Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Master_Vega 09-14-07, 01:50 AM	A few of you probably read about the sci-fi/thriller campaign in the post I made earlier this week. I've run into a slight problem with it: the captain, who is giving the PCs their orders every game, is seeming very 2d because I didn't take the time to flesh him out (usually these things just come to me, but this one isn't. :P ) First I'll give you guys the campaign intro, then we can get to what's happened so far: Introduction The crew of the Cadogon was always reported to be reckless, always pushing their luck and traveling through areas many thought should have been left alone. Their lot was a life of adventure beyond the outskirts of the Second Terran Alliance. Bounties, escort missions and sponsored raids kept their checkbooks full and fueled their fame from the outskirts to the core worlds. These men and women, in the public’s eye, were crazy; the media, influenced by the Alliance, capitalized on the Cadogon and inflated their stories to make the crew members heroes of the new frontier. This campaign would, hopefully, encourage new explorers to rise above superstition and quest to expand human civilization once more. The central government hoped to trigger the third expansion. In short, the tactic worked and many set out for the unclaimed stars with dreams of grandeur. Within a year of the exploration’s start, reports of minor and major success from asteroid mining prospects to new hospitable planets had trickled back into Alliance intelligence. Naturally, some of the explorers never returned; their losses were attributed to carelessness more often than not. Some of those staying behind, though, still clung to the superstitions that manifested during the second expansion. Old horror stories about fringe demons and wraiths were numerous but widely disregarded. The warnings uttered by ancient frontiersmen, that Hell lay only just beyond the reach of the masses, now seemed laughable… that is until the number of losses began to increase in the middle of the second year of exploration. Despite the Alliance’s attempts to quell another retreat to the old presumed-fallacy, the public began to insist there was more beyond the outskirts than science could prove. When contact with the Cadogon was lost at the end of the second year, the central government would not have their fate revealed to the public. The loss of the frontier poster-children would surely destroy all chance of expansion for the next century. They knew that they could not keep the Cadogon disappearance a secret for more than a month without rumors snowballing out of control, so they would need to recover the ship and replace the crew as soon as possible. While they would have preferred to send a full recovery fleet, the mission needed to be kept under wraps. Two freighters and three frigates would raise too many eyebrows when they stopped to refuel at the final rim-world, so they would have to make due with a single freighter and two fighter escorts, the ship-list of a standard government mining group. Expecting to encounter pirates, they would modify the freighter and fighters to carry a heavier-than-average weapons load-out. Also assigned was an insertion squad of two fire teams to bolster the security team in case they needed to board or fight off hostiles. Ready to engage a pirate fleet of three times as many ships, the recovery crew set out for the last known coordinates of the Cadogon. The PCs are, of course, part of the recovery team. More specifically they're one of the fireteams prepared to wipe the floor with whatever hostiles might be on the Cadogon, and to rescue whatever friendlies are left. They've reached the ship and found that part of the ship is still fully powered; in that part resides the remainder of the crew, including Captain Ethen McArdal, a living legend. Separated from the rest of the recovery team via a very bad situation, they are taking orders from the captain as he knows the situation a lot better than they do. Things I know about the captain: -He's an adventurer and thrill seeker, who else could run the Cadogon? -He cares about his crew more than he does about himself, and losing so many of them has made him weary to say in the least. -His wife and children live on one of the inner worlds. -He's Irish. -He's currently really boring because I can't think of a past, or exact attitude to roleplay him with. -He's not clinically insane... yet (jury's still out on whether he will remain so.) -He drinks (not an alcoholic, but he enjoys it a lot). Any advice? Thanks in advance!
Terjon of the Blue Rose 09-14-07, 02:21 AM	The crews' oppinions of him might help. "The captain? A good man but... well unpredictable just ain't the word I'm lookin fer. Unreal might be closer. Man just dudn't believe ta odds could ever be ah-gen im. Always willin ta take da risk utters wouldn't. Always comin out on top too. Is like he's favored by ta fates. Wouldn't a come out here with anyone else." ~~~~~ "I think there is only two things dat man fears. Firs is his ship err crew in danger and da second is his family in da same. Maybe dee otter way around. Eeder way he don't never fear fer himself. He ain't never come ta harm no madder dee odds and I doen believe he ever will." ~~~~~ "The captain is a reckless, foolhardy, miraculous, success. I can't explain it myself. He drinks until he can't speak and still fires a blaster with unerring aim. He take irrational risks and his ship breaks down in the middle of an asteroid belt full of precious metals at a spot where his pursuers can't locate him due to sensor interference. It's riduculous serving under such a man. I think the only advantages he's ever had in life are luck and the ability to inspire supreme loyalty in his crew; even myself. I don't know what will happen to him now that his luck seems to have run out."
Master_Vega 09-14-07, 02:41 AM	The crews' oppinions of him might help. Ahhh, cool idea. I'll have prompt my PCs (in story, of course) to talk to the crew about McArdal. "The captain? A good man but... well unpredictable just ain't the word I'm lookin fer. Unreal might be closer. Man just dudn't believe ta odds could ever be ah-gen im. Always willin ta take da risk utters wouldn't. Always comin out on top too. Is like he's favored by ta fates. Wouldn't a come out here with anyone else." I think I'll have to turn the character who says this into a reoccurring NPC... but I can't say what position he'll hold; weapons officer would be funny, but something about the quote makes me think mechanic/engineer. Awesome stuff. lol! You just inspired a reoccurring NPC with a single quote, good sir. I'd tell you to sig that, but Fithero seems to have claimed your ego pad. :P "I think there is only two things dat man fears. Firs is his ship err crew in danger and da second is his family in da same. Maybe dee otter way around. Eeder way he don't never fear fer himself. He ain't never come ta harm no madder dee odds and I doen believe he ever will." Part of the Cadogon's personal combat/boarding team, methinks. "The captain is a reckless, foolhardy, miraculous, success. I can't explain it myself. He drinks until he can't speak and still fires a blaster with unerring aim. He take irrational risks and his ship breaks down in the middle of an asteroid belt full of precious metals at a spot where his pursuers can't locate him due to sensor interference. It's riduculous serving under such a man. I think the only advantages he's ever had in life are luck and the ability to inspire supreme loyalty in his crew; even myself. I don't know what will happen to him now that his luck seems to have run out." Security officer. I'd say first officer (first mate), which might end up being the case, but he seems a bit uptight for that... then again, maybe the first first officer has to be the serious one for the captain. I really liked the description of the captain's luck; that's perfect. lol! Thanks again, man! Awesome job!
magicbehere 09-16-07, 08:28 PM	Things I know about the captain: -He's an adventurer and thrill seeker, who else could run the Cadogon? -He cares about his crew more than he does about himself, and losing so many of them has made him weary to say in the least. -His wife and children live on one of the inner worlds. -He's Irish. -He's currently really boring because I can't think of a past, or exact attitude to roleplay him with. -He's not clinically insane... yet (jury's still out on whether he will remain so.) -He drinks (not an alcoholic, but he enjoys it a lot). Any advice? Thanks in advance! Wait? -His wife and children live on one of the inner worlds. -He's Irish. -He's currently really boring because I can't think of a past, or exact attitude to roleplay him with. What? -He's Irish. Ummm sorry.....it sounds like your games pretty far the in future, and there wont be any Irish people left by then, unless you have some good explination for why the current trends change suddenly in time to prevent their depopulation. Also are your PCs all Chinese or Indian? If they arnt your doing it wrong.
Master_Vega 09-17-07, 12:23 PM	It's my world. Leave me alone! :weep: J/K :rofl: If you must know, the Japanese have actually become the most widespread or at least they're one of the more influential powers. The USA is still intact, but like most other superpower countries it's become a federation (oooh, Star Trek-y) of worlds with a base country on Terra. Basically, think of a powerful country today and tack at least ten planets onto it. That's how things are in this future. :P Oh, and the overall human population exploded in the first expansion, and the second, and the third will likely be the same... if it is successful. :evillaugh Edit: And curse you! When I started reading your post I thought someone had finally decided to make a joke about "He likes to drink" and "He's Irish" being redundant. :P