[SBRD] OOC Discussion: Chapter 01

[SpaceBadger]

This is just a place-holder until we actually begin playing the game.

Until then, discussion of characters, the ship, and the campaign setting should go in the [SBRD] Reavers' Deep - campaign setting discussion thread, or in comments to individual blog entries.

Character sheets, limited to what you want the other PCs to know about your character, should be posted to the [SBRD] Reavers' Deep - Characters thread. A complete character sheet w full bio (or as much as you have) should be sent to the GM by email or PM.

[DaveChase]

Ok, lets assume that some of us have already been on the ship for a while (a Jump or more of time), how did we get there?

My suggestion is that the ship's captain (player) kind of layout a mini prelude to the game start (working with the GM of course).

He skipped and got a ship and some crew out of the bargain, but how many of that former crew stayed?

When he got to his first planet (or the first civilized planet that he stopped at), what did he do then?

How did he advertise the need for new crew (like me a Doctor)?

Nothing extensive or highly detailed needed, just a backstory to show/explain how we all get where we are when the actual story starts. Doing this will make it easier for us to jump right into the game play.

And do not forgot our pay/salaries. As a Doctor (medic 4) I think my character would expect either a bit more pay per month than the 2KCr or some extra perks for hiring on.

[SpaceBadger]

Hi, Dave. Some of this is addressed in the Setting Discussion and Characters threads. If you read Sabredog's character bio on Hampton Rhodes, it details the changing-of-hands of the ship, and change of name from Close Call to Fortunate Son. ATPollard's bio of Max Black also adds a little color as to the sloppiness and lack of maintenance of the ship prior to the change-of-hands. Further details await me getting some setting stuff done to determine what world this happened on, and where the course would take them from there. Hard to specify those things without more background of the worlds in the area.

I suggested in the Character thread (probably most recent post there at the moment) that players should decide at what point they joined the crew, before or after the change, or still waiting to join up along the way in Reavers' Deep.

I plan to begin the game in media res, with the ship about to come out of jump at its first destination over the sector border in Reavers' Deep; that seemed appropriate, considering the name and focus of the campaign. Those characters already aboard will be aboard; those not yet aboard (if any) will be waiting somewhere for the ship to arrive.

For your character, I think it more likely that Doc Freeman would be one of those hired after the change-over, as a ship's surgeon would be a more valuable addition to the crew in a frontier area than in a slightly more civilized area such as they are leaving. For Doc's naval career, I expect that he served in the Navy of the fairly large Imperial Remnant state centered on the Daibei sector capital. The capital still has a Naval Academy, which probably still calls itself the Imperial Naval Academy, although there is no more real Imperium at this point.

As the doctor, do you have any specific medical gear that your PC would have among his personal possessions, or items that you want to suggest for the ship's med-bay?

I am working on the maps and trying to identify key worlds so that I can give y'all more of a background to work with. Just have not been doing well past few days, so limited to what I can work on sitting in bed w my laptop. I really need to get out to the table where I can spread some things out to flesh out the maps better.

Sabredog is working on the ship. Last night he emailed me finished stats that will work nicely. Next is a deckplan and keyed descriptions of compartments, but he has some RL stuff to take care of before he gets to that.

As for salary structure, I haven't seen any discussion of that so far. Unless anyone wants to be responsible for the Accountants in Space role, I'd suggest something like the arrangements specified for the March Harrier in the Traveller Adventure, or maybe even not so complicated as that, since there is no subsidy to pay off. Just have a "ship fund" where revenue goes and expense are paid from, set a salary for everyone on the crew, and award some bonus money to the crew whenever there is a "Big Score".

TL;DR Summary: Some of what you are asking for is in the bio stories of Hampton Rhodes and Max Black. More details on the journey from the "change-of-ownership" location to the Deep will need to await me getting maps for those subsectors done with some identification of which worlds are still starfaring and which are not. I'm working on it!


Edit: Once I get the mapping and decisions about what starfaring states exist, then I would like to work w Sabredog on making a more detailed story as to getting the new transponder, hiring more crew, path of travel to the Deep, etc. I think that will satisfy more of your questions about "how did we get here". Unfortunately, the bottleneck is me getting those maps and setting details completed - or at least complete enough to work with.

[DaveChase]

Yes, I am aware that some of what I mentioned is in the character section.

What I was asking for was a separate, prelude that goes over what and where we are before you start the game.

Like how many days/weeks/months ago was the skip?
How long have each of us (PC) been on the ship?
Since we did not just appear out of thin air, we need to know some background interaction that took place between our characters since the time we joined and the day that you start the game.

I got some equipment in mind, but haven't gotten it to you yet.

Basic cloths, some surgery cloths, 4 X cost medical/surgery kit (personal owned), lots of medical ebooks, ipad of sorts, for the basics.

[SpaceBadger]

Originally Posted by DaveChase

Yes, I am aware that some of what I mentioned is in the character section.

Good. Some do not seem to be reading all of the threads, so I wanted to remind you of that, just in case.

Originally Posted by DaveChase

What I was asking for was a separate, prelude that goes over what and where we are before you start the game.

Like how many days/weeks/months ago was the skip?
How long have each of us (PC) been on the ship?
Since we did not just appear out of thin air, we need to know some background interaction that took place between our characters since the time we joined and the day that you start the game.

As I explained in some detail in the preceding post above, those details will have to wait until I get a bit more done on backdating the setting and figuring out what was where and when, during the Long Night.

[Fritz_Brown]

Dave, with all those rapid-fire questions, I heard your post in Inigo's voice.

[SpaceBadger]

OK, the Game has begun!

[Fritz_Brown]

What time of day is it (planetside) when the Fortunate Son makes its first ident to local traffic and gets put on the board?

What is the "spacer precinct" like here?

EDIT: What is the information grid like here?

[SpaceBadger]

Originally Posted by Fritz_Brown

What time of day is it (planetside) when the Fortunate Son makes its first ident to local traffic and gets put on the board?

Dunno, they haven't made contact yet.

Originally Posted by Fritz_Brown

What is the "spacer precinct" like here?

If you mean something like a startown, not much of one. More around the seaport actually than the starport, although they are adjacent. Not enough interstellar activity the past few centuries, although that has been picking up in the last 100 years or so with increased colonization out in the Deep. (Devonia itself was colonized a little over 1000 years ago, during the RoM.)

Originally Posted by Fritz_Brown

EDIT: What is the information grid like here?

TL 8, so pretty good in the metro area, probably even satellites for GPS and comms. No highport; the old one was destroyed by Reavers and there isn't enough traffic to justify putting up a new one.

[Fritz_Brown]

OK, that's fine. She's dealt with sailors before.

As to the grid: wireless data nets, and wireless communications? Does it extend into the harbor/off the coast a bit?

(Your call on GPS - if Reavers destroyed the highport, they might go with land-based radio locators, instead of satellites.)