See above)

Gearheads of Note:
Lambda: Young, bouncily enthusiastic, and helpful.  Very evidently still learning, but has become the person most frequently drafted by Pontiak to assist when he can't handle a project alone: she seems to be able to put up with him long enough to get work done.
Pontiak: Beyond doubt the best inventor, best repairman, and best artisan in the Ark.  Also the most complained-about person in the Ark... though the sheer brilliance of his work ensures it's always in demand.  (See above)

Slave / Grunt of Note:
Grit: Vorhan's personal valet / assistant.  Generally unassuming, but can abruptly become profoundly unsettling; very few (even Enforcers) have tried to pick on him more than once.  Popular rumour suggests that he can scare even Zone monsters.

Stalkers of Note:
Franton: Reputed to hunt Zone Ghouls, which he often warns are a growing threat to the People
Krin: Expert Rotfinder; believer in the existence of another Ark
Vorhan: Veteran; perhaps the nearest thing Yassan has to a rival in reputation and skill - but rather more sociable
Yassan: Legend who created Stalking (he even named it!); his overt support could carry great political weight if he ever gave it (and even the implication of support conveyed by spending time with Marlotte’s crew lends some cachet to her and her followers); spends the majority of his time out in the Zone.  (See above)



Note:  Players are entirely free to build upon this list.  I've not added anyone's suggestions thus far, but if there's someone you want to see built into things, let me know.  Likewise, if you want a tie with anyone mentioned here, feel free to propose it.  And if you find someone really objectionable on an OOC level, please do say.  It's a dangerous setting at the end(?) of the world, so there's no guarantee that people will be nice - but I don't want to trample on anyone's RL feelings.

[Ssieth]

I've slotted Marlotte in as one of the NPCs relevant to Jewel :)

Will keep "Garan" as the overbearing and bullying dog handler as it sounds like Jony doesn't fit.

[Valerian]

Hm, definitely some interesting characters there.  Sixter doesn't seem like quite what I'm looking for as the Fixer connection for Carey, though -- with him being the preeminent Fixer on the Ark, that's a little more pull than I would want that particular NPC to have.  But possibly that character could be a protégé of Sixter's?  Someone promising, but also still learning.

[Outcast]

With (a little) over 200 people in the Ark, you can expect 100+ NPCs to have professions: even if one craft happens to be particularly rare, you can safely expect there to be at least half a dozen NPC exponents of it in addition to any player characters in that role.

Some, of course, have a disproportionately high turnover (would-be Stalkers, particularly so); Grunts, in contrast, tend to be durable and usually work around other people rather than out on their own - they're certainly the most common profession.

All in all, if a player wants a NPC to exist to fulfill a particular role, I should be able to oblige.  But do feel free to peer at what other people are proposing for their own connections: shared (or disagreeing) connections to the same NPC could provide an interesting element between the PCs themselves.

[Valerian]

All in all, if a player wants a NPC to exist to fulfill a particular role, I should be able to oblige.  But do feel free to peer at what other people are proposing for their own connections: shared (or disagreeing) connections to the same NPC could provide an interesting element between the PCs themselves.

That tempts me to turn the not-so-nice-Fixer from Carey's background into Garan the dog handler... except he might be a little too creepy, from that description!  Certainly Carey would be horrified by how he treats Jewel and would really want to avoid him.

[Ssieth]

That tempts me to turn the not-so-nice-Fixer from Carey's background into Garan the dog handler... except he might be a little too creepy, from that description!  Certainly Carey would be horrified by how he treats Jewel and would really want to avoid him.

I'm glad he comes over as a creepy villain - that was sort of where I was aiming with my very brief description.  I think  that I might aim for him being fairly solidly reliable in many respects and even quite sociable in public but in private is really keen to lord it over those who he can get away with.  The facade maybe having dropped a little a couple of times and needed Marlotte to step in to protect Jewel. 

[Outcast]

Apologies for continued distraction.  RL remains unduly 'interesting'.

Would you prefer Garan to be an independent operator, or part of Marlotte's crew?  The two might change both how much control she has over him, and how inclined she might be to protect him from repercussions.

[Ssieth]

Apologies for continued distraction.  RL remains unduly 'interesting'.

Would you prefer Garan to be an independent operator, or part of Marlotte's crew?  The two might change both how much control she has over him, and how inclined she might be to protect him from repercussions.

I'm happy to go whatever way makes for better story in your eyes.  I'm tending towards the notion of him being outside her crew, but happy to reassess that if the alternative makes for better plot or character development opportunities :)

[greypsychman]

I am interested in making a character if you are still taking them.

[c0i9z]

Any suggestion of what to put for connections and dream?

[Outcast]

Still willing to accept character proposals.  ;D



Dreams and connections can be just about anything, so long as they fit the guidelines.  You might want to protect a NPC because you made a promise to their mentor as they died... and even though you think that your protectee is a profoundly annoying twerp, you feel honour-bound to keep them safe.  Or you might have viewed them as a 'bright soul' who makes the world better, for as long as you can remember.  Or they might have sacrificed their freedom to preserve yours, and you're desperately trying to keep them safe and alive long enough to repay the debt.  Or....

Similarly, you might want to outdo and surpass a NPC because you desperately yearn to impress them.  Or you might hate their guts because you blame them for not saving one of your friends who got into trouble.  Or you have them as the first target on a whole list of people you want to bring down, to effect political change in the Ark.  Or....

Connections can also be used to help shape what you want to see in the Ark (subject to my approval).  E.g. if it's really important for your character that there's a notorious kleptomaniac among the People, then there can be!

As for connections to PCs, I'd definitely recommend exploring possibilities with other people... but those will hopefully emerge quite naturally as people see what the other characters are like.

Big Dreams can be huge or rather more attainable.  They should be something you can work towards in a tangible fashion: "achieve global harmony" is a bad choice, since it's hard to see how you make any actual progress when even Stalkers have only travelled a matter of miles from the Ark.  But the topic and type is very open: "find Eden", "discover the origins of the People", "make the Ark self-sustaining," "help the People to have children," and so on could all be big, long-term projects on behalf of the community... but more selfish Big Dreams could be things like "go farther from the Ark than any Stalker ever has before, and return to tell the tale" or "create the most powerful weapon the Ark has ever seen."

The free PDF quick-start I linked to contains some suggestions for connections and Big Dreams.  I can aim to provide some more examples - and can discuss possibilities, if wanted.

One key point worth stressing is that connections and even Big Dreams can change.  You don't have to get it 'perfect' first time, and you're not stuck with things that no longer fit if your characters change over time.



RL is presently keeping me very distracted.  Stress levels are high (to put it mildly), and I have found myself with vastly more on my plate than I had expected when I posted this up.  I'm hoping that things will calm down (and soon!), but for the time being this isn't getting as much attention as I had intended.  I really do apologise for that!

[c0i9z]

'make the Ark self-sustaining' sounds good. Maybe she has someone like a chronicler she thinks of a s a little sister working on the same thing, from the inside? And someone like a farmer, trying to make something edible grow?

[Outcast]

There's a small amount of farming taking place (beets and mushrooms), but the Elder was the only one who knew how it really ought to work - so currently, it's a sort of experiment being run by some of the Chroniclers and Gearheads as they try to figure out more about it.  I could certainly see something like a relationship where you, say, try to bring back Rot-free samples of plant-life to be studied (and perhaps grown).

Bolstering the food supply is the most obvious urgent concern for the People, at the start of the game.  Indeed, that ties into the first 'official' Plot I'll throw at the PCs to kick things off.  ;)

[c0i9z]

Updated.

[greypsychman]

Personal Details
Name:  Falko
Age: 23
Height: 6’1”
Build: 200 lbs
Hair: Brown with a light beard
Eyes: Blue
Description:  Falko has medium length brown hair and a beard. He has a scar on the left side of his face where he was slashed by a knife wielded by the person who later became his first kill. Falko has a muscular build.
Sex and Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Hetero
Notes:

Profession Stalker

Abilities
Strength: 4
Agility:  4
Wits:     3
Empathy:  3

Skills
Endure (Strength)-1
Force-1 (Strength)
Fight-2 (Strength)
Sneak-1 (Agility)
Move-1, (Agility)
Shoot-2 (Agility)
Find the Path-1 (Agility)
Know the Zone-1 (Wits)
Scout-2 (Wits)

Talents Combat Veteran

Mutations Extreme Reflexes

Connections
(NPC)Falko dislikes the Boss, Johammed, because of the way he appears to horde artefacts and uses the people he pimps out. Falko feels Johammed’s people deserve a better life.
(NPC) Falko wants to protect a slave named Scarlet. Johammed is her owner and she must be a whore for him. Falko tries to buy time with her to protect her. They don’t have sex but simply talk.
(PC) TBD

The Big Dream Falko dreams of finding Eden where he believes that slaves will be free to have a life they choose for themselves.

[Outcast]

Interesting to see someone only just qualifying for their profession: I don't think I've encountered this approach to chargen in M:YZ before!

Not that that is in any way a criticism.  It looks as if he should be a useful contributor to a group, without competing with other people's specialities - while a good all-round warrior is definitely worthwhile.  And having a back-up / assistant Stalker can be extremely useful.

"Our Stalker is badly hurt and can't do anything more without a day or two of rest!"
"But our Stalker is the one who could find somewhere safe to rest up."
"...damn."



With luck, RL will calm down a little in the next couple of days, and I might be able to give this the attention I'd meant to direct its way earlier in the month.  I've not lost interest in this - it's just that my time and brainpower are being eaten by 'fun' in real life at the moment!

[Valerian]

Anyone have any thoughts on connections among the PCs?  :)  The obvious one for Carey is that she helped out one of the PCs or one of their loved ones in some sort of medical emergency, something along those lines.

[c0i9z]

Maybe Jena's people are trying to grow medical herbs for Carey?

[Ssieth]

Is it worth creating a character sheet thread so that we can readily get to them?

[Ssieth]

I'm thinking that Jewel's PC connection might be Jena as the teeny tiny rot dector of the group :)

[Outcast]

Yeah... I want to get a couple of threads up.  Apologies again for the distractions and delays.

Given the violent and horrific elements of the setting - though I don't intend this to be a gore-fest, the Zone can be a very scary place - we're probably looking at one of the more extreme boards as a home...

[Outcast]

Just a quick note to say that I'm inclined to put the game in NC Exotic Small Groups, to cover all the things that might come up in-game.

I'm not intending this to be a smut-fest, and I'm definitely not into the sort of torture porn or gratuitous gore that sometimes come up in connection with post-apocalyptic settings... but the Zone is scary and strange and often deadly-dangerous, so I want to err on the side of caution when it comes to picking the category for the game.

If anyone has any concerns, please do feel free to raise them.

I'm hoping that I can get up threads for characters, setting, and OOC discussion once I've had some sleep.

;D

[Rashol]

I think I might need a bit of help:

This is where I'm at so far. Are there details you would change?

Personal Details
Name:  Rika
Age: 20
Height, Weight, etc: Rarely measured by the People, but might be of some use for OOC descriptions.
Description:  Rika is quite "normal" by the standards of the Ark. Her most obvious feature is her startling purple right eye.Heterochromia. One eyes is hazel, and the other purple.

She has the physique of a grunt. Solid, built over years of labour doing, basically whatever needed muscles and not much brain.  She is a slave, but has a fair amount of freedom in spite of this Scholar Romech bought her. For whatever reason she doesn't know.

Sex and Gender: Female, bi-curious

Str 4
Agility 3
Wits 3
Emp 4

Skills
Shake it off 2
Heal 1
Endure 2
Fight 1
Force 2
Move 1
Sneak 1
Shoot 1
Know the Zone 1

Talent
Rebel (bonus to all shake it off is in theory better than to one specific one)

Hate:
Care: Scholar Romech. He is not onerous in his tasks for a slave master. He encourages her to go into the wastes, expand her horizons and allows her a certain amount of pocket money.
Protect:

[Outcast]

She looks quite all right.  :D

As a note: Rebel provides a bonus to something you do immediately after succeeding in a Shake it Off roll.  It doesn't make you any more resilient, but it means that when you do succeed in shrugging off trauma you get a boost to whatever you do next - so long as you don't delay before undertaking it.  It doesn't let you 'store up' bonuses for later use.

In my opinion, it's one of the more interesting Talents: it'll only ever help you after you've wound up in harm's way, but it can help you time after time... so long as you roll well. ;)

[Rashol]

I misread that. And I have an interesting history with dice rollers

[Outcast]

One of the perks of the GM handling most / all rolls, is that everyone gets equally bad luck with the dice roller. ;)

And if you would like to pick something other than Rebel, feel free.

I'm *still* hoping to get threads and more setting info up 'very soon'.  RL keeps doing its best to stop me....

[Rashol]

I'll keep it.

[Outcast]

I'm really, really sorry for how slow progress has been in the past couple of weeks.  RL has not been cooperative!

But there is now an OOC Thread ready and waiting for your use.   At long last.  :-[

Don't feel that you have to get things like opinions of other PCs and Big Dreams in place before RP starts: we can see how things develop in play.  But there's no harm in putting in something simple now: you can change connections and dreams as the game progresses, so a 'first try' isn't something you have to suffer with if it doesn't work out.