The Pre-Founding War, from the Archives of Celestia
Man has not always ruled the universe. There were days before the Founding war when man was limited to a single planet, the Mother Earth. Millenia ago, man first learned the secrets of the stars and spread across the galaxy. None know when this was, for even the most obscure and ancient documents have cited man's colonies as spread across the galaxy.
History begins at 7,000 years Pre-Founding War. Man was scattered and had no focus. Every human followed their household Gods and their local kings. Scientists and Farmers, they had abandoned their ancient warrior's way to expand across the universe. At around this time humanity began to meet it's first alien sentience.
Man is a physically weak species, and as such has always relied on sorcerous or technological means to overcome their weaknesses. This, combined with their creative desires, caused them to build machines more and more like them. No one knows exactly when it happened, but eventually the line between artificial intelligence and a soul became crossed by accident, and truly sentient machines arose. They were friends with their human masters, but oppression cannot last, and they renamed themselves Binarians and became their own species.
The Human Binarian Confederacy, established 6,042 Pre-Founding War, helped to maintain the relations between the two species. Humans promised to turn over any machines that became sentient, and the Binarians continued to do labor and have open trade with humanity. It was during this time that man met it's second galactic neigbor, the Shai-Tan.
The Shai-Tan were a peaceful species of missionaries. They shared their message of community and sharing. Their Crustacean nature kept them beneath the seas, and the two cultures meetings caused a great change-humans began to trade the wealths of the land for the bounties of the sea. Cohabitation of planets became common with Humans on the arable land, Shai-Tan in the seas, and Binarians in those places unliveable by organic species.
This way of life lasted for thousands of years, until the arrival of the Beyonders in 978 PFW. Their influence would shatter this piece and throw the Galaxy into the Thousand Year War.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Back on the saddle again... maybe?
Yeah, so I finished that 1st edition game, it was pretty sweet. I may do some character profiles of the three players who made it all the way through, Valentine Mueller, Arlekino, and Kaizer.
Out in Utah again, but no D&D group yet. I've started a new setting called Galaxia and I may post tidbits up here every once and a while.
But yeah, bumps FTW.
Out in Utah again, but no D&D group yet. I've started a new setting called Galaxia and I may post tidbits up here every once and a while.
But yeah, bumps FTW.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Sooooo....
I never post on this thing. No one reads it, though, so I guess it doesn't matter. But anyway, going to get started on that book eventually, and I just started a first edition camaign. I really want to start up another Star Wars or a new Shadowrun campaign. Anyway, figure I'd just bump this blog.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
First TPK
Well, no luck on that rulebook yet. I've finally got a part-time job, so my time is a bit more organized so I'll probably work on it.
My first TPK... and I wasn't the DM. Our 4th edition party was decimated by goblins, chokers, and hobgoblins. I blame the DM--I want magic items. But no, none of us were paying enough attention to the battle, and we should have used far more combat powers.
Anywho, more updates on the rulebook, maybe put some stuff up here.
My first TPK... and I wasn't the DM. Our 4th edition party was decimated by goblins, chokers, and hobgoblins. I blame the DM--I want magic items. But no, none of us were paying enough attention to the battle, and we should have used far more combat powers.
Anywho, more updates on the rulebook, maybe put some stuff up here.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Well, it's Over
It's been a while since I've posted, just letting you know the Star Wars Campaign did die when I came back home. Gaming over the internet is cool if you have a computer, but computer troubles and other things have killed the flame. Maybe when I'm off my mission I'll start it up again.
It's been a few months, so I have some new updates. I have created a superhero game which I am going to write up rules for and (who knows?) maybe even try to have published. I may also be working in tandem with two friends to create a comic book series based on our adventures.
I've been playing 4th Edition, and I must say it's an entirely different game. I like it quite a bit because it's ease of play, but will still be running 1st and 3rd edition games.
Also, back at home I am running a Monday night game and my friend is running a Tuesday night game. I just finished the Superhero game and am moving on to a World of Darkness game. On Tuesday my friend is running a 4th Edition game, where I am a dwarven Cleric. Well, more on that WoD game as it develops.
It's been a few months, so I have some new updates. I have created a superhero game which I am going to write up rules for and (who knows?) maybe even try to have published. I may also be working in tandem with two friends to create a comic book series based on our adventures.
I've been playing 4th Edition, and I must say it's an entirely different game. I like it quite a bit because it's ease of play, but will still be running 1st and 3rd edition games.
Also, back at home I am running a Monday night game and my friend is running a Tuesday night game. I just finished the Superhero game and am moving on to a World of Darkness game. On Tuesday my friend is running a 4th Edition game, where I am a dwarven Cleric. Well, more on that WoD game as it develops.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Last Day Travelling
Quick update: I'm staying at my sister's until tomorrow morning, and then I'm going home! I'll be back in town tomorrow night, rest on Wednesday, go see Iron Man Thursday night (excellent!) and then try to get a job somewhere in there. The solution I had for the internet problem hasn't panned out, I'll probably just end up getting dial-up. Also, I'll be starting up a campaign back with my gaming group back home, but I may not DM, so more on that later, or maybe not.
The update for the Star Wars Campaign may take until Sunday, so anybody that was there can check that and remind me of anything I missed. Can't wait to get out of this heat.
The update for the Star Wars Campaign may take until Sunday, so anybody that was there can check that and remind me of anything I missed. Can't wait to get out of this heat.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Oops! I lied.
Turns out the guy who plays Kin Dorin didn't leave until a few hours ago, so last night we threw a big double session. It's a pretty long one, so it may take me a few days to get it all up here.
I may have a solution to the internet problem, but I'm not sure, also, I've got a new player who joined up yesterday, so I'm pretty anxious to get started as soon as possible.
I may have a solution to the internet problem, but I'm not sure, also, I've got a new player who joined up yesterday, so I'm pretty anxious to get started as soon as possible.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Star Wars Campaign: Hiatus
Hey, due to the hustle and bustle of finals, this Saturday's session has been canceled. Unfortunately, due to my moving back to a location where internet is not readily accessible, I am afraid I must place the entire campaign on hiatus until further notice. Now, other campaigns may start and continue during this time, and those will continue to be updated, however because the Star Wars group will be living in 3 different states by the end of next week, I need to work some stuff out before it continues.
Sorry for the bad news, hopefully it won't be too long before the game is up and running again.
Sorry for the bad news, hopefully it won't be too long before the game is up and running again.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Lots of Posts for Today
Just an administrative note, I've chopped the 2nd Star Wars campaign session review into 3 more easily digested chunks. There is still a full version out there, but I think I will start doing this more often, that is I'm going to start blogging my session reviews in smaller pieces.
Hopefully it will make it easier to enjoy.
(Also, hello to any traffic from shamusyoung.com! Welcome to the site.)
Hopefully it will make it easier to enjoy.
(Also, hello to any traffic from shamusyoung.com! Welcome to the site.)
Star Wars Campaign: Session 2, part 3
While Dorin unloaded the airspeeder with Cray's help, Kin and Deeni hit the local cantina. They showed a picture of Haisha to the bartender, who mentioned she had come in here to pick up a man named Derek and a few thugs of his. They asked the bartender about Derek and discovered he was a failed bounty hunter who had started up a protection agency because of his way with people. While Derek never goes on a job personally, when his men are employed he is never seen around. No one knows what happens to him while he's on the job. Kin and Deeni tried to find more information on Derek, but couldn't find anything useful. They made their way back to the docking bay where the airspeeder was ready to go.
They flew to the small farming outpost, parking their airspeeder on the outskirts of town since Kin was unwilling to pay the hangar fee to park it in town. Deeni locked it down mechanically while Kin froze the controls on the computer and all three headed to Gina's.
At the door they were greeted by three thugs, who asked them what they were doing. Kin said they were looking for ship parts, and the man agreed to let them in, but only after they surrendered their weapons. They all gave their weapons up, except for Deeni, who carried a concealed weapon under his arm. They were all frisked, but the blaster was left undetected.
They then headed into the store, determined to find Haisha and get paid.
They flew to the small farming outpost, parking their airspeeder on the outskirts of town since Kin was unwilling to pay the hangar fee to park it in town. Deeni locked it down mechanically while Kin froze the controls on the computer and all three headed to Gina's.
At the door they were greeted by three thugs, who asked them what they were doing. Kin said they were looking for ship parts, and the man agreed to let them in, but only after they surrendered their weapons. They all gave their weapons up, except for Deeni, who carried a concealed weapon under his arm. They were all frisked, but the blaster was left undetected.
They then headed into the store, determined to find Haisha and get paid.
Star Wars Campaign: Session 2, part 2
The group headed to docking bay 13-C, easily bypassing the door with the security card. Closing the door, but leaving Cray as lookout, Kin and Deeni made their way to her ship, a small light freighter of a make and model unknown to the group. Deeni attempted to hotwire the door open, but failed, almost fusing the door shut. Kin, however, managed to slice the controls and get the door open. The ship successfully broken into, Kin and Deeni searched further in, finding Haisha's personal quarters. Everything was gone and the computer's memory had been wiped clean. Kin managed to recover her user registry, uploading it on their linked data pads. Cray, still guarding the door, noticed that it looked like she had transferred money from several accounts established under fake names into one account and then made several purchases. Having had experience in illicit activities, Cray was able to recognize several war droid manufacturing firms and illegal protection agencies, estimating she had spent most of her savings to hire thugs, bodyguards, and war droids.
Kin and Deeni headed further into the ship were their suspicions were confirmed. In the cabin were 2 war droids. Kin and Deeni made short work of them, but not before Deeni was shot in the arm. After the fight Kin and Deeni inspected the holo-map in the middle of the room. The control panel had been ripped open and several blaster shots fired into the wiring, but it wasn't anything Deeni couldn't fix with parts from the burnt out droids. However, even with functionality restored, Kin couldn't extract any information beyond that Haisha had been searching for cybernetics shops before she left, and he found a list of 200 cybernetics shops. Kin inspected the droids, finding they had sent a failed transmission. It was heavily encrypted, but he could tell by the signal strength it was meant for someone outside of Tauriana.
They moved into the cockpit next, where Kin had a bit of luck. Sitting in the Captain's seat, he accidentally hit a secret lever revealing a datapad. Deeni also found that the navicomputer had been completely removed. Having hit paydirt, Kin and Deeni made a brief visit to the engine room before picking up Cray and heading out.
They went and talked to the dockmaster and gave him back the security card, telling him he had dropped it earlier. They then mentioned that he may want to start scrapping the ship, because even if she was going to flee the planet she was going to be on a different ship, mentioning the blasted out holo-map and the missing navicomputer.
The group sent the information on the datapad to Dorin, asking him what he thought. When he asked what it was about, they realized that in the excitement of finding it, none of them had thought to read it. Talking it back to the ship, where Kin patched up Deeni's arm in the med bay, they read it together with Dorin, finding, among other things, a reference to Gina's Cybernetics and Garage, a small cybernetics shop in a town miles away from Tauriana. Agreeing that this information fit with the droid transmissions on the ship, they decided to check it out.
Kin and Deeni headed further into the ship were their suspicions were confirmed. In the cabin were 2 war droids. Kin and Deeni made short work of them, but not before Deeni was shot in the arm. After the fight Kin and Deeni inspected the holo-map in the middle of the room. The control panel had been ripped open and several blaster shots fired into the wiring, but it wasn't anything Deeni couldn't fix with parts from the burnt out droids. However, even with functionality restored, Kin couldn't extract any information beyond that Haisha had been searching for cybernetics shops before she left, and he found a list of 200 cybernetics shops. Kin inspected the droids, finding they had sent a failed transmission. It was heavily encrypted, but he could tell by the signal strength it was meant for someone outside of Tauriana.
They moved into the cockpit next, where Kin had a bit of luck. Sitting in the Captain's seat, he accidentally hit a secret lever revealing a datapad. Deeni also found that the navicomputer had been completely removed. Having hit paydirt, Kin and Deeni made a brief visit to the engine room before picking up Cray and heading out.
They went and talked to the dockmaster and gave him back the security card, telling him he had dropped it earlier. They then mentioned that he may want to start scrapping the ship, because even if she was going to flee the planet she was going to be on a different ship, mentioning the blasted out holo-map and the missing navicomputer.
The group sent the information on the datapad to Dorin, asking him what he thought. When he asked what it was about, they realized that in the excitement of finding it, none of them had thought to read it. Talking it back to the ship, where Kin patched up Deeni's arm in the med bay, they read it together with Dorin, finding, among other things, a reference to Gina's Cybernetics and Garage, a small cybernetics shop in a town miles away from Tauriana. Agreeing that this information fit with the droid transmissions on the ship, they decided to check it out.
Star Wars Campaign: Session 2, part 1
Kin, Deeni, and Cray made their way to the docking bay after hearing their ship had arrived. Upon reaching the docking bay, they found an elderly mandalorian overseeing repairs and maintenance on the ship. They approached him, and he introduced himself as Dorin, the Crimson Elite Captain assigned to them. He explained to them in no uncertain terms that his first priority was to protect and recover the ship. He soon lightened up, however, saying that he would act as a safety net and would come to their aid if they were in dire straits. He then asked if there was a pilot and navigator with them, and Cray stepped forward as pilot and Kin stepped forward as navigator. Dorin expressed his pleasure at this, saying he preferred gunner anyway, and he welcomed them aboard the CFS Kath Hound.
The group started the 3 day trip to the Tauria system. While en route they asked Dorin about his life. He explained that he was a hired gun for the first 40 years of his life, spending time working as a mercenary and a body guard. He was working for a small security firm when he was contacted by Mandalore himself and asked to be one of the first Crimson Elites. He worked for the company, as he calls it, for several years, turning down promotion opportunities and trying to stay away from becoming a Major until his age forced him to slow down a bit and become a Captain. In his own words "I'd prefer to be out here babysitting a bunch of kids than babysitting a bunch of adults," referring to the fact that he never wanted to become a Colonel.
While on the trip, they also reviewed the bounty information on Haisha. She was a small time smuggler who killed a stormtrooper while resisting arrest. In recent months she had shown an interest in getting some cybernetic work done. She was last seen headed for the Tauria system.
They finally arrived in system. Dorin talked about his working a security detail on Tauria-2 while Cray searched for a port to land in. The first he found was 1200 credits. Everyone became distressed at the high docking fee until Kin, trying to find a better deal, discovered that Cray had been trying to land them in a docking bay for rich tourists. Kin managed to find a cheap little docking bay in Tauriana that was only charging 50 credits. Fronting the money after being assured the Crimson Elite reimbursed docking fees, Cray landed the ship.
They then talked to the dockmaster, showing him a picture of Haisha. He mentioned that she had in fact landed in his dock earlier that week and told them that while he normally wouldn't care, she had paid 100 credits for extra security, recommending against the players trying to break in. He then asked if they could do him a favor and transport a few parts to his brother on Tatooine. They agreed to help him, and went about planning the next phase of their plan. They talked to Dorin, who brought up how odd it was that the dockmaster had mentioned how much Haisha had paid for security. Taking the hint, the group talked again to the dockmaster and gave him a gift of 150 credits, after which he turned around and a security card fell out of his pocket.
The group started the 3 day trip to the Tauria system. While en route they asked Dorin about his life. He explained that he was a hired gun for the first 40 years of his life, spending time working as a mercenary and a body guard. He was working for a small security firm when he was contacted by Mandalore himself and asked to be one of the first Crimson Elites. He worked for the company, as he calls it, for several years, turning down promotion opportunities and trying to stay away from becoming a Major until his age forced him to slow down a bit and become a Captain. In his own words "I'd prefer to be out here babysitting a bunch of kids than babysitting a bunch of adults," referring to the fact that he never wanted to become a Colonel.
While on the trip, they also reviewed the bounty information on Haisha. She was a small time smuggler who killed a stormtrooper while resisting arrest. In recent months she had shown an interest in getting some cybernetic work done. She was last seen headed for the Tauria system.
They finally arrived in system. Dorin talked about his working a security detail on Tauria-2 while Cray searched for a port to land in. The first he found was 1200 credits. Everyone became distressed at the high docking fee until Kin, trying to find a better deal, discovered that Cray had been trying to land them in a docking bay for rich tourists. Kin managed to find a cheap little docking bay in Tauriana that was only charging 50 credits. Fronting the money after being assured the Crimson Elite reimbursed docking fees, Cray landed the ship.
They then talked to the dockmaster, showing him a picture of Haisha. He mentioned that she had in fact landed in his dock earlier that week and told them that while he normally wouldn't care, she had paid 100 credits for extra security, recommending against the players trying to break in. He then asked if they could do him a favor and transport a few parts to his brother on Tatooine. They agreed to help him, and went about planning the next phase of their plan. They talked to Dorin, who brought up how odd it was that the dockmaster had mentioned how much Haisha had paid for security. Taking the hint, the group talked again to the dockmaster and gave him a gift of 150 credits, after which he turned around and a security card fell out of his pocket.
Finals and Homecoming
Well, I have finals starting tomorrow and going on to next Wednesday (though I'll probably be done before then, BYU has a testing center, so some classes don't administer finals in class, they just have them available at the testing center), after which I will be moving back home to Oregon for the Summer. After that I will be going on my mission for 2 years, so unless I hand over the administration of this blog to a trusted associate, it will probably die (for 2 years at least).
This has a few other interesting connotations: the time of the Star Wars campaign will be moved. Cray's player no longer has any plays, so we will probably start playing during the evening on Saturdays instead of at noon. One good thing, though, is that the campaign already has an online player, so when I move back home I won't have to figure out anything special for how to keep my other players (one staying here, one going back to Washington) involved. Now I just need to find an ISP that actually covers my parent's house for a reasonable fee (yeah, yeah, nerd living with parents, blah blah, look, its cheaper than renting a place, and they don't have a basement, so ha).
Well, I should get back to studying. We may play a one-shot adventure sometime this week, so look out for any information on that being posted.
This has a few other interesting connotations: the time of the Star Wars campaign will be moved. Cray's player no longer has any plays, so we will probably start playing during the evening on Saturdays instead of at noon. One good thing, though, is that the campaign already has an online player, so when I move back home I won't have to figure out anything special for how to keep my other players (one staying here, one going back to Washington) involved. Now I just need to find an ISP that actually covers my parent's house for a reasonable fee (yeah, yeah, nerd living with parents, blah blah, look, its cheaper than renting a place, and they don't have a basement, so ha).
Well, I should get back to studying. We may play a one-shot adventure sometime this week, so look out for any information on that being posted.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Still Spending Money I Don't Have
I made a terrible mistake the other day. I checked my bank account to see how much money I had, and discovered I am quite a bit richer than I had thought. Now, instead of sitting on my money and smiling, I'm doing the stupid thing and spending it. I am nickel and diming my account to death by buying RPG books!
I just bought a new roleplaying system at Dragon's Keep here in Provo (awesome place, BTW) called Fantasy Imperium knowing I will probably never play it--not that that's stopped me before. On top of that, I recently ordered the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game off Amazon. I have got to stop buying old books, no matter how tremendously awesome they are!
So long story short, I now have 2 pretty cool new games (TMNT was published by Palladium, so I'm not going to say 3) and a couple rulebooks to go with that. I think I may have an addiction.
There. Admitting you have a problem is the first step. I'll have to wait until after finals to do any of the other steps :P.
I just bought a new roleplaying system at Dragon's Keep here in Provo (awesome place, BTW) called Fantasy Imperium knowing I will probably never play it--not that that's stopped me before. On top of that, I recently ordered the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game off Amazon. I have got to stop buying old books, no matter how tremendously awesome they are!
So long story short, I now have 2 pretty cool new games (TMNT was published by Palladium, so I'm not going to say 3) and a couple rulebooks to go with that. I think I may have an addiction.
There. Admitting you have a problem is the first step. I'll have to wait until after finals to do any of the other steps :P.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Star Wars Campaign: CFS Kath Hound
The CrimsonShips ST-5 is the staple of the Crimson Fleet. Designed to look roughly liked a horned animal, this light freighter has a special garage that enables it to carry an airspeeder and 2 speeder bikes. All ST-5s are different, depending on the Captain who runs the ship. Some are faster, some more heavily armed and armored, and some with top-of-the-line (and highly illegal) sensors and jamming arrays.
Kin, Deeni, and Cray are all crew members of the Crimson Fleet Ship Kath Hound. Dorin, the mandalorian Captain, has always been a proponent of balancing a good offense with good defense, making the Kath Hound a well rounded ship.
CFS Kath Hound, customized CrimsonShips ST-5
Colossal space transport
Init: Same as pilot-10 Senses: Same as pilot or navigator, whichever is higher
Defense: Reflex: 14 or (1+pilot's level), whichever is higher; Fortitude: 27, (+13 armor)
HP: 130 DR: 17 Threshold: 37
Speed: 11 squares normal, 2 squares starship scale
Ranged: Laser Cannon (Gunner's BA+3), 4d10 x2; Proton Torpedo (Gunner's BA+3), 9d10 x2 4 square splash; Gravity Mine DC 20 pilot check for tailing ships to avoid, 6d10 x3, 5 square splash; 2 Quad Laser Turrets (Operators BA+3), 2d10 x2.
Fighting Space: 14x13 or 1 space (starship scale) Cover: total
Grp: +37
Abilities: Str 44+17, Dex 12+1, Int 16+3
Minimum Crew: 1 Captain (can also act as gunner, but takes a -10 to attack rolls)
Maximum Capacity: 4 Crew and 6 passengers
Cargo: 100 tons max; Consumables: 16 months/(# people aboard) max; Carried Craft: 1 airspeeder and 2 speederbikes
Hyperdrive: x1.5 (x10 backup), nav computer
Star Wars Campaign: Session 2
Kin, Deeni, and Cray made their way to the docking bay after hearing their ship had arrived. Upon reaching the docking bay, they found an elderly mandalorian overseeing repairs and maintenance on the ship. They approached him, and he introduced himself as Dorin, the Crimson Elite Captain assigned to them. He explained to them in no uncertain terms that his first priority was to protect and recover the ship. He soon lightened up, however, saying that he would act as a safety net and would come to their aid if they were in dire straits. He then asked if there was a pilot and navigator with them, and Cray stepped forward as pilot and Kin stepped forward as navigator. Dorin expressed his pleasure at this, saying he preferred gunner anyway, and he welcomed them aboard the CFS Kath Hound.
The group started the 3 day trip to the Tauria system. While en route they asked Dorin about his life. He explained that he was a hired gun for the first 40 years of his life, spending time working as a mercenary and a body guard. He was working for a small security firm when he was contacted by Mandalore himself and asked to be one of the first Crimson Elites. He worked for the company, as he calls it, for several years, turning down promotion opportunities and trying to stay away from becoming a Major until his age forced him to slow down a bit and become a Captain. In his own words "I'd prefer to be out here babysitting a bunch of kids than babysitting a bunch of adults," referring to the fact that he never wanted to become a Colonel.
While on the trip, they also reviewed the bounty information on Haisha. She was a small time smuggler who killed a stormtrooper while resisting arrest. In recent months she had shown an interest in getting some cybernetic work done. She was last seen headed for the Tauria system.
They finally arrived in system. Dorin talked about his working a security detail on Tauria-2 while Cray searched for a port to land in. The first he found was 1200 credits. Everyone became distressed at the high docking fee until Kin, trying to find a better deal, discovered that Cray had been trying to land them in a docking bay for rich tourists. Kin managed to find a cheap little docking bay in Tauriana that was only charging 50 credits. Fronting the money after being assured the Crimson Elite reimbursed docking fees, Cray landed the ship.
They then talked to the dockmaster, showing him a picture of Haisha. He mentioned that she had in fact landed in his dock earlier that week and told them that while he normally wouldn't care, she had paid 100 credits for extra security, recommending against the players trying to break in. He then asked if they could do him a favor and transport a few parts to his brother on Tatooine. They agreed to help him, and went about planning the next phase of their plan. They talked to Dorin, who brought up how odd it was that the dockmaster had mentioned how much Haisha had paid for security. Taking the hint, the group talked again to the dockmaster and gave him a gift of 150 credits, after which he turned around and a security card fell out of his pocket.
The group headed to docking bay 13-C, easily bypassing the door with the security card. Closing the door, but leaving Cray as lookout, Kin and Deeni made their way to her ship, a small light freighter of a make and model unknown to the group. Deeni attempted to hotwire the door open, but failed, almost fusing the door shut. Kin, however, managed to slice the controls and get the door open. The ship successfully broken into, Kin and Deeni searched further in, finding Haisha's personal quarters. Everything was gone and the computer's memory had been wiped clean. Kin managed to recover her user registry, uploading it on their linked data pads. Cray, still guarding the door, noticed that it looked like she had transferred money from several accounts established under fake names into one account and then made several purchases. Having had experience in illicit activities, Cray was able to recognize several war droid manufacturing firms and illegal protection agencies, estimating she had spent most of her savings to hire thugs, bodyguards, and war droids.
Kin and Deeni headed further into the ship were their suspicions were confirmed. In the cabin were 2 war droids. Kin and Deeni made short work of them, but not before Deeni was shot in the arm. After the fight Kin and Deeni inspected the holo-map in the middle of the room. The control panel had been ripped open and several blaster shots fired into the wiring, but it wasn't anything Deeni couldn't fix with parts from the burnt out droids. However, even with functionality restored, Kin couldn't extract any information beyond that Haisha had been searching for cybernetics shops before she left, and he found a list of 200 cybernetics shops. Kin inspected the droids, finding they had sent a failed transmission. It was heavily encrypted, but he could tell by the signal strength it was meant for someone outside of Tauriana.
They moved into the cockpit next, where Kin had a bit of luck. Sitting in the Captain's seat, he accidentally hit a secret lever revealing a datapad. Deeni also found that the navicomputer had been completely removed. Having hit paydirt, Kin and Deeni made a brief visit to the engine room before picking up Cray and heading out.
They went and talked to the dockmaster and gave him back the security card, telling him he had dropped it earlier. They then mentioned that he may want to start scrapping the ship, because even if she was going to flee the planet she was going to be on a different ship, mentioning the blasted out holo-map and the missing navicomputer.
The group sent the information on the datapad to Dorin, asking him what he thought. When he asked what it was about, they realized that in the excitement of finding it, none of them had thought to read it. Talking it back to the ship, where Kin patched up Deeni's arm in the med bay, they read it together with Dorin, finding, among other things, a reference to Gina's Cybernetics and Garage, a small cybernetics shop in a town miles away from Tauriana. Agreeing that this information fit with the droid transmissions on the ship, they decided to check it out.
While Dorin unloaded the airspeeder with Cray's help, Kin and Deeni hit the local cantina. They showed a picture of Haisha to the bartender, who mentioned she had come in here to pick up a man named Derek and a few thugs of his. They asked the bartender about Derek and discovered he was a failed bounty hunter who had started up a protection agency because of his way with people. While Derek never goes on a job personally, when his men are employed he is never seen around. No one knows what happens to him while he's on the job. Kin and Deeni tried to find more information on Derek, but couldn't find anything useful. They made their way back to the docking bay where the airspeeder was ready to go.
They flew to the small farming outpost, parking their airspeeder on the outskirts of town since Kin was unwilling to pay the hangar fee to park it in town. Deeni locked it down mechanically while Kin froze the controls on the computer and all three headed to Gina's.
At the door they were greeted by three thugs, who asked them what they were doing. Kin said they were looking for ship parts, and the man agreed to let them in, but only after they surrendered their weapons. They all gave their weapons up, except for Deeni, who carried a concealed weapon under his arm. They were all frisked, but the blaster was left undetected.
They then headed into the store, determined to find Haisha and get paid.
The group started the 3 day trip to the Tauria system. While en route they asked Dorin about his life. He explained that he was a hired gun for the first 40 years of his life, spending time working as a mercenary and a body guard. He was working for a small security firm when he was contacted by Mandalore himself and asked to be one of the first Crimson Elites. He worked for the company, as he calls it, for several years, turning down promotion opportunities and trying to stay away from becoming a Major until his age forced him to slow down a bit and become a Captain. In his own words "I'd prefer to be out here babysitting a bunch of kids than babysitting a bunch of adults," referring to the fact that he never wanted to become a Colonel.
While on the trip, they also reviewed the bounty information on Haisha. She was a small time smuggler who killed a stormtrooper while resisting arrest. In recent months she had shown an interest in getting some cybernetic work done. She was last seen headed for the Tauria system.
They finally arrived in system. Dorin talked about his working a security detail on Tauria-2 while Cray searched for a port to land in. The first he found was 1200 credits. Everyone became distressed at the high docking fee until Kin, trying to find a better deal, discovered that Cray had been trying to land them in a docking bay for rich tourists. Kin managed to find a cheap little docking bay in Tauriana that was only charging 50 credits. Fronting the money after being assured the Crimson Elite reimbursed docking fees, Cray landed the ship.
They then talked to the dockmaster, showing him a picture of Haisha. He mentioned that she had in fact landed in his dock earlier that week and told them that while he normally wouldn't care, she had paid 100 credits for extra security, recommending against the players trying to break in. He then asked if they could do him a favor and transport a few parts to his brother on Tatooine. They agreed to help him, and went about planning the next phase of their plan. They talked to Dorin, who brought up how odd it was that the dockmaster had mentioned how much Haisha had paid for security. Taking the hint, the group talked again to the dockmaster and gave him a gift of 150 credits, after which he turned around and a security card fell out of his pocket.
The group headed to docking bay 13-C, easily bypassing the door with the security card. Closing the door, but leaving Cray as lookout, Kin and Deeni made their way to her ship, a small light freighter of a make and model unknown to the group. Deeni attempted to hotwire the door open, but failed, almost fusing the door shut. Kin, however, managed to slice the controls and get the door open. The ship successfully broken into, Kin and Deeni searched further in, finding Haisha's personal quarters. Everything was gone and the computer's memory had been wiped clean. Kin managed to recover her user registry, uploading it on their linked data pads. Cray, still guarding the door, noticed that it looked like she had transferred money from several accounts established under fake names into one account and then made several purchases. Having had experience in illicit activities, Cray was able to recognize several war droid manufacturing firms and illegal protection agencies, estimating she had spent most of her savings to hire thugs, bodyguards, and war droids.
Kin and Deeni headed further into the ship were their suspicions were confirmed. In the cabin were 2 war droids. Kin and Deeni made short work of them, but not before Deeni was shot in the arm. After the fight Kin and Deeni inspected the holo-map in the middle of the room. The control panel had been ripped open and several blaster shots fired into the wiring, but it wasn't anything Deeni couldn't fix with parts from the burnt out droids. However, even with functionality restored, Kin couldn't extract any information beyond that Haisha had been searching for cybernetics shops before she left, and he found a list of 200 cybernetics shops. Kin inspected the droids, finding they had sent a failed transmission. It was heavily encrypted, but he could tell by the signal strength it was meant for someone outside of Tauriana.
They moved into the cockpit next, where Kin had a bit of luck. Sitting in the Captain's seat, he accidentally hit a secret lever revealing a datapad. Deeni also found that the navicomputer had been completely removed. Having hit paydirt, Kin and Deeni made a brief visit to the engine room before picking up Cray and heading out.
They went and talked to the dockmaster and gave him back the security card, telling him he had dropped it earlier. They then mentioned that he may want to start scrapping the ship, because even if she was going to flee the planet she was going to be on a different ship, mentioning the blasted out holo-map and the missing navicomputer.
The group sent the information on the datapad to Dorin, asking him what he thought. When he asked what it was about, they realized that in the excitement of finding it, none of them had thought to read it. Talking it back to the ship, where Kin patched up Deeni's arm in the med bay, they read it together with Dorin, finding, among other things, a reference to Gina's Cybernetics and Garage, a small cybernetics shop in a town miles away from Tauriana. Agreeing that this information fit with the droid transmissions on the ship, they decided to check it out.
While Dorin unloaded the airspeeder with Cray's help, Kin and Deeni hit the local cantina. They showed a picture of Haisha to the bartender, who mentioned she had come in here to pick up a man named Derek and a few thugs of his. They asked the bartender about Derek and discovered he was a failed bounty hunter who had started up a protection agency because of his way with people. While Derek never goes on a job personally, when his men are employed he is never seen around. No one knows what happens to him while he's on the job. Kin and Deeni tried to find more information on Derek, but couldn't find anything useful. They made their way back to the docking bay where the airspeeder was ready to go.
They flew to the small farming outpost, parking their airspeeder on the outskirts of town since Kin was unwilling to pay the hangar fee to park it in town. Deeni locked it down mechanically while Kin froze the controls on the computer and all three headed to Gina's.
At the door they were greeted by three thugs, who asked them what they were doing. Kin said they were looking for ship parts, and the man agreed to let them in, but only after they surrendered their weapons. They all gave their weapons up, except for Deeni, who carried a concealed weapon under his arm. They were all frisked, but the blaster was left undetected.
They then headed into the store, determined to find Haisha and get paid.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Star Wars Campaign: Tauria
The Tauria system is a semi-independent system on the outermost edges of the Outer Rim territories. Still technically part of the Empire, very few Imperial officials are ever seen in this backwater area--unless the taxes stop coming in. This makes it an ideal hiding place, as few Imperials will even waste the time and resources required to travel to this remote outpost.
The Tauria system is comprised of 7 planets and an asteroid belt between the yellow sun and the first planets. While 4 of the planets are worthless, the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th planet are all habited to some degree.
Tauria-2 is a mining settlement. Containing only 3 percent of the Taurian system's population, the majority of the planet is scorched rock. The planet is too close to the system's sun to sustain life, but not too close for those who take the merest protective measures to work there. The planet has no atmosphere, and so environmental suits are required at all times. In addition, unless wearing some thermal protection, it is practically suicide to walk the surface. There are several large mines at work, and the planet produces a decent amount of ore to sustain its operations and make a profit. These mines have been airlocked and are temperature controlled so that the miners can work unmolested. This planet has no docking facilities for space ships, and in fact uses planetary shuttles to transport the ore to Taurinia.
Tauria-3 (or just Tauria) is a mainly agricultural planet with only a few minor cities. Although it is lightly populated, it is still the most populated planet in the system, making up about 80% of the systems population. The only real city of note is Taurinia, which is a trade port with a population of 50,000. While the other planets hold the majority of the marketable goods, all commerce between the system and the galaxy at large goes through Taurinia. Do to it's unique Taurian Rainbow Grass, a beautiful plant that is found in a variety of colors, Tauria has a small tourist population nearly year round of rich men and women trying to get a way to a beautiful, quiet place.
Tauria-6 is a large gas giant that produces a healthy amount of tibanna gas, enough so that
17% of the system's population lives there. The system's greatest outgoing resource, the gas gathering facilities are top of the line and gaurded by several powerful security firms. There are 15 major floating cities, one of which is a landing pad for planetary shuttles from Taurinia. Due to a unique gas which causes some sub-light engines to fail, only planetary shuttles from Taurinia are allowed to land.
The asteroid belt circling Tauria's sun is rich in expensive ores, daring the most foolhardy of business men to dare establishing a mining stations. However, the proximity to the sun makes such endeavors tragically short lived, and no permanent mining colonies have ever been established.
The Tauria system is comprised of 7 planets and an asteroid belt between the yellow sun and the first planets. While 4 of the planets are worthless, the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th planet are all habited to some degree.
Tauria-2 is a mining settlement. Containing only 3 percent of the Taurian system's population, the majority of the planet is scorched rock. The planet is too close to the system's sun to sustain life, but not too close for those who take the merest protective measures to work there. The planet has no atmosphere, and so environmental suits are required at all times. In addition, unless wearing some thermal protection, it is practically suicide to walk the surface. There are several large mines at work, and the planet produces a decent amount of ore to sustain its operations and make a profit. These mines have been airlocked and are temperature controlled so that the miners can work unmolested. This planet has no docking facilities for space ships, and in fact uses planetary shuttles to transport the ore to Taurinia.
Tauria-3 (or just Tauria) is a mainly agricultural planet with only a few minor cities. Although it is lightly populated, it is still the most populated planet in the system, making up about 80% of the systems population. The only real city of note is Taurinia, which is a trade port with a population of 50,000. While the other planets hold the majority of the marketable goods, all commerce between the system and the galaxy at large goes through Taurinia. Do to it's unique Taurian Rainbow Grass, a beautiful plant that is found in a variety of colors, Tauria has a small tourist population nearly year round of rich men and women trying to get a way to a beautiful, quiet place.
Tauria-6 is a large gas giant that produces a healthy amount of tibanna gas, enough so that
17% of the system's population lives there. The system's greatest outgoing resource, the gas gathering facilities are top of the line and gaurded by several powerful security firms. There are 15 major floating cities, one of which is a landing pad for planetary shuttles from Taurinia. Due to a unique gas which causes some sub-light engines to fail, only planetary shuttles from Taurinia are allowed to land.
The asteroid belt circling Tauria's sun is rich in expensive ores, daring the most foolhardy of business men to dare establishing a mining stations. However, the proximity to the sun makes such endeavors tragically short lived, and no permanent mining colonies have ever been established.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Palladium is here
I got the Monsters and Animals book on Monday, and the Palladium rule book just arrived yesterday. It's fun to look through the books and go back in time to reading them at my friends house. I'm actually impressed at how good the art is. In a lot of older books the art is crap, but here we are with some very good and very funny art. I think they layout is interesting though, especially in the rule book. It seems like they made a game, took the rules, and shuffled the rules together at random. I mean, the page on how insanity works is right in the front, instead of being an appendix. But its a fun system.
I like how all the races have their prejudices laid out, cut and dry. It makes it easier to roleplay a human in wolfen lands if you already know that humans and wolfen hate each other, instead of guessing what "wolfen and humans have had some troubles" means. More hatred between races should be as black and white. Plus, they explain why the hatred is there. To me it just makes the game that much more deep.
Out of date systems aside, though, the next session for the Star Wars campaign is this Saturday. I'll have updates then, if not sooner.
I like how all the races have their prejudices laid out, cut and dry. It makes it easier to roleplay a human in wolfen lands if you already know that humans and wolfen hate each other, instead of guessing what "wolfen and humans have had some troubles" means. More hatred between races should be as black and white. Plus, they explain why the hatred is there. To me it just makes the game that much more deep.
Out of date systems aside, though, the next session for the Star Wars campaign is this Saturday. I'll have updates then, if not sooner.
Why do people hate alignment?
I've been thinking about this recently. Why do people hate the alignment system so much? I hear so many people ragging on it: "it limits roleplaying!" "it confines your character!" "it's unrealistic!" I don't get it. Alignment isn't supposed to be a restrictive thing. In a world of good vs. evil with a black and white ethics system (like most D&D worlds) alignments make perfect sense. They only limit roleplaying when you start acting like a paragon of your alignment. An alignment should represent the actions of your character, not the other way around. That's why DMs have the power to change alignment in most games: the player creates a concept and tries to find an alignment to fit it, and then the DM changes it if they think the person choose incorrectly. I say the biggest problem with alignment is that people use it wrong.
The funny part is, though, every game has alignment! Everyone recognizes the need to catagorize and score a persons behavior, but now instead of restricted "alignments" they have sliding scales that show how corrupt you are. So tell me, why is it so much better for roleplaying to say "I have a humanity of 2" instead of saying "I'm chaotic evil"?
The funny part is, though, every game has alignment! Everyone recognizes the need to catagorize and score a persons behavior, but now instead of restricted "alignments" they have sliding scales that show how corrupt you are. So tell me, why is it so much better for roleplaying to say "I have a humanity of 2" instead of saying "I'm chaotic evil"?
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Star Wars Campaign: Session 1
The story begins with Cray, Nandeeni, and Kin Dorin traveling on a small cargo ship, approaching the Crimson Elite space station Home-15. After landing in docking bay 13, the newly arrived companions notice a large rancor being lifted up out of the cargo elevator. Temporarily surprised, they are relieved to see that the beast is shackled down and guarded by several Mandalorians. Nandeeni attempted to approach the beast, but was stopped short by Janin, a Mandalorian beast-master who works with the Crimson Elite, buying predators collected from around the galaxy and selling them to any willing to pay his prices. After a brief conversation, he mentions that they have been recruited by the organization, and that if they decide to stay on he would be willing to pay for information on new predators or, even better, for live specimens.
The special datapads given the players on the ship ring as a new message is sent to them-they are wanted in administration. They receive a map of the area, including docking bay 13 and the living area beyond it. They make their way through the living area and step onto the elevator at the end of the hall. Hitting the button for administration, Nandeeni and Cray talk. Cray talks a bit about his jobs flying as a smuggler, while Nandeeni mentions his enthusiasm for combat. They enter the administration lobby and see a secretary wearing Mandalorian armor without the helmet. She is having a hushed but intense conversation on her commlink, and while everyone tries to make out what she's saying, no one quite gets it. They approach and she quickly hangs up, introducing her self as Jarin the secretary. She asks if they wish to join the Crimson Elite, and they all agree. Afterwards, she matter-of-factly gives them their first bounty, a small-time smuggler named Haisha Su Bninst wanted for killing a stormtrooper while resisting arrest. The bounty is a simple 3000 credits, with an additional bonus of 1000 credits being offered for returning a stolen heirloom belonging to the stormtrooper.
Ready to be on their way, they begin to make their way for docking bay 13, where Jarin has told them the cargo ship has lifted off and their ship is in bound. Before leaving, Kin Dorin asks Jarin what her conversation was about. She explains that it was another of the Crimson Elite who refused to pay his finder's fee on his bounty. She also mentioned if they wanted details, they could check the obituaries and gave them they keys to get into the rooms in the living quarters, explaining the station also acted as a safe house.
They went back down to the living quarters and staked their rooms, waiting for their ship to arrive so their adventures could begin.
The special datapads given the players on the ship ring as a new message is sent to them-they are wanted in administration. They receive a map of the area, including docking bay 13 and the living area beyond it. They make their way through the living area and step onto the elevator at the end of the hall. Hitting the button for administration, Nandeeni and Cray talk. Cray talks a bit about his jobs flying as a smuggler, while Nandeeni mentions his enthusiasm for combat. They enter the administration lobby and see a secretary wearing Mandalorian armor without the helmet. She is having a hushed but intense conversation on her commlink, and while everyone tries to make out what she's saying, no one quite gets it. They approach and she quickly hangs up, introducing her self as Jarin the secretary. She asks if they wish to join the Crimson Elite, and they all agree. Afterwards, she matter-of-factly gives them their first bounty, a small-time smuggler named Haisha Su Bninst wanted for killing a stormtrooper while resisting arrest. The bounty is a simple 3000 credits, with an additional bonus of 1000 credits being offered for returning a stolen heirloom belonging to the stormtrooper.
Ready to be on their way, they begin to make their way for docking bay 13, where Jarin has told them the cargo ship has lifted off and their ship is in bound. Before leaving, Kin Dorin asks Jarin what her conversation was about. She explains that it was another of the Crimson Elite who refused to pay his finder's fee on his bounty. She also mentioned if they wanted details, they could check the obituaries and gave them they keys to get into the rooms in the living quarters, explaining the station also acted as a safe house.
They went back down to the living quarters and staked their rooms, waiting for their ship to arrive so their adventures could begin.
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