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[pbp] City of Mist - V is for "Going Viral"

24

Posts

  • MagicPrimeMagicPrime FiresideWizard Registered User regular
    I agree. I think my character would be more for having to go 'around' the normal cop channels to bust something up that the vanilla cops can't handle, than just go vigilante.

    BNet • magicprime#1430 | PSN/Steam • MagicPrime | Origin • FireSideWizard
    Critical Failures - Havenhold CampaignAugust St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
  • MaclayMaclay Insquequo Totus Es Unus Here and ThereRegistered User regular
    Auralynx wrote: »
    Got tied up in some stuff last night, but:

    I was definitely pointing this guy more in the direction of Dabblers in the Mist or Conspiracy Busters than the Vigilante option, in particular.
    Detective Maine seems like he makes the most sense in a Conspiracy Busters team, given his Lawful Good Logos, since there's got to be something dirty and supernatural going on somewhere; Shelley is definitely more of a Shadowrun-like character and might fit best in a Pros set-up.

    I think the easiest in, not to make myself the leader-leader, is for us to start as Dabblers In the Mist, with the Detective and Shelley being the other supernaturally-influenced people Anthony's encountered while he wasn't getting any older who he actually gets along with. Maybe one of them noticed before he did, even.

    Conspiracy Busters with Shelley as our heavy is probably also a pretty reasonable direction to go, with Detective Maine the driver on getting us together in his capacity as a cop. My guy is pretty explicitly not involved directly in the criminal justice system now, but that may not always have been true; maybe Detective Maine and Anthony go back a ways?

    I'm okay with any of this. The one note I'd add regarding playing 'The Heavy' is that I'm not sure how intimidating Shelley would be without doing something 'outlandish' - not remotely against it, just something to consider when you're deciding whether or not to throw me at a problem of that nature.

  • Mahou So-soMahou So-so Registered User regular
    You're totally allowed to use your powers in front of people--they'll just forget/rewrite what happened in their head a bit later. Plus, a cop will likely be enough to handle most normal people, which would mean you'd only have to "flex" when dealing with other Mythos.

  • AuralynxAuralynx Darkness is a perspective Watching the ego workRegistered User regular
    You're totally allowed to use your powers in front of people--they'll just forget/rewrite what happened in their head a bit later. Plus, a cop will likely be enough to handle most normal people, which would mean you'd only have to "flex" when dealing with other Mythos.

    Plus I should be pretty able to talk us out of issues.

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  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    Looking at the other characters, I'm thinking a reporter.
    (Maybe I should revise the one I did for that Hunter game several years back that I never did much with...)

    wVEsyIc.png
  • Mahou So-soMahou So-so Registered User regular
    cj iwakura wrote: »
    Looking at the other characters, I'm thinking a reporter.
    (Maybe I should revise the one I did for that Hunter game several years back that I never did much with...)

    That would definitely fit. What kind of power(s) were you thinking?

  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    cj iwakura wrote: »
    Looking at the other characters, I'm thinking a reporter.
    (Maybe I should revise the one I did for that Hunter game several years back that I never did much with...)

    That would definitely fit. What kind of power(s) were you thinking?

    I'll let you know when I get to that section. :P

    wVEsyIc.png
  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    cj iwakura wrote: »
    Looking at the other characters, I'm thinking a reporter.
    (Maybe I should revise the one I did for that Hunter game several years back that I never did much with...)

    That would definitely fit. What kind of power(s) were you thinking?

    Is Telepathy acceptable? Also, are we supposed to start at 0/3 for the Mythos/Logos stats, or 3/3?

    wVEsyIc.png
  • Mahou So-soMahou So-so Registered User regular
    cj iwakura wrote: »
    cj iwakura wrote: »
    Looking at the other characters, I'm thinking a reporter.
    (Maybe I should revise the one I did for that Hunter game several years back that I never did much with...)

    That would definitely fit. What kind of power(s) were you thinking?

    Is Telepathy acceptable? Also, are we supposed to start at 0/3 for the Mythos/Logos stats, or 3/3?

    Telepathy is totally acceptable.

    And for stats, do you mean the tags? You'll start with 3 tags per Theme, and then gain more as the game progresses. So, for Telepathy, you could have your Mystery be: "What are the limits of this power?" Where you are driven to see how deep you can pry or from how far away or whatever. And then you'd have 3 tags, like "I can hear your thoughts", "They think before they act", and "Telepathic Spike" with a weakness like "So much noise!"

  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    cj iwakura wrote: »
    cj iwakura wrote: »
    Looking at the other characters, I'm thinking a reporter.
    (Maybe I should revise the one I did for that Hunter game several years back that I never did much with...)

    That would definitely fit. What kind of power(s) were you thinking?

    Is Telepathy acceptable? Also, are we supposed to start at 0/3 for the Mythos/Logos stats, or 3/3?

    Telepathy is totally acceptable.

    And for stats, do you mean the tags? You'll start with 3 tags per Theme, and then gain more as the game progresses. So, for Telepathy, you could have your Mystery be: "What are the limits of this power?" Where you are driven to see how deep you can pry or from how far away or whatever. And then you'd have 3 tags, like "I can hear your thoughts", "They think before they act", and "Telepathic Spike" with a weakness like "So much noise!"

    Ah, I wasn't sure if it was a stat that was supposed to have points put into it or something.


    Here's what I have so far:
    Wendy Gilestrom
    tFRyVWH.png
    (Obviously not up to Rosalind Russell's standard, but a close approximation.
    Shorter hair with glasses.)

    Mythos: Divination
    Telepathy
    Attention: 0/3 | Fade: 0/3

    "Are there things I was better off not knowing?"
    Tags: Mind Reading, Intuition, Danger Sense
    Weakness: Driven To Distraction


    Logos: Occupation
    Reporter
    Attention: 0/3 | Crack: 0/3

    "This is more important than that stupid groundbreaking ceremony!"
    Tags: Information Gathering, Interrogation, Eavesdropping
    Weakness: Stubborn To A Fault



    Logos: Personality
    Unyielding
    Attention: 0/3 | Crack: 0/3

    "The truth, nothing else will suffice."
    Tags: Trustworthy, Charismatic, Moral
    Weakness: Goody Two Shoes


    Logos: Gear
    The Essentials
    Attention: 0/3 | Crack: 0/3

    "That was a three hundred dollar camera I just broke, and you're paying for it."
    Tags: Photography, Self-Defense, Recording
    Weakness: Sentimental Attachment

    wVEsyIc.png
  • AuralynxAuralynx Darkness is a perspective Watching the ego workRegistered User regular
    @cj iwakura

    imo you have too many Logos tags that do more or less the same thing; same problem I was having in the first draft. Since you get to pick which ones apply to any given roll and there's a cap of three you probably want them to be broader / more flavor-y so you can find odd uses for them.

    kshu0oba7xnr.png

  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    Auralynx wrote: »
    @cj iwakura

    imo you have too many Logos tags that do more or less the same thing; same problem I was having in the first draft. Since you get to pick which ones apply to any given roll and there's a cap of three you probably want them to be broader / more flavor-y so you can find odd uses for them.

    Yeah, I was thinking more character and less mechanically. I'll revise it.

    wVEsyIc.png
  • Mahou So-soMahou So-so Registered User regular
    edited July 2017
    The limit of +3 is actually an optional rule. I wasn't planning to use it unless it seemed necessary as we progressed, and figured we could just rely on Narrative First to keep things mostly in-check. I don't really have an innate problem with a Telepathic Reporter being ridiculously good at getting information when face-to-face with someone.

    I would say that something like Information Gathering probably won't apply if you're also Interrogating someone though, as to me Information Gathering implies using things like contacts and the information, though I could see the opposite working, and being able to add Interrogation to an Information Gathering roll, suggesting you're interrogating people during the larger process. So, it all just depends on the narrative.

    But yeah, since this is my first time with this system, I'm totally cool if we break it and then make an adjustment--if that ends up happening, I'm totally cool with everyone tweaking their character sheets a bit to take into account the new +3 limit if we find its needed.

    Edit: Best way to avoid problems is to just try and follow the 1 Broad/the rest Specific tag guidelines. So, 1 tag that can apply to 2 theaters, the rest that apply to 1 (or 2 if its very narrow in its function in both). Those theaters being Action/Social/Investigation.

    Mahou So-so on
  • MagicPrimeMagicPrime FiresideWizard Registered User regular
    edited July 2017
    There is all kinds of great noir/pulp style art on Pinterest. If anyone is still looking for character art or mood inspiration.

    MagicPrime on
    BNet • magicprime#1430 | PSN/Steam • MagicPrime | Origin • FireSideWizard
    Critical Failures - Havenhold CampaignAugust St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    edited July 2017
    I was searching through a lot of noir stuff, but nothing quite matched what I had in mind.


    Maybe I'll swap out Personality with Contacts?

    cj iwakura on
    wVEsyIc.png
  • MaclayMaclay Insquequo Totus Es Unus Here and ThereRegistered User regular
    So my character is starting to look a little thematically inconsistent with the rest of the group. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with what I put together, and if you think it's an important role to fill, that's great. I can certainly see cases where some muscle or techie know-how would be key.
    On the other hand, I'm absolutely willing to throw together something a little more fitting if folk would prefer- Maybe a doctor or medical examiner type would help round things out?
    Either way works for me, I'm nothing if not flexible. I can always save a character I don't use for the future.

  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    Maclay wrote: »
    So my character is starting to look a little thematically inconsistent with the rest of the group. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with what I put together, and if you think it's an important role to fill, that's great. I can certainly see cases where some muscle or techie know-how would be key.
    On the other hand, I'm absolutely willing to throw together something a little more fitting if folk would prefer- Maybe a doctor or medical examiner type would help round things out?
    Either way works for me, I'm nothing if not flexible. I can always save a character I don't use for the future.

    I think the role's definitely useful. Hearing 'Dark City' just instantly makes me think noir, but it could also be more Blade Runnerish.

    wVEsyIc.png
  • Mahou So-soMahou So-so Registered User regular
    It's definitely Noir. But think of it as Noir with a monster at the end. :p this is a setting where a group of gangsters aren't going to pull out knives, but possibly transform into a werewolf, or hit you with super-strength.

    Now, obviously I can scale that back if no one wants to have a character who can put up a super-powered fight, but having someone who can effectively scuffle definitely fits in any group.

    However, @maclay the important thing is the character you make is the one YOU want to play. Don't worry about being different if what you've got is interesting to you.but if you want to be more alike, that's fine too. Though, having everyone in the party be charming investigators would definitely be a test for me to make things interesting, lol.

  • AuralynxAuralynx Darkness is a perspective Watching the ego workRegistered User regular
    edited July 2017
    MagicPrime wrote: »
    There is all kinds of great noir/pulp style art on Pinterest. If anyone is still looking for character art or mood inspiration.

    I deputize you to find me a portrait that isn't Rob Lowe.
    Maclay wrote: »
    So my character is starting to look a little thematically inconsistent with the rest of the group. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with what I put together, and if you think it's an important role to fill, that's great. I can certainly see cases where some muscle or techie know-how would be key.
    On the other hand, I'm absolutely willing to throw together something a little more fitting if folk would prefer- Maybe a doctor or medical examiner type would help round things out?
    Either way works for me, I'm nothing if not flexible. I can always save a character I don't use for the future.

    That's actually a good thing! The contrast is important and helps play to the general strangeness of the world.

    Auralynx on
    kshu0oba7xnr.png

  • MaclayMaclay Insquequo Totus Es Unus Here and ThereRegistered User regular
    Great, I'll stick with what I've got then. Was having trouble coming up with a mythos that wasn't super cliché or an obvious copycat for them anyway.

  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    edited July 2017
    Revised:

    Wendy Gilestrom

    Mythos: Divination
    Telepathy
    Attention: 0/3 | Fade: 0/3

    "Are there things I was better off not knowing?"
    Tags: Mind Reading, Mental Conversation, Danger Sense
    Weakness: Driven To Distraction


    Logos: Occupation
    Reporter
    Attention: 0/3 | Crack: 0/3

    "This is more important than that stupid groundbreaking ceremony!"
    Tags: Investigation, Contacts, Front Page Potential
    Weakness: Stubborn To A Fault



    Logos: Personality
    Unyielding
    Attention: 0/3 | Crack: 0/3

    "The truth, nothing else will suffice."
    Tags: Trustworthy, Charismatic, Moral
    Weakness: Goody Two Shoes


    Logos: Gear
    The Essentials
    Attention: 0/3 | Crack: 0/3

    "That was a three hundred dollar camera I just broke, and you're paying for it."
    Tags: Photography (Camera), Self-Defense (Mace), Recording (Mini-Recorder)
    Weakness: Sentimental Attachment

    cj iwakura on
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  • MagicPrimeMagicPrime FiresideWizard Registered User regular
    jsql91voayp1.jpg

    BNet • magicprime#1430 | PSN/Steam • MagicPrime | Origin • FireSideWizard
    Critical Failures - Havenhold CampaignAugust St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
  • Mahou So-soMahou So-so Registered User regular
    MagicPrime wrote: »
    jsql91voayp1.jpg

    If that was an anime-styled image, I'd be incredibly concerned for that poor woman.

  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    MagicPrime wrote: »
    jsql91voayp1.jpg

    Pretty accurate.

    wVEsyIc.png
  • Mahou So-soMahou So-so Registered User regular
    Cool, now now you guys just need to finish out your crew.

    Did you all decide on the theme being that you're trying to understand the Mist and your powers? If so, you just need an identity like your characters have, and then 3 tags. Pretty sure I linked the sample crews ones in the OP of you need inspiration!

  • MaclayMaclay Insquequo Totus Es Unus Here and ThereRegistered User regular
    I can see good arguments for most of the sample themes (maybe not 'The Pros'). My instinct says 'Conspiracy Busters' but I'm open to whatever. Perhaps we were finding mysterious gaps in our personal investigations and those aligned at one point around a specific person or location?

  • AuralynxAuralynx Darkness is a perspective Watching the ego workRegistered User regular
    Auralynx wrote: »
    Got tied up in some stuff last night, but:

    I was definitely pointing this guy more in the direction of Dabblers in the Mist or Conspiracy Busters than the Vigilante option, in particular.
    Detective Maine seems like he makes the most sense in a Conspiracy Busters team, given his Lawful Good Logos, since there's got to be something dirty and supernatural going on somewhere; Shelley is definitely more of a Shadowrun-like character and might fit best in a Pros set-up.

    I think the easiest in, not to make myself the leader-leader, is for us to start as Dabblers In the Mist, with the Detective and Shelley being the other supernaturally-influenced people Anthony's encountered while he wasn't getting any older who he actually gets along with. Maybe one of them noticed before he did, even.

    Conspiracy Busters with Shelley as our heavy is probably also a pretty reasonable direction to go, with Detective Maine the driver on getting us together in his capacity as a cop. My guy is pretty explicitly not involved directly in the criminal justice system now, but that may not always have been true; maybe Detective Maine and Anthony go back a ways?
    Maclay wrote: »
    I can see good arguments for most of the sample themes (maybe not 'The Pros'). My instinct says 'Conspiracy Busters' but I'm open to whatever. Perhaps we were finding mysterious gaps in our personal investigations and those aligned at one point around a specific person or location?

    I think we may need to do something in the style of other Apocalypse World games and decide on Bonds, or at least something like Bonds, but I think Conspiracy Busters makes the most sense overall at this point, yeah.

    kshu0oba7xnr.png

  • MagicPrimeMagicPrime FiresideWizard Registered User regular
    Also Conspiracy plays into my Detective Logos weakness. Being a legit cop, almost anything I do officially has a record, and prying eyes see all.

    BNet • magicprime#1430 | PSN/Steam • MagicPrime | Origin • FireSideWizard
    Critical Failures - Havenhold CampaignAugust St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    Yep, works for me.

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  • MaclayMaclay Insquequo Totus Es Unus Here and ThereRegistered User regular
    Are we happy with the existing tags for Conspiracy Busters:
    Won't get fooled again
    Insider tip
    Surveillance equipment
    Evidence disappear (weakness)
    or should we try to tailor them more to our specific group? I think the Identity works fine (Truth is more important than personal issues) and those tags seem workable, if a little generic (but maybe they're supposed to be).

  • Mahou So-soMahou So-so Registered User regular
    @MagicPrime @cj iwakura @Auralynx

    Is the silence a sign that everyone is good with @Maclay 's suggestion of just using the pregen crew?

  • AuralynxAuralynx Darkness is a perspective Watching the ego workRegistered User regular
    I think that's a fair verdict; Surveillance Equipment is the only tag that makes me raise an eyebrow with this crew, and not that far.

    kshu0oba7xnr.png

  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    Well, part of Wendy's setup is that she has equipment, so I don't think it's far off the mark at all.

    In other words, yep, I'm perfectly good with it.

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  • MagicPrimeMagicPrime FiresideWizard Registered User regular
    Yeah. Surveillance Equipement seems a bit boring but I don't have an alternative at the moment.

    BNet • magicprime#1430 | PSN/Steam • MagicPrime | Origin • FireSideWizard
    Critical Failures - Havenhold CampaignAugust St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    It doesn't have to mean sitting by a window on a stakeout, could also mean having a wire on, subterfuge, things like that. Guess it depends on the campaign, though.

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  • MagicPrimeMagicPrime FiresideWizard Registered User regular
    How about something like "Secure Location" or "Safehouse"?

    BNet • magicprime#1430 | PSN/Steam • MagicPrime | Origin • FireSideWizard
    Critical Failures - Havenhold CampaignAugust St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
  • AuralynxAuralynx Darkness is a perspective Watching the ego workRegistered User regular
    cj iwakura wrote: »
    Well, part of Wendy's setup is that she has equipment, so I don't think it's far off the mark at all.

    In other words, yep, I'm perfectly good with it.

    Yeah, my skepticism is more based on the fact that everyone but me seems like they could do something similar with one of their tags.

    kshu0oba7xnr.png

  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    Auralynx wrote: »
    cj iwakura wrote: »
    Well, part of Wendy's setup is that she has equipment, so I don't think it's far off the mark at all.

    In other words, yep, I'm perfectly good with it.

    Yeah, my skepticism is more based on the fact that everyone but me seems like they could do something similar with one of their tags.

    Ah. I can go through it and see if I find anything better, but I'm not too familiar with that section yet.

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  • MaclayMaclay Insquequo Totus Es Unus Here and ThereRegistered User regular
    Perhaps something like The right tool for the right job or I know a guy.

  • AuralynxAuralynx Darkness is a perspective Watching the ego workRegistered User regular
    "Extensive Records?"

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