OOC

[Faanku]

How well connected are we with one another for communicating what people are finding?

Comlinks are like ultra-smartphones of the far future, so I would assume we're all in #perfectlyinnocentcivilians on irc.nocrimehere.net and able to message each other at the very least.

I'm kind of surprised but a quick look of the equipment in the rules doesn't show any equipment that would allow you to scan for any kind of traps/snooping equipment/alarms/etc. in the shipment. We could probably house rule some equipment if this was desired.

Could just be a Program roll? Maybe require a dataslab instead of a comlink if you think the latter couldn't handle the task?

[Faanku]

The faction updates being posted in game is a great idea, I'm looking forward to more of them.
Is it possible to get a brief summary of the sector, things like where the major hub planets are, any famously weird or unique places, any ongoing wars or big rivals, things like that? Just stuff our characters would know from working the spacelanes and generally existing for a couple of decades in the sector.

[The_Wanderer]

The faction updates being posted in game is a great idea, I'm looking forward to more of them.
Is it possible to get a brief summary of the sector, things like where the major hub planets are, any famously weird or unique places, any ongoing wars or big rivals, things like that? Just stuff our characters would know from working the spacelanes and generally existing for a couple of decades in the sector.

Yeah, that seems like something I could pull together. There is a fair amount of info that I've not shared on the wiki yet and I was thinking would be uncovered during play but I see the need also for some grounding information that everybody just kind of knows.

[The_Wanderer]

Wealth
Everybody got 550 credits total for the first job for Lou. Please update your sheets.
XP
Corbeau, Disston, Jonas, Alix and Shion gain 3 XP for completing your first minor goal. Coincidentally (or not) that is enough to take you to level 2. Please update your character sheets.
Goals
You are out of goals. It's probably time to revisit them. You've got whiskey and a job offer from Lou A. currently. Also, you can safely assume there's always more to do. If you come up with a reasonable way to find a new job in game, I'll reward you a job offer, or a guy who knows a job that's open...or something else. My philosophy here is to reward players for creatively engaging with the game and acting independently.

[shaidar]

So am I right we get a focus point and 3 skill points , and for Jonas's class he also get anon-combat skill point.

Also we reroll all our hp dice?

Those who have more experience with the system, any suggestions as to might be best to use these points for, i.e. Improve existing skills, buy new ones?

[The_Wanderer]

So am I right we get a focus point and 3 skill points , and for Jonas's class he also get anon-combat skill point.

Also we reroll all our hp dice?

Those who have more experience with the system, any suggestions as to might be best to use these points for, i.e. Improve existing skills, buy new ones?

For quick reference of everybody, the section on leveling begins on p. 56 of the rules under Character Advancement.

• Re-roll HP at every level. For Jonas Jones that would be 2d6+2
• Improve Attack Bonus. As a partial warrior adventurer, Jonas' Attack Bonus would be +2. It is = 1/2 character level +1 (at level 1)
• Improve Saving Throws: All saves decrease by 1.
• Gain and Spend Skills: Everybody gets 3 to spend. As a partial expert adventurer, Jonas gets a bonus point to spend on a non-combat, non-psychic skill so a total of 4 points. It costs more to increase every new skill level so you can only specialize in a few areas and you may need to/want to save a skill point for a later level up so you have enough to spend to increase a high level skill. You can also use skill points to increase attributes (see below)
• Improve psychic effort and techniques. Not applicable to Jonas
• Purchase improved attributes: You can use skill points to increase attributes. Every time you increase any attribute it costs more.
• Choose new foci: Available at lvl 2, 5, 7 and 10. You might get a free skill as a part of a new focus. In that case, it counts as three skill points spent toward increasing the skill. This is enough to raise a nonexistent skill to level-1, or boost a level-1 skill to level-2

My advice is to specialize in a narrow assortment and to communicate with each other who is covering which area of expertise.

[shaidar]

Thanks.

My current thoughts are to increase heal and either sneak or notice to 1. I'm not sure about the focus point, perhaps heal.

[Samwell Turleton]

I have a couple of rules questions.

1. We have advanced two character levels do we gain three skill points per level or just the once for advancing even though it is two levels in one go?

2. If we invest the focus point into a new focus and a skill comes with it then you have to spend skill points for the new skill to meet its level, correct? A level 0 skill would be 1 point and a level 1 skill would be an additional 2 points on top of that.

[The_Wanderer]

I have a couple of rules questions.

1. We have advanced two character levels do we gain three skill points per level or just the once for advancing even though it is two levels in one go?

2. If we invest the focus point into a new focus and a skill comes with it then you have to spend skill points for the new skill to meet its level, correct? A level 0 skill would be 1 point and a level 1 skill would be an additional 2 points on top of that.

Do me 1 favor on your character sheet - for your class please list it as Adventurer (Partial Expert/Psychic) / Level - 2 (At least I'm pretty sure that's what your 2 parts are)
1. You get 3 points for advancing to level 2. As a partial expert you also gain an extra skill point every time you gain a character level which can be spent on any non-psychic, non-combat skill. So that makes a total of 4.
2. If you get a free skill from a focus as a part of advancement (and not as a part of character creation), you get 3 free skill points to increase the skill level. This is enough to raise a non-existent skill to level-1 or boost a level-1 skill to level-2.

As a partial psychic, you can also use 2 of your 3 points from advancing to character level 2 to advance to level-1 in Telekinesis, thereby also giving you a level-1 telekinetic power (Kinetic Transversal, Pressure Field or Telekinetic Armory)

[Samwell Turleton]

Partial expert/psychic is correct and thank you for the clarifications.

I am thinking boosting Psychic to level - 1 and taking Pressure Field with 2 skill points, adding Ironhide as a focus, and boosting Lead to level - 1 with the other 2 skill points.

[The_Wanderer]

Partial expert/psychic is correct and thank you for the clarifications.

I am thinking boosting Psychic to level - 1 and taking Pressure Field with 2 skill points, adding Ironhide as a focus, and boosting Lead to level - 1 with the other 2 skill points.

Ironhide is a good call for your background. I remember trying to come up with a character that would possibly be interested in that focus...but Corbeau is a great fit.

[shaidar]

I was thinking g of using my focus to take Wild Talent - Psychic Succor, but reading it I'm not sure it's any better than the heal focus.

[Faanku]

I was thinking g of using my focus to take Wild Talent - Psychic Succor, but reading it I'm not sure it's any better than the heal focus.

Yeah, Psychic Succor at Biopsionics-0 isn't really anything to write home about, the techniques's biggest merits are the HP healing that comes with higher levels and the "upgrade" powers that let you use it at ranged/as an instant action. Acquiring it via WPT is spending a rare and precious Focus to guarantee, once per day, success on a DC6 stabalise roll on using a Lazarus Patch, which Healer 1 would let you do as an On Turn action and as many times as needed, as well as considerably boosting every Heal roll you'll ever make via the 3d6-L.

[shaidar]

I was thinking g of using my focus to take Wild Talent - Psychic Succor, but reading it I'm not sure it's any better than the heal focus.

Yeah, Psychic Succor at Biopsionics-0 isn't really anything to write home about, the techniques's biggest merits are the HP healing that comes with higher levels and the "upgrade" powers that let you use it at ranged/as an instant action. Acquiring it via WPT is spending a rare and precious Focus to guarantee, once per day, success on a DC6 stabalise roll on using a Lazarus Patch, which Healer 1 would let you do as an On Turn action and as many times as needed, as well as considerably boosting every Heal roll you'll ever make via the 3d6-L.

Thanks. That's what I thought, but wondered if I'd missed something.

So I'm currently leaning towards:

• Spend the focus point on Healing, bringing it up to 2, that greatly improves the hp I can heal
• Spend 2 skill points to bring heal from 0 to 1, which increases the drugs I can use
• Spend the last 2 skill points on notice to bring it up to 1. (although sneak is another option)

I was thinking of using 1 of those last 2 points to increase my CON up to 14, increasing hp, but that then leaves me with with 1 point unused. So I either keep it until next time or buy a level 0 skill. At this stage in the character's development I'm guessing it's better to get those existing skills up?

[Faanku]

At this stage in the character's development I'm guessing it's better to get those existing skills up?

Don't forget that bumping your CON to 14 will also boost your physical saving throw, on top of giving you extra HP.
Lacking a biopsion as we are, going all in on the medic role like you suggested might be a good idea, though its true power will depend on how frequently we're getting injured. Still, free healing without incurring system strain is always going to be nice.

[shaidar]

Thanks, appreciate the advice!

[shaidar]

I guess I got a bit paranoid, but when Jonas was worried about physical and legal dangers I was thinking:
1. Zulehka Malik might take a dislike to us (perhaps thinking it's a trap) and kill us
2. The Brood decide to set it up as a big sting to catch some criminals.

[The_Wanderer]

I guess I got a bit paranoid, but when Jonas was worried about physical and legal dangers I was thinking:
1. Zulehka Malik might take a dislike to us (perhaps thinking it's a trap) and kill us
2. The Brood decide to set it up as a big sting to catch some criminals.

For my part, I get it. I don't actually think you're being that paranoid. Santiago just doesn't see any danger...or doesn't see a point in telling you about it.

I probably won't get a big update out until tomorrow. Work is busy!

[shaidar]

No worries

So I think this will be my final choice for going up a level:

• Spend the focus point on Healing, bringing it up to 2, that greatly improves the hp I can heal
• Spend 2 skill points to bring heal from 0 to 1, which increases the drugs I can use
• Spend 1 point increasing CON to 14 (means he gets 2d6+4 hp and +1 to physical saves)
• Save the last point (I can't see a new skill worth taking at 0 that makes sense, unless we've got a gap that needs filling)

I'm hoping we don't get that injured that often, but if I don't take those haling options I think we'll regret it later.

I'll hold for a a bit longer in case it clashes with someone else and me can make it work better by choosing something else.

[Faanku]

So I think this will be my final choice for going up a level

Looking good. We should make it a goal to always keep our combat medic stocked up on stims; Heal/Int is the space alchemy skill, so Dr Jones is now a one-man pharmacy

I can't see a new skill worth taking at 0 that makes sense, unless we've got a gap that needs filling

Checking over the character sheets, we have Jonas and Shion as muscle and healers of flesh and machine respectively, we have Alix the top hacker and spike-route navigator, Disston the suave face/social engineer (assuming he continues on the diplomacy route), and we have Corbeau as a wildcard support, able to recruit any skill we need via Henchkeeper. Elias and Haelboer are missing from the thread, so I assume they've dropped out of the game?
Overall, I'd say we have our bases pretty covered, other than maybe a dedicated pilot should Alix assume the Comms department rather than the Bridge.

As for Shion, I took Specialist: Fix and a point each in Notice and Stealth. With Fix-2 and Tinkerer, her maintenance score is now 16; as soon as there's some downtime, the mods will start flowing.