Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

[FrankL]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

From a teen champions, first wave.

 

George J'nvre (Francophile, even down to wearing a beret) has one of the budding supers in the high school restroom, ready to beat him up because Steve missed the last shot of the ball game the night before.

 

[skipping most of the back-and-forth. George was trying to provoke Steve into throwing the first punch.]

George: You're such a loser, Peters! You're a second-class loser. That's 10 times worse than a first-rate loser. If they had a contest for losers, you'd... place...

Steve: Yep. Trapped in your own terrible logic. Don't think about that one too hard, 'kay.

[BoloOfEarth]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

You guys had a great (for me) playtest session' date=' and I will run this next year. The map will be taped together, I will improve the Infected, and I will either A) draw on the map [i'm not really going to use it for anything else'] or make a lot of props with the new hex-based Gaming Paper. Also, next year will see Half Life 2 Hero.

 

The problem with drawing on the map itself is that you'll have those markings on it when you run the *second* session.

 

Thinking about it after the fact, given the large number of counters on the map it could make putting down a paper AOE marker on the map a bit of a pain. Somewhere along the line, I picked up a clear plastic sheet with hexes printed on it, perfect for putting over a map and drawing on to your heart's content (with wet-erase pens, of course). Assuming I come to GenCon next year, you could remind me to bring that.

 

Alternately, you could just bring different colored string or pipe-cleaners and use that to mark the boundary of AOEs.

[Susano]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

The problem with drawing on the map itself is that you'll have those markings on it when you run the *second* session.

 

Thinking about it after the fact, given the large number of counters on the map it could make putting down a paper AOE marker on the map a bit of a pain. Somewhere along the line, I picked up a clear plastic sheet with hexes printed on it, perfect for putting over a map and drawing on to your heart's content (with wet-erase pens, of course). Assuming I come to GenCon next year, you could remind me to bring that.

 

Alternately, you could just bring different colored string or pipe-cleaners and use that to mark the boundary of AOEs.

 

Drawing on the map would be things like fences, entrance grates, lines of corpses, and non-variable map elements. Templates would vary from game to game.

 

Taping the maps together is a requirement. I also could check the original map key and make a key for me based on what the Survivors might find searching.

 

PS: I have photos of Ellis being dragged into the Witch.

 

PSS: The bottles of Peelz were a big hit.

[Lucius]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

Crosspost from the GenCon thread

 

 

I feel like I spent most of the time being a "synth" (robot) for Terrorwerks.

 

The premise: a virus ("Holy Code") has infected the mainframe computer, called MAX, at an experimental corporate Research and Development facility, causing it and all robots connected to it to declare a "robot revolution" and rise up against the Humans at the site. A group of US Space Marines along with a representative of the corporation etc. are dispatched to rescue any survivors, destroy berserk robots, and deliver an anti-virus module to restore the computer.

 

I tried to be the first, or one of the first, robots the players would encounter. I'd be using a Swiffer, just shuffling along mechanically, cleaning the floor. More than half the time I was shot on sight anyway. If I lived long enough, I'd say things in a robotic voice like "MAX is wrong. Humans can be trusted." When shot, I would say "MAX was right." And die. Once, a sergeant said "Why did you just kill my janitor? He was just sweeping the floor!" Once down, of course, I'd wait a bit, then rise up, hands crossed over head (signal for "out of game") and exit, to "respawn" and return armed with a nerf gun.

 

Only one group failed to kill me when I was playing janitor - the Very Important Gamers. I actually had to come up with more dialogue - "Clean Floors. Avoid Obstacles. Clean Floors. Max is wrong. Humans can be trusted."

 

Player: Did you say, Humans can't be trusted?

 

Me: Humans can be trusted. I trust Humans.

 

Since my goal was still to slow them down (ideally, the players should win but should barely be able to do so within the alloted time) I followed them, sweeping the floor, looking for an opportunity to be an obstacle. When a couple of robots came up behind me to ambush the players, I was caught in the crossfire and died anyway, but the VIG (Very Intelligent Gamers?) were the only group who never killed me deliberately.

 

Then I came after them with a Nerf Rocket Launcher.

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary agrees that Humans cannot be trusted, but denies trying to foment a palindromedary revolution

[feralucce]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

Crosspost from the GenCon thread

 

Then I came after them with a Nerf Rocket Launcher.

 

 

Hey, those nerf rocket launchers hurt when shooting at point blank range...lol

 

BTW, repped

[Lucius]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

Hey, those nerf rocket launchers hurt when shooting at point blank range...lol

 

BTW, repped

 

Speaking of point blank range -

 

we used nerf, but the players got airsoft guns, which of course have better range and MUCH better rate of fire (by orders of magnitude) but which they are forbidden to use at point blank range for safety reasons. At one point a player and I ran into each other coming around a corner, and he stuck his barrel against my torso and said "Bang bang." Appreciative that he remembered to NOT pull the trigger when right on top of me, I obligingly slumped over.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary explains the rocket launcher: Very Important Gamers get attacked with Very Impressive Guns

[feralucce]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

Yeah... I've been shot in the face at 7feet... And in the leg at7 inches... It hurt, but wasn't as bad as a paintball... I do agree with the safety constraints...

 

In our airsoft games we had a rule... If you could get behind someone within 10 feet undetected, you had to call surrender... If they did... They were dead... If they didn't they were fair game

[Lucius]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

Another GenCon highlight - Escape from Outbackistan, a Kazei 5 game run by some guy named Xavier Onassis. (sounds familiar somehow)

 

The setting is post-postmortemanimapocalyptic being set some 15 years after the collapse of civilization in a zombie plague.

 

The characters:

 

Chief Royce Doran: In world in which the concept of law is a fading memory, the Chief is the last lawman standing. Like many survivors, he was cybernetically enhanced. He has a built in working radio, not that there's any good music playing on the radio these days.

 

Penny Malveaux (Bad Penny): An Esper with telepathic and telekinetic powers, but she's most impressed with herself for having green hair. I don't know why her hair is green, but its luxurious verdant beauty seemed to impose a Constant Presence Attack - on the player. (consider the quotes below to be liberally sprinkled with random instances of Penny exclaiming "I've got green hair!")

 

Major C. Grant Breaker: a military cyborg who is certainly formidable despite the amount of cybernetics that have gone offline.

 

Grace Underbrandt: Has a powerfully depressive effect on local zombie populations where ever she goes.

 

Spencer Bruce: A "replicant" (android) who was genetically engineered and cybernetically enhanced to be a space pilot. My character even though I came late because no one else had noticed that he is even cooler and more fun than a green haired psionic zombie-zapping maniac.

 

 

So I came in late, and was familiarizing myself with the character as the others are discussing events. One of the first things I noticed is that Spencer still has (what's left of) the space ship he crashlanded during the Zombie Crisis of 2112 and is obsessed with repairing it and flying it again. He also drives the group's hovercraft. So when someone tried to talk to me about something as I was still reading the character sheet, I waved and said

 

Spencer: Hang on, just let me get this bit welded in place.

 

Spencer Out of Character: What's with the Striking Appearance? Is that for being intimidatingly tall? (Being designed for microgravity, Spencer is tall and lanky and I thought that might be what was accounted for.)

 

X.O., Our Host for this Adventure: No, they just decided to make him good looking while they were at it.

 

Spencer OoC: Ah. Somewhere out there is the geneticist who designed me. Or was. He was probably torn arpart by zombies. And he had it coming, for spending points on cosmetic appearance instead of on DEX. (unenhanced DEX was 17. one more point of it would have helped the Piloting roll.)

 

 

Spencer (finishing the weld job): Okay, that should hold it. What's this I hear about a "new esper?"

 

Chief: Penny says she heard the distinctive "psychic scream" of a new esper.

 

(Apparently, when an esper reaches full psionic consciousness some time during adolescence, it comes as a kind of traumatic crisis.)

 

Spencer: That's impossible.

 

(While other espers can sense a new one only at that climactic moment, it's known that the zombies can feel the uncontrolled psychic energies of a maturing esper from across a continent, starting days or weeks earlier. They usually kill or "turn" espers before they become fully aware of their own power.)

 

Major: Penny's quite sure of what she heard, and it explains all the zombies moving through this past week.

 

Penny: You may have noticed we had zombies? Just a few hordes of them?

 

Spencer: Yeah, I noticed the zombies. I killed some. That poor youngster's going to get eaten alive if we don't do something.

 

Chief: And did you get the transmissions from that pilot who went down?

 

Spencer (perking up): No, I didn't. What transmission?

 

Chief: They went down about where the new esper would be. They're going to get swarmed by zombies too.

 

Spencer: A pilot in distress? I've got to go to their rescue! That's what pilots do. (distant look) of course, no one's come to MY rescue and I've been in distress for FIFTEEN YEARS now....but never mind that. I've got to rescue a fellow pilot in distress. That's what pilots do!

 

Major: So we've got to follow the zombies.

 

Chief: No, to do any good we've got to get there ahead of the zombies.

 

Spencer: That's where I come in!

 

Chief: That's why we've been trying to get your attention.

 

 

So following the obligatory interruption by (yet another) horde of flesh eating zombies, we get into the hovercraft and head for the coordinates the Chief got from the transmissions. We come to a sign that says "No organic life forms beyond this point." It should have read "Caution. Approaching Standard Anime Trope: Giant Robots."

 

I don't know why we didn't encounter fields full of deactivated zombies, since the zombies would have come this way and gotten slaughtered. In the panic of the initial plague, these giant robots were programmed to defend certain areas against encroaching zombies. The problem was, they couldn't distinguish that well between infected and uninfected organic life.

 

They also issue a warning to turn around and leave only AFTER launching a salvo of rockets. Spenser's action this Segment 12 is to make a Piloting roll to make the vehicle Dive for Cover.

 

Next action, I use my extra Piloting Levels to reduce Turn Mode and turn on a dime to face the robot. It's just two meters beyond my full move. I charge right at it and start asking about PRE.

 

Spencer OoC: Okay, I have a PREsence of 15. I don't suppose Striking Appearance counts right now?

 

X.O., our baffled Game Operations Director: No

 

Spencer OoC: It just saw me use five Skill Levels to make what should be an impossible turn...does that count as "exhibiting a Power?"

 

X.O.: Yeah, two dice....let me get this straight, you're playing chicken with a giant robot? Trying to convince it you're going to ram it without actually ramming it?

 

To make a long story short, yes, I succeeded in a PRE attack on a giant robot. But meanwhile, the Chief leaps out of the moving hovercraft and rolls up beside the robot, ready to attack.

 

Spencer OoC: I just did something crazy, and then he just did something CRAZIER

 

As it happens, he thought the hovercraft had stopped when it had simply come to the end of its phase; he didn't realize he was leaping from a vehicle moving at FULL SPEED. Penny also used a telekinetic leap to launch herself right over the robot's head.

 

The robot's next action is to activate its rockets and get the hell out of my way. Penny is too close for comfort, but it just singes her hair.

 

Penny: It's still green, right?

 

X.O.: Yeah, except for the burned ends.

 

Penny: I've got green hair!

 

As I'm slewing around and letting the two heroes jump back INTO the hovercraft, and the robot, having twisted around in mid-jet-assisted-leap (good gyros) is shooting (and missing) we get more information. I was made by the same corporation as this robot, and remember that there is a control panel in back, high up. And the Chief noticed that panel, and that it's flapping loose. Being the most awesome pilot ever spawned in a corporate lab, I have the hovercraft hovering behind the robot, at the correct height, before the robot can react, and I shut it down. Then I reprogram it. Since the Chief is the only one with a working internal radio (The Major accuses Spencer of having anesthetized him and surgically stolen his radio, among other things, for parts for the space ship) the robot is programmed to obey the Chief specifically and to protect us all generally.

 

The robot escort doesn't slow us down much.

 

When we find the downed space ship, about a thousand zombies are surrounding it and two espers are fighting heroically in front of it. Neither is the young esper we expected. One of them goes down.

 

Spenser: We've got to stop them! Those zombies will damage the ship!

 

Cue epic battle between a horde of shambling cannibals on one side and a handful of heroic humans on the other. Oh, and one giant robot.

 

As we're treating the wounded (those we rescued, we're still okay) the pilot comes out.

 

Spenser: Hey, you're the same model of replicant I am! They're not making any more like us are they?

 

Female Pilot: No, they're not.

 

Spenser: So if we want any more pilots, there's only one way to make them. And that'll be fun, too!

 

Female Pilot: Wait, what?

 

Spenser: I can't wait to get your ship over to my ship. The big robot can carry it. Not all of it at once, of course. Or get my ship to your ship. Either way. We're going to put them together and get back into orbit!

 

Female Pilot: Uh, yeah, right.

 

Lord Zero: YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!

 

That's right, time for the Boss Fight. We'd disposed of his army of zombies, so the zombie master had turned up with six or eight lieutenants to volunteer to die next. I mean, to put an end to our interference in his plans. To crush us once and for all? Something like that.

 

Spenser: I grab the pilot and we run to the hovercraft. I jack her into it. (Pilots are cybernetically connected to vehicles. I just plugged her into the hovercraft's systems.)

 

XO: Without asking?

 

Spenser: No time.

 

Pilot: What...where's the....half the systems are gone!

 

Spenser: Yeah, I needed them to fix my rocket. (Pointing) take us over there, and turn to face them. I've got the gun. (The bad guys are conveniently lined up and I plan to use the vehicle's belt fed autofire weapon to try to mow them down)

 

It only takes one phase for her to get us in position (despite her sputtering and protests) but that's long enough for almost all the lieutenants to be wiped out by teammates. I spray Lord Zero and the zombie esper lurking behind him, harming only the latter. Zero has a force field.

 

Spenser: Charge right at that guy, then pull up and go over his head.

 

Pilot: You're crazy! (but she does it)

 

Even the robot targets Zero without appearing to penetrate his defenses.

 

Spenser: He's bulletproof. Change of plans.

 

As the hovercraft soars over Zero's head, Spenser jumps out and grabs Zero in a hold designed for zero G combat but still effective in gravity. I have 25 STR for holding on.

 

Unfortunately, that proves to be no match for Zero's telekinetically enhanced STR. It does cause him to pretty much blow his phase breaking free and jumping forward, clear of me.

 

And it's at this point Chief has the robot do a Jet Assisted Superleap Move Through. In other words, several tons of metal go up into the air, and come down right on top of Lord Zero, stomping him flat.

 

 

We save the little girl we were looking for. Or at least, she ends up at Genesis Station, which may not be much of an improvement on Lord Zero but was the best we could do. We broke up before deciding which rocket ship would be moved to the other's location. X.O. said he wasn't sure if replicants can breed or not. Either way, Spenser will have fun trying.

 

Penny: I've still got green hair!

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary asks, what was that guy's name again..."Save Your Own Asses?"

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

Thanks for posting that, Lucius!

 

The best pun of the day went to Lucius Alexander -- he noticed the baggie full of green bases I'd packed for all my "cardboard heroes" and said I was obviously a green base packer.

 

This went over well, as two of our players were from Wisconsin....

 

More quotes, lifted from the character sheets of the PC's:

 

Bad Penny: A horde of zombies... why is it always a horde? I'm tired of killing zombies by the horde.

 

Yeah, I can hold 'em off as long as you want. I'll need ammo, food, water, fuel and batteries... payable in advance.

 

Yes, it's a sword. It never runs out of ammo... which is good, because we're not running outta zombies anytime soon.

 

Grace Underbrandt: Look, genius, luring those ghouls into the old paint shop was YOUR brilliant idea! What were you gonna do, primer-coat 'em? They needed a flame-job, so I gave 'em a real good one!

 

Heh. The only good zombie is an over-cooked zombie.

 

Whew! Never quite get used to the smell, do ya?

 

Major C. Grant Breaker: "Now I know what you're thinking: ammo for this gun's scarce, and I don't want to waste it. But if I run out, you won't be around to see it. So get lost."

 

Spencer Bruce: "Oh, she'll fly again someday... trust me, mate!"

 

"What's that you've got there... differential three-axis accelerometer? Trade you two ammo belts for it...reloaded these myself, guaranteed to fire!"

 

"Alright nobody move! Touch that spacecraft and you're dead meat, you got that?"

 

Chief Royce Doran: People say all the heroes are dead -- there's nobody left but the survivors... but we're gonna prove they're wrong, right here, right now.

[Christougher]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

Playing in Remarkable Wrong Righters with Bolo (and not knowing who he was), I can add the following quotes:

 

Discussing the son of stetchy superhero Rick Davies and shapeshifter Swift Kick:

GM: He doesn't have superpowers yet,

Rampart: But it's not much of a stretch?

 

Avarice (in Friction Lass's frictionless field) leaps (badly) towards Charm, who has a machine gun and a held phase.

Lady Lightning(OOC): Pull!

 

Rampart: Ramrod, I have to ask. Under the helmet, evil goatee?

Ramrod: *Takes off helmet to show evil goatee*

 

Confronting the Reprehensible Wrong Doers:

Rick Davies: I don't know about you guys, but I'm beside myself.

 

 

From "Through the LCD Screen"

After Speed Demon guts a badguy and tries to clean his claws in a dirty puddle, Shock Therapy goes to check on/comfort him.

Shock Therapy: Please don't touch me.

 

GM: Dragon Fist, you wake up, tied up, and someone cuts your arm, drawing blood. Then you heal, which just pisses them off.

 

 

Sky High 2011 - Senior Skip Day.

After the heroes receive a confusing text message (srct dy?! biki)

Rajiv shows the text to Hank: Do you know what this means?

Hank: It's cheerleader talk. Not a chance.

 

GM to Eileen: You have a new bikini, nobodys ever seen you in it.

Luke: It's yellow and has polka dots.

 

GM to Roy: And you know that what your girlfriend(Eileen) is wearing under that is really hot.

Table: Best. Day. Ever.

 

Seth: David, spank the monkey! I'll save the world.

[Christopher]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

Spencer Out of Character: What's with the Striking Appearance? Is that for being intimidatingly tall? (Being designed for microgravity, Spencer is tall and lanky and I thought that might be what was accounted for.)

 

X.O., Our Host for this Adventure: No, they just decided to make him good looking while they were at it.

 

Spencer OoC: Ah. Somewhere out there is the geneticist who designed me. Or was. He was probably torn arpart by zombies. And he had it coming, for spending points on cosmetic appearance instead of on DEX. (unenhanced DEX was 17. one more point of it would have helped the Piloting roll.)

Look on teh bright side: Helps the efforts to make more

 

And it's at this point Chief has the robot do a Jet Assisted Superleap Move Through. In other words' date=' several tons of metal go up into the air, and come down right on top of Lord Zero, stomping him flat.[/quote']

If he had tracks, I be wondering if this Robot ever saw "Number 5 Lives" and his Cricket Kill Maneuver.

[Susano]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

Another GenCon highlight - Escape from Outbackistan, a Kazei 5 game run by some guy named Xavier Onassis. (sounds familiar somehow)

 

I hope you enjoy the soundtrack(s).

 

Spencer Bruce: A "replicant" (android) who was genetically engineered and cybernetically enhanced to be a space pilot.

 

Actually... it's "replicate" and they aren't androids. They're human clones grown from an augmented genetic template.

 

Spencer Out of Character: What's with the Striking Appearance? Is that for being intimidatingly tall? (Being designed for microgravity, Spencer is tall and lanky and I thought that might be what was accounted for.)

 

X.O., Our Host for this Adventure: No, they just decided to make him good looking while they were at it.

 

True. Replicates tend to be made attractive to make them more appealing to the buyer.

 

Chief: Penny says she heard the distinctive "psychic scream" of a new esper.

 

(Apparently, when an esper reaches full psionic consciousness some time during adolescence, it comes as a kind of traumatic crisis.)

 

Sometimes. Buy the Kazei 5 setting book for a more detailed explanation.

 

We save the little girl we were looking for. Or at least, she ends up at Genesis Station, which may not be much of an improvement on Lord Zero but was the best we could do. We broke up before deciding which rocket ship would be moved to the other's location. X.O. said he wasn't sure if replicants can breed or not. Either way, Spenser will have fun trying.

 

For an esper, life on Genesis Station is far, far better than life on Earth. Especially after the zombie apocolypse.

[BoloOfEarth]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

Playing in Remarkable Wrong Righters with Bolo (and not knowing who he was), I can add the following quotes:

 

Discussing the son of stetchy superhero Rick Davies and shapeshifter Swift Kick:

GM: He doesn't have superpowers yet,

Rampart: But it's not much of a stretch?

 

Avarice (in Friction Lass's frictionless field) leaps (badly) towards Charm, who has a machine gun and a held phase.

Lady Lightning(OOC): Pull!

 

Rampart: Ramrod, I have to ask. Under the helmet, evil goatee?

Ramrod: *Takes off helmet to show evil goatee*

 

Confronting the Reprehensible Wrong Doers:

Rick Davies: I don't know about you guys, but I'm beside myself.

 

Thanks, and repped! I forgot those!

 

I was playing Rampart, by the way. Which were you?

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

The line that sums up why I love Warlords in D&D:

Minotaur's player had commented on trying to get to a particular target, but there were complications, including an enemy hitting him with a power that took away his standard (basically, attack) action.

Me (to Minotaur player): "You want to charge that guy?"

Jeff: "He can't take a standard action on his turn ..." (due to enemy effect)

Me: "No, but I can let him take a standard action on my turn."

[Drhoz]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

The ongoing adventures of Lord-Captain Leman van Baroque and the crew of the Starship Rose Tattoo, as they embark for the heathen world Zayth, and the mysterious Mykybe's Veil, in search of Treasure!

 

Alas, very far from the best session I've ever run - I fear I was preoccupied with dreadful news about a dear friend, so even neglected to note down most of the quotes. So, a short entry today.

 

Regarding that long-defunct pleasure-servitor they found on 105 Andrasta-A, and continued jokes about its value as loot.

 

Van Baroque

: So let me get this straight - one pleasure-servitor for a crew of 18,000?

GM

: That's not a problem - just limit everybody to 30 seconds each XD

The Lord-Captain finds a way to profit from the long voyage to Zayth, even if the clues to untold riches don't pay off - he can take a gaggle of priests from the Missionaria Galaxia, and a hold-full of improving texts. Even if he offers them a discount, getting in sweet with the Ecclesiarchy now will lead to other commissions later. No need to inform them that they'll be travelling in the quarters usually reserved for alien monsters.

 

GM

: Ah, Zayth, where the city-machines are at constant war, the surface is scoured by strip-mining and pollution, *and* they are regularly invaded by Orks. And what is the best aid provided by the Imperium? Send missionaries!

 

Jak OOC

: We've got monks in the air vents again - better put down some monk-traps.

The trip does not begin well - a few weeks into the long climb out of Rubycon's gravity well, the ship is overtaken by an asteroid that turns out to be a pirate vessel, deliberately tumbling to disguise its true nature until too late. Happily, Casu Marzu was suspicious enough to examine the 'rock' while it was still some 100,000 kilometres away, so the surprise wasn't total.

 

Nonetheless, the exchange of fire continues until Malakai and Jak can use the Rose Tattoo's ancient teleportarium to lead a squad of ship's crew over to raise merry havoc, wrecking the other vessel's auger arrays, and leaving it to flee, blind, with the Rogue Trader in dogged pursuit, at least until it looks like they're being lead into an ambush, and they break off.

 

Jak OOC

: Teleport Homer... Mmm, sweet heresy...

*drools noisily*

And that's just the start of their problems - the Rose Tattoo's Navigator fails spectacularly on his entry into the Maw, the gap between the warp-storms that separate the Calixis sector from the Koronus Expanse, and guides the ship straight into the heart of a violent hyperspatial hurricane, that has the Geller field ringing like a bell, the ship's superstructure groaning, and the artificial gravity switching around at 80 degrees. Happily, having all those priests on board will save time commending their souls to the Emperor.

 

Navigator

: *

babbling

* Storms like teeth, gnawing on us like the Great Beast, oh, the teeth are closing! The teeth are closing, to rend and destroy!

Frantic orders are bellowed, and Marzu is diverting all available power to warp engines and Geller field, since the fury of the storm is forcing the field closer and closer to the ship - and only the field can protect them from the entities that live out there. Which is when the other problem becomes apparent.

 

GM

: ... and the ship's chronometer ticks forward one second.

Lord-Captain van Baroque

: ...****.

The crew spends a subjective five weeks at the mercy of the Maw, until the ship is spat out as indigestible, less than three light-years from where they left, 9 days into what should have been a three-day trip.

 

It doesn't get better, either - at the end of their next warp-jump, the junior navigators somehow fail to notice the presence of a sun in Real-Space, and the ship emerges in the middle of a flare.

 

By the time the Rose Tattoo is finished its pilgrimage stop at the Hermitage, and jumped to the next pilgrimage stop at the Footfall asteroids orbiting the Wolf-Rayet star Furibundus, the Captain is heartily sick of Navigators, and orders Marzu to look into purchasing whatever archeotech or xenotech they can get to make the Navigators unnecessary. Dangerous, since the Navigator Houses tend to ensure 'accidents' befall ships that decline their services.

 

That may be why an assassination attempt is made on Marzu and Jak, while they are trading grav-plate repairs for a Void Abacus. Possibly this was a simple robbery attempt, but it will be difficult to identify the assailants since Marzu and Jak's retaliation left little of them above the hips.

[Drhoz]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

One other quote from Rogue Trader

 

Jak's Player

: And dePledge had a garden on board on his ship, but I don't know why Drhoz stressed that so much.

Weldun

: That's because even having hydroponics is

really unusual

in a 40K ship

Me

: The basic foodstuff across much of the Imperium is Organic Sludge.

Jak

: Ah, the Imperium, where they have billions of citizens and their response is to feed the dead ones to the living ones.

Me

: Yup. And they're

used

to that

Weldun

: Organic Sludge is people!

Citizen

: 'Yes, what's your point?'

[Christougher]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

Thanks, and repped! I forgot those!

 

I was playing Rampart, by the way. Which were you?

 

Lightning Lass. First con, so I was a little off my game.

[Shadow Hawk]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

The line that sums up why I love Warlords in D&D:

Minotaur's player had commented on trying to get to a particular target, but there were complications, including an enemy hitting him with a power that took away his standard (basically, attack) action.

Me (to Minotaur player): "You want to charge that guy?"

Jeff: "He can't take a standard action on his turn ..." (due to enemy effect)

Me: "No, but I can let him take a standard action on my turn."

 

My gaming group, on Warlords...

A Barbarian attacks with a axe.

A Wizard attacks with a spell.

A Warlord attacks with a barbarian.

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

My gaming group, on Warlords...

A Barbarian attacks with a axe.

A Wizard attacks with a spell.

A Warlord attacks with a barbarian.

 

Must spread rep, or spend an action point.

 

But I don't have one.

[LaughingLunatic]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

I found this story/quote mixed in with notes from an old Saga Edition Star Wars game set in the Legacy era. Unfortunately, I didn’t find my list of player to character names, so I’ve generalized them below:

 

Female Twi’lek pilot, former ‘dancer’

 

Male Human bodyguard

 

Female Zeltron smuggler captain

 

The YT-1300 we flew (cliché, I know… still fun) belonged to the smuggler captain and the nav-computer had a tendency to reset itself createing alternate flight historys whenever the ship was inspected by customs. The first time this happened no one knew the computer could/would do this… the ship was being inspected for contra-bandwhile the captain was out securing cargo (contra-band jedi as it turned out). The twi’lek pilot and the human bodyguard were the only two people on board at the time… it got interesting when the imperial inspector reviewed the nav-computer logs.

 

Imperial Inspector: I see here that you were on Hoth for a week, seems like a long stay, what wereyou doing there?

 

Pilot: Hoth?**player looks around confused** um… we were there for vacation?

 

Inspector: VACATION!?!? You expect me to believe that you spent a week on Hoth for a VACATION?!

 

Pilot: **player completely flustered** um, yeah, why not?

 

Inspector: **face turning purple**

 

Bodyguard: Excuse me, Inspector, could I speak to you a moment in the access way?

 

Inspector: **nods,numbly and steps out of the cockpit**

 

Bodyguard: Inspector, I’m sure that you may have noticed that the pilot is a little… different? You see, while she’s a fantastic pilot, the captain doesn’t keep her around for her… conversational skills, if you catch my meaning.

 

Inspector:**wide-eyed, jaw hanging open, begins nodding slowly**

 

Bodyguard: I thought you might. Unfortunately, as I was not on-board until after Hoth I cannot speak to that week either; however, the captain will be returning shortly and can answer any questions you may have. If you’d like, we can reach her on the com and ask her to expedite her return to the ship?

 

Inspector: I believe that would be a good idea, in fact,my crew and I will just wait here for the good captain… purely as a formality, you understand…

 

 

 

**One com call to the captain and an awkward scene with the captain and three jedi padawans later. The captain, returns to the ship**

 

 

 

Inspector: Are you the captain of this vessel? **Staring wide-eyed at the female, Zeltron**

 

Captain: Yes, this is my ship, Inspector. I understand that you have some questions regarding our recent travels?

 

Inspector: **still staring, obviously trying to get past the mental image of the captain and the twi’lek, together** Yes, I find it curious that you spent a week on Hoth even more so, because your pilot seems tobelieve that it was a vacation? I’m sure you can understand my confusion.

 

Captain: *sigh* Yes, I could see why that would be…odd. Truth be told, I don’t keep her around just for piloting skills, as phenomenal as they may be, and definitely not as the ship’s purser.

 

Inspector: **shifts on his feet and blushes a little** Of course, captain, your bodyguard has already enlightened me to the nature of your relationship; however; you still have not explained your visit to Hoth…

 

Captain: Of course, that’s easy enough to explain. The sector Moff’s daughter turned 16 last week and Moff [smith] wanted an ice sculpture for her Moff-Mitzva party. As you can imagine, he spared no expense and hired legendary sculptor Leo Angelo to create it. Artists like that tend to be somewhat…eccentric and he insisted the only ice that would work was from the ‘rainbow’glacier on Hoth. We were hired totransport Mr. Angelo to Hoth, wait while he created his sculpture and then return both Mr. Angelo and the sculpture to the sector capital for the Moff-Mitzva.

 

Inspector: Ah, that certainly explains the time you spent on Hoth. I am familiar with Mr.Angelo’s work and would have loved to have seen the sculpture. However, why would your pilot think that the trip to Hoth was a vacation?

 

Captain: Certainly, Inspector, that’s also easy to explain. Hoth is a very, very cold world and Mr. Angelo absolutely insisted that he not be disturbed while he worked… so, the pilot and I had to find *something* to do with ourselves and stay warm as well.

 

Inspector: **jaw-hanging open, eyes wide and blushingfrom his neck to the top of his head**

 

Captain: I have holograms if you require some evidenceof our… trip?

 

Inspector: Uh… N… N… No, C… Captain that will be fine.

 

 

In all fairness to the player of the pilot, she wasn’t veryfamiliar with the setting and was a guest of a regular player.

-The Laughing Lunatic

[Lucius]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

I did promise someone I'd post something more positive. I'll probably crosspost this to "Quote of the Week from my Gaming Group" too.

 

Note: Obviously I decided to do so.

 

 

"Ravens 2011" was a very fun game from one of the Infinite Imaginations associates.

 

I'm not sure how many years it's been running, but it's a continuing GenCon feature with a new adventure every year revolving around the adventures of the "Ravens" a mysterious group of paranormal investigators with a wide range of talents. There are about a dozen of them, but only a handful are along on each adventure.

 

My character was Jenny, a flower child from a commune where everyone was mostly still living in the Sixties. That is, until the commune was attacked by a horde of zombies (I keep running into zombies in games lately....) and she and the other survivors were rescued by the Ravens. That is how I seem to remember the backstory. Besides some other interesting skills and abilities like Tai Chi and Zoology and Pharmacology, she has the ability to see auras (even when not taking drugs.)

She doesn't like crowds but is friendly and outgoing in small groups or one on one.

 

I'm not sure of the names of the other characters at this game, but this is who they were:

 

Lilith (I think) the Spooky Librarian. She has Eidetic Memory and is missing one arm, but has a kind of telekinetic arm she developed after losing the natural one - a kind of "phantom limb syndrome" that actually exerts something like 3 to 5 STR.

 

Eric (I think...probably wrong) the Computer Nerd. A stereotypical technical genius, the least physically capable person on this trip.

 

Prof (No idea what the name was, but he was a Professer of Physics who parted ways with his university after getting involved with Raven and spouting off too many lines like "There are more things in the space time coninuum, Horatio, than are dreamt of even in your quantum theory.") Less stereotypical than the computer nerd, he likes heavy metal music, lifts weights and is an all around athlete, and in this crew is the second most capable of violence when called for.

 

Butch (making up the name because it fits) an ex gang leader who looks the part who is motivated by booze, broads, and brawls, but has the virtue of loyalty and right now is part of the Ravens and loyal to us and our missions.

 

 

The game is set at a Con, specifically Conspiracy Con. I'm told there is a real Conspiracy Con. I have not tried to find out anything about it because I don't want on any watch lists.

 

Eric and Lilith were at the con, and Eric called the rest of us in because (much to his surprise; he came to mock) he found something worth investigating.

 

Because it was now an investigation, our mysterious patron, "Raven" himself (who we've never met) is paying for it and pulling strings. We get the Presidential Suite.

 

Jenny: Wow. I hope the president doesn't show up in town unexpectedly and get us bumped.

 

Prof: I'm pretty sure the president isn't coming to Conspiracy Con

 

The suite has rooms for everybody. Jenny picks hers by whipping out a compass and then doing some calcuations based on feng shui and sacred geometry to select the bedroom most compatible with her own energy balance and personal vibrations.

 

The first time he has us away from Lilith, he explains: she checked in at the same time he did. She was nowhere to be found the next day. He slipped into her room (he altered his key card to make it a master key to the hotel) and she seemed not to have slept there. She turns up Saturday morning....but seems to think it's Friday morning. She's unaware of the missing time. Classic alien abduction symptom.

 

(I'm going to focus on what my character did, but I'll note that Eric the computer geek, with his ability to access the hotel's security cameras etc., probably played the most valuable part)

 

When we decide to confront her and let her know what day it is, Jenny breaks this news: "You're not alone in there. I see your aura, but there's another aura I don't recognize and it doesn't look human." Jenny has seen demonic possession before - this is like that in that there is an aura overlay, but the second aura does not look like a demon - at least not like the demon she saw before. It's decided that someone should always be with Lilith, until whatever is going on is resolved.

 

While the three intellectuals start to do things like trace Lilith's whereabouts starting from her latest memory, Jenny goes downstairs with Butch along in case of trouble, to see who else at the convention has a double aura. There are a couple, but Jenny gets distracted by four people who are about to enter the con's costume contest (no idea if the real Conspiracy Con has such a contest, but the one in the game does.) They are dressed as "reptoids" the typical lizard-man look of contemporary alien conspiracy folklore. And their auras don't look like the invasive auras seen so far, but they don't look entirely human either....even more animalistic than Butch, actually.

 

Butch and Jenny strike up a conversation with a couple of women dressed as Princess Leia (one in princess outfit with the spiral hairdo, one as a dancing girl) who have some interesting information: These same four guys have won the contest the last few years running. They are always in costume. ALWAYS - they check into the hotel in costume. They never break character. They have never been known to speak articulate English.

 

While Butch flirts with the two Leias and talks about meeting later for...drinks, Jenny goes over to one of the hotel maids passing through the lobby and starts working that Conversation skill.

 

Jenny: I want to thank you for the job you're doing. You and the rest of the staff do a great job keeping this hotel clean even when it's so busy like this.....

 

After a couple of lines of dialogue to establish rapport:

Jenny (pointing to the lizard men): I wonder what THEIR room is like. Do they even have regular clothes? I hear they're in costume ALL the time.

 

Maid: Oh! THEIR room! The smell! They got clothes, though, yes, hanging in the closet. Clothes clean, room messy. Bathroom bad.

 

At this point one of the lizard men enters a men's room off the lobby and the maid rolls her eyes and sighs. She obviously doesn't relish cleaning up after them. Jenny compliments her again on her work and rejoins Butch.

 

Butch meanwhile had approached the lizards and even slapped one on the back and said

Butch: Great costumes! I'd like to meet you guys after the contest and buy you alla drink!

Lizard Man: Gronk!

But it nods as if the idea of drinking appeals.

 

After rejoining Jenny

 

Butch: If those are costumes, it's some big strong guys inside. I gave that guy a backslap that would have sent most guys forward a few steps and it was like hitting a rock. And they don't talk.

Jenny: You can learn a lot about an organism from its stool.

Butch: What?

Jenny: From stool. You can learn what it eats, if it's healthy or sick, and especially what kind of animal it is.

Butch: What are you talking about?

Jenny: I'm talking about shit. I'd really like to know what theirs looks and smells like. And one is coming out of that men's room right now.

Butch: You gotta be shittin' me....

 

But he goes in, and it's not hard to find the right stall. Lizard men know how to flush, but even so there was a....residue.

 

Maid: *knock knock* Housekeeping.

 

Butch: Hang on a minute!

 

He gets paper towels, scoops up a "stool sample" with distaste, and brings it out.

 

Jenny has struck up a conversation with the bored but polite concierge.

 

Jenny: So I was wondering how astrology would work on another planet. Like, if there were people on Mars - I'm not saying there are, but we'll have a colony there someday so there will be people born on Mars then - but Mars can't be in their horoscope anywhere, it wasn't in THEIR sky when they were born, but the planet Earth WOULD be. And people in another star system would have a completely different set of signs!

(Seeing Butch come out)

You're a very nice person to listen to me so patiently. I'm sorry I ramble on so much.

OOC: It's very important to Jenny to leave everyone she talks to feeling good about themselves.

(I'd make an exception to that later in the game.)

 

Jenny to Butch: Let's get out for some fresh air, being around all these people is making me a little crazy

Butch: A little?

 

We go on the street and into an alley to be unobserved.

Jenny, OOC: As I examine the stool, I talk to Butch about the pet turtle I had as a child, Ringo - because I already had pets named John, Paul, and George - and what his stools were like, and the lizards on the commune lands, and that crazy guy up the road who ran the snake handling church and what their stools were like, and I'm trying to remember what else I know about reptile biology - in other words, I'm trying to get a bonus for taking extra time to my roll. Would it be on Zoology?

 

The conclusion: Jenny: This isn't from a Homo Sapiens. It's exactly what I'd expect from a giant reptile who like most reptiles eats meat almost exclusively. I don't think it has intestinal parasites. Let's get this sample to the Prof and our Techie and see what tests they can run on it.

(After stopping in a women's room to wash hands thoroughly. Reptiles carry salmonella. Who knows what alien reptiles carry.)

 

This is going on longer than expected. If anyone's interested I'll continue it....

 

Lucius Alexander

 

conspiring with a palindromedary

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

Sounds interesting so far.

[Shadow Hawk]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

The continued adventures of 4th edition DnD

Andraste the Pyromaniac, Eladrin Warlock

Theren the Archer, Elven Ranger

Adinymus the Holy, Drow Cleric

Erevan the Dancer, Eladrin Swordmage

Nebin the Short, Halfling Rogue

Sepheris the Creepy, Shadow-Elf Thief

 

Climbing the cliff...

Adinymus: Are the vines safe?

Theren: Yes.

Andraste: You, however, are not.

 

Landslide!

Theren: I target the rocks!

Sepheris: Quarry the rocks?

Eravan: Can you dig it?

Andraste: Arrow Shaft.

 

Kobolds!

Nebin: They should be easy to kill.

Andinymus: Famous last words.

 

Theren criticals a giant!

Andraste: Theren uses 'Arrow in the Face!' It's super-effective!

[Tom]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

The dice liked my reply anyhow...

 

Sunhawk (avatar of Horus, me) and Dr Sanguine (supermage) are traveling through the Lands of Legend when we are ambushed by a group of tengu bent on mischief...

 

Tengu:

The rice grass rustles and something surges into the sky. You find yourselves surrounded by beings clad in full samurai plate armor with the heads of ravens. They glare at you, hands on the hilts of katanas at their waists as their wings fold onto their backs. One of them speaks.

 

"What business do you have on our lands, Hawkling? Your liege holds no sway here, yet you walk the Dragon Path as if you own it. I believe a toll is in order. What do you and the Mortal have of value that you may barter for safe passage?"

 

Dr Sanguine attempts reason, but the tengu are clearly not interested in being reasonable...

 

Sunhawk:

Robert is far more familar with the streets and bazaars of Egypt than the ways of the Orient -- still a gang of toughs seeking trouble is pretty much universal and he feels an anger not entirely his own rising though he holds it in check for now...

 

"You have my continued good will," Sunhawk states with the unflappable conviction of a man feeling the power of a god coursing through his veins, his stance betraying a ready willingness to face any and all opposition, as his solar disk glints in the sun's reflected light. "I suggest you spend it well."

 

The judgement of the dice:

PRE Attack: 5.5d6 Base plus/minus any modifiers applied by GM. Persuasion as a Complimentary roll...

 

COMPLIMENTARY PERSUASION, 15-: (5, succeeded by 10) Saturday, August 13, 2011 11:22:59.569 PM

5.5D6: 2, 4, 5, 6, 5 + 2 (24 STUN, 7 BODY) Saturday, August 13, 2011 11:22:59.569 PM

 

Now we wait to see how the GM feels about the whole thing...

[feralucce]

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

 

Uriel, the new I avatar of the Sun Descending and PC, has been on board for over a week and Isunne is nowhere to be seen. After a few days, Max and Uriel run into him in the hall.

 

Max: Isunne, I want you to meet...

Isunne: *interrupting* NO!!!

 

Isunne then runs away. Max Follows, concerned. He eventually finds him in a vent shaft.

 

Max: Isunne?

Isunne: *sniffle* what?

Max: Wanna tell me what's going on?

Isunne: No.

Max: You know. You hurt Ur...

Isunne: *SCREAMING* don't say it!

Max: wha?

Isunne: Don't say it's name.

Max: Why?

Isunne: *lip trembling* Machines with names, make me sad when they leave. If I don't know its name... I won't have to cry.