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[Xander Morhaime]

Loyal imperial citizens and rebel scum alike, rejoice! A new PBF is coming to the forum.

The setting, as you might have guessed, is Star Wars, specifically the Galactic Civil War period, roughly one year before the Battle of Yavin. Gargulec has accepted the responsibility of GMing, and has made 4 spots available for willing players - though bear in mind, two (or possibly three) are at the moment already occupied. The system we'll be using is called Cortex, and is available on request from Gargulec. Yes, Jedi will be an available character class. The setting will be an imperial prison ship where, as you can probably guess, *something* goes wrong.

This topic can be used to ask further questions, volunteer for the spots, argue over character creation and so forth, and so on. Character sheets, once we get around to making them, can probably be posted here as well until a proper OOC thread is set up.

[Kornel Kisielewicz]

Spot taken, I'm in ;).

[Journey]

I'd like a spot, please.

[ZZ]

As a true fan of Star Wars, I'd like to act.

[Gargulec]

Whoah, that's a lot of volunteers! Five places already, so well.
Five characters, I can agree on that, but no more. So, current player rooster is as following.
1. Xander Morhaime
2. Almighty K
3. Silhar
4. Journey
5. ZZ

Well. Four days for supplying me with char sheet (I will post rules concerning force powers later on). Will send the links needed on PM.

Okay, for Force Sensitive.

Asset
Force Sensitive (d2+): You were born with midichlorian count high enough to use the mysterious Force. You may buy Force Training skill as per normal rules. This asset has no direct influence on gameplay, but Force Training skill can not exceed it, so if you have Force Sensitive d8, you can not train yourself in Force usage above d8, until you improve your raw power, represented by this asset.

Skills:
Force Training: It represents how well can you manipulate the Force, how much can you get of it, and how successfully you will be. Unspecialised, it allow for basic telekinesis, mind tricks etc. More complicated uses (Force Healing, Force Lighting and so on) require you to acquire a proper specialization for this skill. For the purposes of character creation, this asset is capped at d8, which is level of new knights.

Lightsaber Combat: specialization of melee weapon combat. Self-explanatory. Cannot exceed the level of Force Sensitive.


Force usage will be resolved with normal test, so I will not put up an ornate mechanic for them. After all, Force is a mystery still, and few can understand it's *mechanics*

Edit by Mod : by the power of the Force, please don't quote material from those pesky fanfilms!
Response: midichlorians are G-Canon, and mechanic should be put in quotation marks- I meant how it works etc.
Proof: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Midichlorians

[Xander Morhaime]

So, how many points do we have available for starting attributes for character creation? Or will it be decided on an individual basis?

[ZZ]

Force is counted in midichlorians in book too, so it isn't quote from pesky fanfilm.

[Gargulec]

You are at 'Elite' starting level. 54 attributes, 74 skill, and 8 asset.

[Gargulec]

Edit:  another thought - I could change it so that she didn't fail and is still working for Vader.  But then it becomes a copy of an EU character.  And I'd have to rework a lot of the complications.  And it's pretty different from the character I want to play.

No need, I like it as it is. Just invent a reason for her to appear on Imperial Dungeon Ship (maybe not as a prisoner!), and it will be fine.

[Xander Morhaime]

No need, I like it as it is. Just invent a reason for her to appear on Imperial Dungeon Ship (maybe not as a prisoner!), and it will be fine.

A security expert, perhaps? Hiding in plain sight and all that...

[Kornel Kisielewicz]

The "new trilogy" is a trilogy of high-budget fan films. It's not canon ;). Hence all the materials that relate to it are fan fiction.

[Xander Morhaime]

But at least they have a bit more variety to the sword fights.

[Gargulec]

A security expert, perhaps? Hiding in plain sight and all that...

Tis' idea I like.

[ZZ]

O-kay. I'll work another character.

[Gargulec]

Well...
A) Force Sensitive trait, and Force Training + Lightsaber Combat are capped at d8 for the purposes of the CC, so tone them down.

More will come.

[ZZ]

But the character I've created is hell good at force, lowering it simply to d8 will lower his ultimate power described in the story.

[Gargulec]

Oh, the cap was to PREVENT character's of 'ultimate power' being created.

Also, after reading character backstory...
    ...way over the top, ZZ. Not only does it contradict cannon. Dantooine enclave was un-operational at the time of Rise Of The Empire era. That's one thing. No immortality can be achieved in SW universe, that second. Corriban Academy was also non-operational at this time.
Furthermore, this character is just... beyond the campaign scope. I capped the Force Sensitive for a reason. And I can't say I like it's current, ultra-powerful, boring back story. If you want to play Revan (as it seems), then wait for a Dark Lords centered campaign. Otherwise, tone him down to fit better into setting.

[Xander Morhaime]

Also, it's spelled "Korriban".

[ZZ]

Korriban Sith Academy and Jedi enclave were working both in the same time. I didn't mention that he travelled there in the times of the Rise Of The Empire, he was born before it,while they were both working, and due to the longlivity he lived to the Rise. And the force is mysterious, nobody knows it's endge, so longlivity could be one of the propeties.
And I just respect Revan, I wanna play force user, not sighned for work on any side.

[Gargulec]

Really, I am not stopping you from playing Force User. But I do stop you from playing an un-cannonical, play-breaking, Mary Sue character. Invent something more interesting and more fitting, will you?

[Xander Morhaime]

Right, let's have a look...

Horrible grammar aside...

First off, I am pretty sure Yoda's longevity had little to do with force powers (though those helped prevent death by unnatural causes,) and more with his species. Second, a Sith, even a half-one, giving up immortality for any reason? Don't quite see that happening. Now maybe an unaging force user with little to no *practical* power, that I could understand. Moving on. Third, this is just a plot hole the size of Yavin 4's mass shadow, a few simple force tricks to take over as pilot? THINK, man. You could toss the pilot out an airlock or something, but I'm quite sure the security on board a prison ship, ESPECIALLY one presently carrying a high-value prisoner, would be a bit tighter than to allow some nobody to just walk off the streets of some Outer Rim world and take over because the current pilot had a sudden case of Eaten By Rancor. Next up, an immortal (in terms of age) individual, but with little to no use of his powers would have had a hard time surviving the time since the Korriban academy was active, never mind the Jedi Purge... honestly, how long do you think a nigh-immortal force user hiding out somewhere would go unnoticed? People would say how that one guy has been there since forever, and then someone slightly force-sensitive would put two and two together, and before you know it there's an Imperial Star Destroyer in your driveway. Never mind such small details as ships the size of our prison transport not having a single pilot, but rather a crew of navigators, a NavComp and a captain telling them which way to point the damn thing. Or an imperial pilot carrying lightsabers around with him, but no proper certification. And you can't exactly mind-trick a computer record into saying he ever saw the inside of an Imperial Academy.

Seriously, mate. Step back, take a deep breath, erase all thoughts of Revan and anything Knights of the Old Republic (with the possible exception of HK-47, he's too lovable to be forgotten, YOU HEAR ME, G?) out of your mind, and start over FRESH. Try making one of the lower-grade prisoners from the surviving rebels, or perhaps one of the actual crewmembers of the prison ship...

Note that I am not touching on the skill selection - I'll leave that to more rules-savvy people.

[Gargulec]

(with the possible exception of HK-47, he's too lovable to be forgotten, YOU HEAR ME, G?

Yes, general?

Also, my two cents: you spend 140 points on skills, while the limit was 72. You bought assets for total of 68 points, along with assets that need consulting- inherit armor, for example etc.



Also: brought to you by Journey and me: various traits and bundles for SWers

Twi'lek race trait package (0):
Male: Ugly d4 (to non-twi'leks), Fragile d4, Enhanced Communication (lekku) d4, Fast On you Feet d2, Lighting Reflexes d2
Female: Allure d4 (to non-twi'leks), Fragile d4, Enhanced Communication (lekku) d4, Fast On you Feet d2, Lighting Reflexes d2, Lightweight d4

Wookie race trait package (0):
All: Brawler d4, Formidable presence d4, Sure footed d2, Natural weapon d2 (claws), Tough d4, Anger issues d4, Impaired communication d8 (can't speak human languages), Gullible d6, Duty (can't use claws) d2

Assets:
I'll bet you have: d4 - as long as you have a blaster holstered, you have the blaster drawn! Simply, if you are equipped with a weapon, drawing it takes you no time, unless GM deems otherwise.

Your mind powers will not work on me, boy: d6- be it due to alien physiology, mental conditioning, or simply extraordinary will prowess, you gain +5 skill steps trying to resist Force enforced mind tricks

[Journey]

I just wanted to put it out there that it's been 4 days since the post for character sheets.  Let's get them in, everyone.  We're itching to get this game started!

[Gargulec]

You did it! I am so proud of you!

But: Alderaan is still intact at the time of this campaign. So, it appears that you have to change it a bit.

Anyway, I like this type of character badly, so just correct the minor mistake, and I'll be happy.

[Journey]

If your mates were butchered by stormtroopers, you might say that your character would have some Prejudice against them.

[Gargulec]

Not bad, at first glance.

[Journey]

I really like the new setup, and we do need a pilot, it seems.  Double check your skills, though, you have 98 points worth!

In my view, the big thing to keep in mind for the story is that all our player characters might be above average beings in the universe, but they're aren't like Star Wars main characters:  the ones who are really lucky, have lots of coincidences in their life, and are really skilled, beautiful, etc.   We're not Luke Skywalker or Han Solo, who are truly exceptional, truly lucky, and are involved in many major events in the universe, but are more like Derek "Hobbie" Klivian or Pash Cracken.  Still pretty skilled and do make an impact on events, but aren't the main drivers of things, an not the best by any means.

[ZZ]

I thought there was 64, 10 less from the limit. In the rules, check table 2.2. It says that when you have skill >6 then it must be special and costs 6 less. Of course, it's if I'm correct. Waiting till GM.

[Gargulec]

Uhm. You pay for the basic skill- up to six points. And then, for each specialization separately, beginning from d8, which cost 2 points.

[Journey]

Example:
Guns (Blaster Pistol) d10

Guns d6 costs 6, you need to get that BEFORE you can buy Guns/Blaster Pistol
after that, Guns/Blaster pistol d10 costs 4 more on top, for 10 points total

Pilot (Frigates) d12
Pilot (Starfighters) d10

Here, Pilot d6 costs 6, Pilot/Frigates d12 costs 6 on top, and Pilot/Starfighters d10 costs 4 on top of that.
So the cost of this set would be 16.

[Journey]

Here's the NPC that our callous GM maneuvered Fathima into killing:

Name:  Colin Karr
Race: Human (Alderaanian)

Life Points:  14
Initiative: d4 + d8
Endurance: d4 + d10
Resistance: d4 + d4

Attributes:
Agility: d4
Strength: d4
Vitality: d4
Alertness: d8
Intelligence: d12
Willpower: d10

Assets:
Contacts d4
Head for Numbers d4
Higher Education d4
Intuitive Leaps d4
Natural Linguist d2
Photographic Memory d4
Quick Learner d4
Talented (analyst) d4

Complications:
Dead Inside d4
Fragile d4
Impaired Communication (raspy/very soft voice) d2
Low Pain Threshold d6
Overconfident d4
Overweight d2
Prejudice (Alderaanians) d4
Toes the Line d4

Skills:
Covert(Stealth) d8
Discipline(Interrogation) d8
Knowledge(Culture) d8
         (Law) d8
         (Politics) d8
Perception(Deduction) d10 (d12 + d2 with talented)
          (Intuition) d8
          (Investigation) d8 (d12 with talented)
Science(Economics) d8
       (Psychology) d8

Colin was born to a middle-class Alderaanian family.  He was smart but weak when young, and he grew to resent his peers, who viciously bullied him, the class nerd.  However, his excellent academic results led him to be offered a full scholarship to the Imperial University, which he gladly accepted to get away from his tormenters.  There he thrived in an environment that would allow him to learn everything he wished, although he greatly missed his parents back home (*).  His exceptional analytical skills caught the eye of Imperial Intelligence, and even Darth Vader, and he became a special analyst serving directly under Vader.  Colin delighted in his new power that came with his position, and took every chance he could to hurt Alderaanians, who he blamed for his tormented childhood.  With his widespread knowledge in many useful areas, he was soon chosen to support Vader's shadow agents.  His full range of skills allowed him to provide the agents a wealth of useful background information on whatever mission they were sent on, and he was also put in charge of monitoring their progress and guiding their actions.

Then one day his whole world came crashing to an end.  Fathima, one the agents under his control, was reported dead in a massive explosion while on a mission.  When Vader received Colin's report (in person, as usual), he immediately Force choked Colin for he saw as the analyst's failure.  With his life slipping away, Colin acted quickly and tapped his datapad to activate a program he had prepared for this eventuality:  all the screens in the room began to display the multitudes of successes that Colin had achieved for Vader.  Amazingly, when Vader saw the enormous list of deeds that Colin had achieved for the Sith Lord, he relented, releasing his grip.  Colin collapsed to the ground unconscious, perhaps the only person in history to ever win a reprieve from Vader.  He did not escape unscathed, however.  His windpipe was permanently damaged, affecting his breathing, and he was also left with an extremely soft, raspy voice.

When he awoke, he found himself a prisoner among several others.  They all kept to themselves, and he did nothing to change that.  He resolved to do his utmost to survive and overcome his predicament.  With a lot of time on his hands to think, he analyzed his situation.  It was easily a foregone conclusion that he would never work for Vader again, but he could not determine what his fate would be as a prisoner.  Deciding that further analysis on this issue would be futile until more information was available, he instead began to recall and mull over the events of the past few days.  Spending his lonely months going over every scrap of information from his incredible memory, he slowly identified various inconsistencies in the events surrounding Fathima's death.  Surprisingly, the prisoners were allowed access to a datapad, so he was able to log into the Imperial Intelligence network with the high level codes he knew, which hadn't been disabled.  This disturbed him greatly.  Why did leave a datapad for the prisoners?  And why were his codes still active?  Surely they couldn't have overlooked such a thing?  But his desire to find out more won out, and he proceeded to insert a arrest warrant for Fathima over a minor ficticious crime, just to see if if would lead to anything.  He was only able to include a holo of the one appearance she presented when she met him, as she was careful never to show him any of her other disguises.

Just days after he took this action, he was transferred to a prison ship.  He wondered if it was because they had detected his access.  But if they had, why was there no immediate punishment?  As there was little else for him to do, he continued to analyze in his mind Fathima's situation to see if he could understand more of it, and conclude if she really was dead.  Little did he know that fate would lead her to board the same ship in which he was held prisoner.  What would happen when their paths crossed?