Character Creation

[greyarea]

My Sunblade character is nearing completion. Still trying to figure out who he is and how he got here. Tinkering with skills/foci. No idea how he'll fit into the group.

A sunblade is mostly about his values, IMHO. What does he use his powers for?

We have three off-worlders, maybe the sunblade is working with Agent Faraday (their values could align) and they had passage on Báleygr Gangleri's crashed ship?

I was looking up Rangers the other day (the Texas kind--"one ranger, one riot"--not the Tolkien or B5 or US Army or whatever else kind) and thought he could be from a similar group. He could be assigned to investigating and containing rogue tech. That could align well.

[jemmus]

I like the traveling defense attorney! That's pretty cool. Shroomofinsanity mentioned he might be interested in the circuit judge - a defense attorney who travels together with a circuit judge to assure fair trials makes a great pairing.

I would say you don't have to be all the things - one character can't fill all the holes. Just pick what is going to be your fun story to tell.

As a Scholar background you always get the Know skill. If you're traveling and trying to bring back jurisprudence against the forces of barbarism, I would say having Administer is important and a lawyer probably needs Talk. You can pick those two skills from the Scholar list or randomly roll three times. You then get a free pick for a "hobby or interest" to fill in the needed thing you didn't get.

If you're a doctor instead of a lawyer, the Heal and Connect are sensible and the Healer focus makes you very competent. Just buy a medical kit and some Lift drugs.

If you want to focus on being a psychic from the Reclaimist community, perhaps drop a focus and be a full psychic so you can have more than one psychic discipline.

Pilot and Fix are fine as secondary skills for any road-mobile individual (driving a truck and keeping it running being an important part of traveling), but they remain secondary. Though, a road-hippy Reclaimist might find them primary.

I think all of those stories are good. Being a lawyer judge doctor psychic hippy pilot mechanic might be spread too thin.

I'd be happy pairing up with Shroomofinsanity if he/she wants to be a circuit judge. Thanks for the feedback all, I'll do some more work on the character.

[jemmus]

I was looking up Rangers the other day (the Texas kind--"one ranger, one riot"--not the Tolkien or B5 or US Army or whatever else kind) and thought he could be from a similar group. He could be assigned to investigating and containing rogue tech. That could align well.

Sounds fun! I read a book called Lone Star Justice: the First 100 Years of the Texas Rangers. In their early days, they were some of the most heavily armed people on Earth.
A carbine or shotgun
Two revolvers
Maybe another revolver on the saddle
A bowie knife
The multiple revolvers were shooting without having to reload in a hot fight with mounted Comanches, Kiowas, Apaches, etc. The Rangers would ride up to a foe and use the revolvers at very close range. (Sorry, very off-topic, but I thought it was interesting). https://i.imgur.com/ZYke97z.png

[greyarea]

... I read a book called Long Star Justice: the First 100 Years of the Texas Rangers. ...

And now I have another book coming to me through interlibrary loan... Thanks!

[Enoch]

Same!

[Marullus]

Indeed! Thanks for sharing!

I think Texas Rangers are a good model. The key question for me, I think, is whether he's from an an off-world Order or an Earth-9 one. An off-world Order associated with Perimeter Agents has one feel (focused on interstellar malfiecence of the world-destroying variety) versus the more typically-western version on Earth-9 (where various lawlessness in the Badlands sometimes needs moral gunslingers to sort it out). I think either works - you could have come from offworld with Agent Farraday or hooked up with him as a kindred spirit when he was on-planet - but there's a significant difference in the roleplay, imho.

[Enoch]

Though I think it's possible to be an offworlder and "go native" too.

[shroomofinsanity]

Hey guys, sorry for the lack of posting recently. On topic, I would love to be part of a tandem Judge and defense lawyer type. I still need to read most of the book to be fair, but I tend to be a quick study when it comes to systems with anything in common with a game I've played before. I think maximum could be had if someone was also a traveling prosecutor so they could keep score with each other, while the judge(me) tries to keep people focused on maintaining the law. That is just a wild thought, I will start working on the judge here later tonight and hopefully will have at least his persona and such together by tomorrow if not his full sheet and such.

[Marullus]

Mister-Kent - Agent Faraday (Expert/Warrior; Perimeter Agent) [Close Combatant/Savage Assault/Energy Sensitivity]
cybersavant - Báleygr Gangleri (Expert/Rectifier; Spacer scavenger and visible mutant) [Fix 1; Precog Talent/Biogun/Panspectral Optics/Bioadaptation]
greyarea - Sunblade "Texas Ranger" with a mystical six-shooter

Enoch - Shadrach (Godhunter; Old Veteran and Church Gunslinger) [Shoot 1; Shadow Companion/Phasing]
Faanku - Sister Amalia (Pacter; righteous summoner of God's will) [Cast Magic 1, Lead 1, Talk 1; Authority/Conjuration]

shroomofinsanity Yama King "Circuit Judge"
jemmus Psychic / Defense Attorney keeping jurisprudence alive

redwarrior - Hansel Shatner (Expert/Warrior; Former Spy now Bounty hunter) [Close Combatant/Gunslinger/Specialist: Notice]

Craigers07 Escaped Familiar Free Nexus from City Corporations

Reposted with updates and natural groupings.

[shroomofinsanity]

quick question, is it within the bounds of the fluff, that since I am a quasi or possibly actual government official or proxy, I either have some sort of budget or just the ability to request travel at a reduced rate between "settlements" as long as I can effectively "expense it." This could help with our current lack of a pilot and if no one else picks up the role. If not, we will just figure things out of course, I just thought it might make some sense perhaps.

[Marullus]

That is a good justification for the Wanderer focus, which provides that ability. (I was going to make the same suggestion to the Perimeter Agent to represent his connections and authority. )

For the Judge I might just offer a truck and/or recommend the Henchkeeper focus, which could reflect his authority as he goes around his circuit (including a driver).

If you have a focus on it, then you as a player are assured control over the means of transportation. Otherwise (within "narrative fluff"), I may allow you a truck, ship, or just a handy ride that is not necessarily under your control or that I make you work to obtain.

[Marullus]

Or...

You do have some considerable leeway in defining the Order these magical judges come from and how they came to have sway on Earth-9. Can you elaborate and perhaps I will put an answer there? What is the source of their authority (both mystical and civil)?

[cybersavant]

i was hoping for pilot, but the dice decided otherwise - everything fits my character, except possibly for administer - not sure how that ties in to scavenging

[Enoch]

i was hoping for pilot, but the dice decided otherwise - everything fits my character, except possibly for administer - not sure how that ties in to scavenging

Well, as a scavenger, I'd imagine Báleygr has extensive experience dealing with local courts and town councils trying to claim that the salvage he rightfully found actually belongs to them. Administer is the skill used to deal with bureaucracies and courts trying to strongarm you into relinquishing your salvage. (It is also useful for dealing with ecclesiastical courts that want to burn you as devil-spawn for your obvious mutations.)

The Administer skill (and the need to use it to defend against grasping courts and bureaucracies) would actually tie in well with Shroom's Yama King, who is well-versed in such matters. He'd be a useful contact for you.

[Marullus]

All true.

Also, as a Spacer, the Administer skill is useful when you're getting illicit salvage to port, making sure you can generate (or forge) the appropriate certificates, bills of lading, etc to get your salvage through customs. Generally avoiding scrutiny in docking / port calls as well. Administer works anywhere there's still functioning bureaucracy, which is less-so in the Badlands but moreso in space and cities.

[jemmus]

I think maximum could be had if someone was also a traveling prosecutor so they could keep score with each other, while the judge(me) tries to keep people focused on maintaining the law. That is just a wild thought, I will start working on the judge here later tonight and hopefully will have at least his persona and such together by tomorrow if not his full sheet and such.

Yes, would be fun to have a prosecutor as well. Maybe an ugly mutant one.

[greyarea]

Yes, would be fun to have a prosecutor as well. Maybe an ugly mutant one.

Is there any other kind?

For all lawyers: it's just a joke. Don't sue me this time.

[Marullus]

I just finished going through character sheets and PMing feedback to people. If you didn't get a message and have questions, hit me up.

Otherwise, take a moment and think about the groups, people, and places that surround your character's background. Make sure you're happy with your values and goals. Feel free to post here with thoughts. I'll be picking things up to incorporate.

[Craigers07]

Nice! I like Escaped Familiar. What company owned you? Were you a person or property? How recent is your escape?

Indentured servitude is going to be part of the background story.

I don't know which tech company yet. Is the core SWN book the best place to look at tech or are there some better sources to look at?

My escape is going to be 2 years ago. I think that would fit into the timeline based on the House Rules section.

[Mister-Kent]

Great cast of characters so far! Today I'm going to try to finalize Faraday's backstory details. Also the Agent can be sort of a quarrelsome asshat (it's his Mutation's Flaw, so I interpret it as his *sensitivity* makes him extra touchy) but he'd get along well with any of the PCs.