Topic: High School Girls RPG: Warriors of the Shadow Clan, 5 players wanted! light hum

[Yugishogun]

I shall make my sheet by tomorrow

[Yugishogun]

Mary Mizuno, the shy and bashful bookworm
Age: 16
Appearance: Mary has a short and skinny build, standing at 4'8". She has light, smooth skin free of blemishes. She has skinny legs and arms due to a lack of muscle. Mary has short, straight brown hair, though it it still reaches the front and hides her blues to those who don't look close enough. Rims of glasses are notably peeking out from under her hair. Mary never seems to wear make-up, finding herself commonly unnoticed anyway.

Common Items: clean school uniform, blue sneakers, laptop, sketchpad, a case for her glasses, notebook, pencil case, a white moped

Background: Mary is the closest thing to a shy bookworm stereotype you'd ever meet. People fail to really notice her and the ones that do usually bully her. You'll commonly find her in the library, reading a book or drawing manga. On the Internet though, Mary has an advantage. She has popular net manga and a load of fans, unaware of their favorite mangaka's real personality. She tries to keep this a secret so other students don't exploit her for their own gain.

Stat Block

-Fitness (Fit): 2

-Intelligence (Int): 8

-Charisma (Cha): 3

-Perception (Per): 7

-Dexterity (Dex): 7

-Emotions (Emo): 8

Traits
-good hearted
-hard working
-kind
-meticulous
-shy
-phobia (of dog, yes even puppies)

Mastered Skills
-computer use
-games
-drawing
-stealth
-dodge
-tinkering
-manners
-search

Hp: 6 (as human) 24 (as magical girl)
MEP: 32

Powers: Physical Attack Shield, Magical Attack Shield, Feeblemind (Lowers target's intelligence), Childishness (makes target's intelligence 0, though boosts the target's charisma and emotion)

Classes
-English or Philosophy: 4
-History or Geography: 6
-Japanese: 8
-French: 5
-Math: 7
-Physical Science (Physics and Chemistry): 6
-Life Science (Biology and Ecology): 4
-Computer Class: 5

[deusexkristina]

Classes! Everyone's favorite part of high school. Right?

The second part of the character sheet is determining your character's academic schedule and performance. Since this part of the rulebook seems pretty clear-cut, I figured it would be something we could work on while Soveliss is away.

From the Rulebook:
Core Subjects: For the seven core subjects, the player has 40 points to distribute. The score in each subject is: (INT+Points distributed). The maximum score in any subject can not exceed 20. Therefore, each subject thus has a score between your INT (min) and 20 (max).
Electives: For each Elective taken, the student receives five additional points. For example, student who takes two electives will have 50 total points to spend on 9 subjects where a student with no electives has 40 points to spend on 7 subjects.

The Core Subjects: As seen in the Rulebook
English or Philosophy
History or Geography
Foreign Language x2
Math
Physical Science (Physics and Chemistry)
Life Science (Biology and Ecology)
Elective x3

The Core Subjects: A Proposed Minor Change
English
Social Studies
Foreign Language
Math
Physical Science
Life Science
Physical Education or Core Elective
Elective x3

Given that we're in an American school I 'Americanized' the humanities courses. Additionally, I think we should remove the second foreign language class and replace it with either Physical Education (which most American schools require) or a fourth elective. Its a really minor change, but I think it fits the setting better and allows for more creativity. I'm in favor of adding PE, since hating it is a pretty iconic part of high school, but I could just as easily choose it as my core elective without forcing it one everyone else.

Some things to consider (at least some things I've been thinking about) that don't effect the system, but do effect the story:
Which classes do we have together?
Based on the ages we've given (which I assume are our ages at the start of the school year) Callie, Jax, and Mary (who are 16) will be Sophomores/10th grade while Nikki and Val (who are 17) are Juniors/11th grade. It makes sense that, for the most part, those in the same grade will share core classes.
However: Some possibilities
Honors Classes: My high school was rather large and 'Honors Level' classes which were completely different from regular humanities.
Advanced Math Track: Some schools have the option for students to 'test out' of introductory math courses, essentially bumping them up to a higher grade.
Remedial Classes: It's possible a character failed a certain subject last year and needs to retake it at a lower level.

Just some food for thought :)

[Silk]

Looks pretty good to me, but given the cultural background of the area wouldn't Asian history/culture/school style potentially seep in, if nothing else like having an additional class/modules for more eastern classes. Or having additional language as a compulsory rather than optional, just a thought.

[Jefepato]

Admittedly I've spent my whole life in the American Midwest, but the idea of anyone taking two foreign languages in high school (even of having the option to do so) is a new one on me.  Not that most of us really learned much about the first one, anyway.

Actually...we have up to ten classes per day, including three electives?  How long is a French/St. Cosmas school day, anyway?  We might need to mark an elective off as "study hall" or something just to have time to go fight monsters.

[Yugishogun]

I shall update my character post in a bit.

[deusexkristina]

@Silk: My reason for wanting to abandon the second language (one foreign language is still required) is that in most cases where students learn two foreign languages (such as Japan and much of Europe) one is almost always English. There's nothing stopping someone from taking a second language as their Core Elective. I'm not going to make waves if we want to keep it as it is in the rulebook, I just thought this would allow more creativity/customization.

Any of these Eastern-themed classes could fall under the electives category. Pretty much anything can be an elective. Additionally, there is not any reason a core History class couldn't have a focus on Eastern history.

@Jefepeto: Yeah, I thought it seemed like an awful lot of classes myself. My thought was it might include slots for one class before the official school day and one after? If you wanted your character to be obsessively bookish or something. I'm only taking one additional elective (8 classes) myself.

[Yugishogun]

Edits are complete.

[Silk]

The thing at least in the UK is that it's not identical days every day, so you might say have English/Maths/PE one day, then have Maths/Science/History the next, then Science/IT/French the next. with upto 5 one or two hour incriment for each class in the day.

[eBadger]

10 subjects at once seems a bit crazy...although I think I would assume that the 3 "optional" ones might be a before school class/club, after school class/club, and a sport...which is a little more reasonable. 

As for classes, I like deus' changes although I'd probably only have one science class and leave the other as an elective of some sort: probably we should have it something we're all taking together. 

Speaking of being together, another option to simplify things is to adjust our ages/assume we're all in the same class.  Anyone have a particular reason for their age/class?  I just wanted to be old enough to drive, but young enough to have to deal with being an underclass, so either 10th or 11th is fine. 

Otherwise, Mary looks like she'd be a 10th in some 11th grade classes, Val looks like an 11th in some 10th classes (not dumb, but not brilliant and maybe losing some advancement due to the international thing), Niki, Jax and Callie seem on par for 11th/10th/10th. 

We should also ponder if we want other things in common.  At least three of us are very affluent, the other two not mentioned (I think)...perhaps we all live on the same block? 

I'm not seeing any obvious clubs/sports that we'd all partake in.  Nor can I see us all having after school jobs somewhere together. 

[Silk]

Well even if it's not all together, as long as the chain is there and we can work it from there.

Example, Callie has the same passion for music as Niki (Both have it mastered skill) so there is a grounds for a friendship there, just as there is way's Callie has grounds for friendship with others in the game. Niki and Mizuho would be a interesting match. Kinda a Chad and Noba xD

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

[deusexkristina]

Well even if it's not all together, as long as the chain is there and we can work it from there.

I agree. Even if Val (who rolls with the popular clique) and Mary (who seems very shy and bookish) have never interacted with each other before the events of the story, they WILL all be brought together by the demons and their powers. If there wasn't much of a connection before, or even a negative connection, it only makes the initial bringing-together more interesting.

That said, high school isn't that big of a place, so the odds are we have all at least seen each other before and probably interacted on some level; even if it was just "we had a class together freshman year and never talked" or "I have seen you at lunch/passed you in the hallway a lot and had such-and-such a reaction".

An exercise I used to do in acting classes was to write out a description of the most recent interaction (before the events in the script) my character had with every other character, or if I've never seen them before what my initial gut reaction is towards them (or would be). This isn't something you'd need to share, its just an exercise for getting into character, but if you get some good ideas for a relationship with a specific person it might be worth fleshing out with them in PM.

[Silk]

Sounds like a good plan actually. Also as I said if people want to make use of the event at the festival in my downtime as part of their own (if they've been in the Academy 4+ years or at least in the city) which will be the part my character is most known for, (Ultra talented singer after a shock at a festival has refused to sing since), other than that, I'm mostly known for the drama/acting/dancing and keeping to myself which given what I'm most known for is really irregular. But I'll get some recent interactions up soon to supliment.

[Soveliss]

Hello!

Okay, I'm back.

Thanks to deusexkristina to have handled the classes part of the system while I was away (Now, all that's left is converting the x/20 system into the American grade system. But the class score can be left about 20 since it's used in calculations and dice roll, with a side-note indicating the "average" test result, should be pretty straightforward to convert since a % based system is used for grading.!), and to everyone to have handled a lots of details.

I've read the sheets, everything seems to be in order apart from class ranks (as a side note, if you take a skill as a class (Computer Science or Music for instance), you use twice the skill value instead of th usual system). We're almost ready.

The experience system is pretty simple. When you have enough time, you can roll an Int check to try to master a new skill (reducing the penalty by 1) or power (getting it at a value equal to the difference between your Int and the die roll (Min 1)). When a mastered power or skill is used, you make a mark near it. Three marks, and you roll 1D10. If it's higher than your current skill or power, increase it by 1. Whether it worked or not, erase the marks.

Any questions, last minute modifications or anything like that? If everyone is ready by then, we'll start Monday.

[deusexkristina]

Welcome back Soveliss!

Thanks for the clarification on the grading system, I was actually wondering about that last night.

I don't have any questions, I'm ready to go!

[Silk]

Welcome back :) and I have one question. How does the MEP system work with the spells or are you going to decide the cost when it comes to it?

[Jefepato]

I'm a little busy due to family stuff today, but I hope to update Callie's backstory a bit and finish adding class ranks by tonight.

Intelligence is starting to sound like the most important attribute, although I guess fighting evil is more important than being valedictorian anyway.

I've read the sheets, everything seems to be in order apart from class ranks (as a side note, if you take a skill as a class (Computer Science or Music for instance), you use twice the skill value instead of th usual system).

Does this mean that if you you already have a class as a mastered skill, you possibly don't need to spend class points on that class (and can save those 5 points for other classes instead)?  It certainly gives characters like Callie an incentive to take Music and PE.

[Soveliss]

For attacks, it's something like 1/2/3 points for single target attacks (Dealing damage scaling with the power score), 8/10/12 for area attacks, and combination attacks are single target attacks made by several magical girls, costing an additional cost.

For others, there is not much that is actually statted, so assume it's roughly 1 MEP (or more for really good support powers) for X amount of time, duration or area scaling with the power's value.

I'll make a rough estimate later, but this is a basis.

You are right on the class as a skill, and Intelligence is very good for your typical high-schooler (because more intelligent people do better in classes, usually (unless you pit an intelligent complete slacker against an average workaholic...)), and allows for a more diversified array of skills.

[eBadger]

What's the starting value of our magical abilities?  Our emo?

I'll sort out my classes and such later tonight :)

[deusexkristina]

What's the starting value of our magical abilities?  Our emo?

A Magic Ability has a base Power equal to the associated attribute. In the Rulebook, a lot linked to INT or EMO but it's really whatever makes sense. For example, the defensive magic has three spells: Physical Armor is linked to PHY, Force Field (magic armor) is linked to INT, and Magnetic Shield (projectile armor) is linked to DEX.

[Jefepato]

Okay, sheet updated with classes and such (hopefully it meets with approval).  I guess I'll need to ask what the cost/effects are of Callie's two physical enhancement powers, and also what the cost and parameters would be of a power to create a melee weapon, but if I understand the basics at all she should be pretty well set up to do some damage.

[eBadger]

My character sheet should be finished!

Some of the promised locales:

The Garage:

Image

A large mid-century repair shop, when this building was renovated to become a restaurant and club care was taken to retain its old flavor.  The interior is liberally decorated with antique automotive signs, parts, pictures, equipment and the like, giving it a unique charm.  There are several sections, including the main restaurant, a sectioned off bar area, pool hall, and 8 bowling lanes.  The under-21 access, late hours of operation, and large private booths make this a favorite hangout for students. 


Santa Puerta High School:

Image

Originally the only public high school in Santa Puerta, SPHS remains the largest in town.  Recently updated facilities emphasize a modern look of glass and steel, and include amenities such as a sports field, large gym and olympic sized pool.  In a controversial decision, part of the bordering city cemetery was annexed for the gymnasium; records and probing indicate it was never used for burials, but distress at the potential disrespect remains - which the student body has embraced in the form of a flurry of fabricated ghost stories. 

St. Cosmas and SPHS are bitter rivals; any sports meeting is a major event, often accompanied by taunts, pranks and sometimes fights. 

SPHS' mascot is the Knight; their colors are blue and white. 


Westridge Mall

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Although several strip malls and shopping complexes are scattered throughout Santa Puerta, Westridge Mall is by far the most impressive: it's The Mall.  It features several famous department stores, a large food court, 13-screen theatre and countless small boutiques.  Although fairly upscale, the mall is located in the commercial district and sees its share of crime and disruption.  Security is heavy following a gang related shooting in the parking lot after hours. 


City Hall

Image

Unlike many other landmarks in Santa Puerta, which seem eager to modernize, City Hall is an older building originally built to house nearly all city functions.  Since its creation, however, much of the bureacracy has moved off site but the Hall retains the offices of the Mayor and nearly every notable official. 

[deusexkristina]

I Love it!

SPHS is an awesome idea! Having a rival school in town adds a lot to the atmosphere. I like the ultra-modern look to clash with the more old-fashioned feel of St. Cosmas (and having the Knight as the mascot was a good touch!)

The other locations are really good too. I know already Val is going to be spending a lot of time at Westridge.

[Soveliss]

Is everyone ready? I'm starting to write the introduction in the small group sub-forum, I'll post it when I'll be satisfied with it.

[Jefepato]

I'd like to figure out more details about how Callie's powers will work, but I should be ready to start in the meantime if my sheet is acceptable.