New York Nights - Dark Champions PBeM Looking For Players

[Thrakazog]

The woman’s dress was expensive, though not quite haute couture, and delicate, too, judging by how it had started to tatter along the hemline just from her running. She turned the blind corner into the alley at a full run, and right away she realized she’d made a fatal mistake. Hoping to find a short cut through the block, her arms now flagged in a mock semblance of their previous pumping, her strides slowing in defeat, until finally she reached the tall wood fence dead end and collapsed on the ground before it. Whoever had built that fence had likely done it to protect their garbage cans and rear exit. They might as well have put a gun to her head. As her head turned and she saw two running men enter the alley, she thought it might have been more merciful.

 

Her dress, once white, would likely never be so again. Her high heels pushed her along the ground away from her pursuers, one two-inch point snapping off in the process, until her back hit the wooden slats of the fence. Even in her terror at what was about to happen she had a thought that the streaks of grime would never come out, and she almost giggled.

 

Several more men, and another figure she couldn’t make out in the bad light from the street from the street behind them, came into the alley and slowed upon seeing her trapped.

 

“Here chicky, chicky, chicky…” One of the two men closest to her was smiling and gesturing towards her with a finger whose nail hadn’t seen clippers or soap in a long time. It was the same smarmy, pirate smile he had when she first approached them fifteen minutes ago.

 

“You run good, lady,” the other one, the black one, said as the others who had followed now drew close and formed a rough semi-circle around her, hemming her in against the fence. “You in good shape. Why don’choo lose the dress so’s we can see how good a shape you in?”

 

There was laughter among them and the one with the dirty finger and bad-intentioned smile grunted in amusement and started to undo his belt. She saw the dull glint of a streetlight off a knife blade in the black man’s hand as he reached for her.

 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

 

The female voice cutting through the situation was unexpected enough to startle, but not enough that the seasoned street toughs showed it for more than a split-second. As a group they turned towards the figure standing behind them. She had gotten within ten feet but they had been too preoccupied with their nightly entertainment to notice. As the figure opened her trench coat and lifted the front of her fedora the toughs did flinch.

 

‘Good,’ she thought to herself, ‘they’ve heard about me, at least.’ She’d been on patrol when the woman’s Lexus had conked out while taking a short cut through central Clinton, probably a suburbanite making for the West Side Highway from a Midtown after-work party. Driving t hat car and looking like she did was stupid enough in that neighborhood but when she actually got out and started looking around for a pay phone – her cell must have been dead – Sally knew she better keep an eye on her until help arrived. Unfortunately, the 48th Street Devils arrived first.

 

“I know you,” one of them, the one holding the knife, said. “Mustang Sally…what’choo want? Don’t mess wif Devil bidness.” The threat was punctuated by a movement of the blade in her general direction.

 

He wasn’t exactly a brilliant conversationalist, she noted. The woman on the ground behind them whimpered and Sally tightened up. Time to get to work.

 

“Option ‘A’, you let the woman go. Option ‘B’, I make you let the woman go. Now what’s it going to be?”

 

The man with the knife noted the nervous shuffle amongst his brethren, which his lifetime on the street told him meant uncertainty. But he had a good knife and another in his boot, and Dirty next to him had his nine tucked into the back of his pants, and there were seven of them, and she was a broad, however tough Jimme K’s cousin said she might be.

 

Sally watched them make up their minds, almost allowing herself to be hopeful. These gang types were universally too stupid or too proud to back down. There were seven of them and only one of her and who knew how many guns they might be carrying, but she’d been shot before with little more than an immediate pain and a lingering bruise. Not only that, but she hit like a Mack truck, and she could fight. Oh yeah, she could fight. The odds were fairly even. And you never knew.

 

She tensed and braced at the sound of footsteps behind her. The other seven Devils’ timing was impeccable, and now they had her surrounded. So much for her medical insurance premiums. "Swell."

 

The man with the knife smiled broadly. “Now who got the choice, bitch? Option ‘A’, you git down here on yo knees and [censored]. Option ‘B’, you can [censored] anyway! What’choo gonna do? Take all of us on?”

 

Dirty Fingers next to him giggled maniacally and finished the thought with a big smile of his own. “Alone?”

 

"Who said she’s alone, jackass?”

 

Sally’s head and everyone else’s craned up towards the fire escape. A midnight blue and dark crimson figure leapt from the third floor landing, performing a perfect graceful somersault on the way down. Before he landed, something he’d tossed during his gyration exploded amongst the new group of Devils with a brilliant flash that brought an instant of full daylight to the alley. There were screams and loud complaints as the group behind Sally found themselves blinded.

 

By the time she turned back to face the dead end, the guy with the knife was on the ground not moving and Action Man had immobilized the arm of the guy next to him, a 9mm now visible in the hand at the end of an awkwardly angled arm. There was a snap and a scream from the goon before Action Man delivered a spin kick, sending him off to crumple whimpering against the building’s side.

 

He shot Sally a look over his shoulder while he turned to face the rest of them. He gestured with a sharp jerk of his masked head to the group behind her who were only now beginning to recover their bearings.

 

“Well…What are you waiting for?”

 

*****

Campaign Description:

 

New York Nights is a street-level Dark Champions: The Animated Series campaign taking place on the streets of the capital of the world, New York City. The players are more vigilantes than superheroes, focused on the smaller criminal fish which the more powerful and flashier defenders of the city tend to ignore or overlook. The campaign will be episodic but serial in nature, wi th previous events affecting future ones.

 

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Background:

 

New York City has everything. It has expensive high-rise apartment buildings and warren-like ghettos, bright, flashy nightclubs where the social elite gather and small, dingy bars where daily drunks can still get served, powerful politicians and faceless nobodies, good guys, some very bad guys, and everything in between. It has variety in everything, as diverse internally as the outside world, possessing all manner of wonders, delights, pleasures, nightmares, sorrows, and vices. Every human race is represented. Some say one or two other races, too, but those people tend to sleep on subway cars and smell of cheap wine. Of course, depending on who you are, this may make them either less or more credible.

 

Being the world’s greatest city carries some baggage. One thing New York City most certainly has is a superhuman presence, both good and bad. No small amount of evil geniuses bent on world domination, massively strong genocidal maniacs, or super-powered thieves have attempted to make their bones in the Big Apple. Fortunately for the city’s citizenry, The Defenders, New York’s very own team of fanta stic superheroes, stands by to defend it against all such super-powered menaces with the help of some independent but equally mighty heroes.

 

But this is New York City, the city that has everything, and that includes a tier or villainy and organized evil that exists in that middle ground between NYPD routine and the powerful supervillains typically confronted by The Defenders. These well-trained, well-organized, sometimes super-powered criminals tend to slip under the superhuman radar, so to speak, operating on a smaller scale, but often making life very difficult for the police or the everyday victims of their crimes.

 

But again, this is New York City, the city that has everything. There are those individuals who recognize the threat, and are prepared to deal with it. Having skills, abilities, equipment, and occasionally powers of their own which place them on a playing field above that of mere New Yorkers, and possessed of the proper motive – be it a sense of duty, revenge, justice, or just for the thrill – these persons put themselves on the line and bring the light to the deep, dark recesses where the NYPD fears to tread, gets paid off not to tread, or fails to get noticed by those focused on more powerful, more serious threats to the city.

 

It is these individuals whose story this campaign seeks to tell; their actions, sacrifices, and successes which don’t often appear in the Post or the Daily News as more than a page twelve blurb, and which more often than not go unheralded except by those who are saved, protected, or revenged.

 

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Area Of Operation:

 

NYN will take place completely within the bounds of New York City and it’s immediate environs: the five boroughs, the greater Westchester area, New Jersey’s major Hudson County areas (Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark), and Long Island. The vast majority of the campaign will occur on the island of Manhattan.

 

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Goals:

 

Specific goals will vary from character to character, but in general, the goal will be to bring down the minor superhuman, gang, and organized crime syndicate threats to the city.

 

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Reputation:

 

This also will vary from character to character, based on both the PC’s background and modus operandi. Characters that serve justice over law and tend towards stronger violent methods will have different reputations among the police and communities they serve than a vigilante with a more law-abiding bent. Some of the characters might themselves be wanted by the NYPD.

 

*****

Building A Character For New York Nights:

 

Base Points: 300 (175 Base + 125 Disadvantages)

Starting Points: 175

Maximum Disadvantages: 125

Maximum Points From One Category Of Disadvantages Other Than Psychological: 50

Maximum Points From Psychological Disadvantages: 70

Normal Characteristic Maxima: No

Characteristics: 10-30

SPD: 3-6

CV: 5-12 inc. levels

DC: 6-10, inc. advantages and maneuvers

AP Limit: 60, but always respecting DC limits

D/rD: 20/10

 

Rules Of Thumb:

 

· Attacks should be similar in normal damage classes to real world guns, although maybe as high as guns available only to police or the military.

· Defenses shouldn’t be so high that a character can bounce bullets off his chest. Bullets might only cause flesh wounds, but should definitely remain a threat.

· Point distribution is suggested at around 100 each on characteristics, skills, and powers & gear.

· Stay away from flashy powers, like unaided flight, teleportation, energy blasts, etc.

· Highly thematic heroes or vigilantes will get fruit cup. Thematic heroes are those with a common theme running throughout their entire presentation, including costume, gear, powers, jargon, methods, etc. Good examples of highly thematic heroes would be Batman, Moon Knight, Spider Man, etc. Fruit cup is fairly meaningless, but I like fruit cup.

 

****

 

I'm looking for 4 characters for this campaign (based on number and quality of submissions) and will be accepting submissions until 11:59 pm on Friday, September 1 - assuming of course that I have enough good submissions, otherwise I may extend the submissions period. I may expand the roster down the road depending on how the campaign progresses. You can find two sample characters – Mustang Sally and Action Man – on the campaign website which you can use as a baseline. Don’t worry if your concept closely follows theirs. I’d never allow an NPC to steal a player character’s schtick.

 

Please PM character backgrounds in plain text or open document format (please, no HTML) to me. Character sheets or .hdc files are not required at the time of submission but may be included with the background if the player has one available.

 

This link will show you what is needed for a complete character submission, though the above campaign requirements supersede any point values listed there.

 

If you have any questions or would like more information please email me at the above address. I'm happy to work with anyone to make their character a better fit. Just please remember any suggestions and/or help I may provide is not a guarantee the character will be accepted.

 

You can subscribe to the New York Knights list by sending an email to nynights-subscribe@googlegroups.com.

 

This is an Uberworld campaign.

[Vassoom]

Re: New York Nights - Dark Champions PBeM Looking For Players

 

· Highly thematic heroes or vigilantes will get fruit cup.

MMMmmmm...fruit cup... *drool*

 

Very nice intro.

 

- Vassoom

[Thrakazog]

Re: New York Nights - Dark Champions PBeM Looking For Players

 

MMMmmmm...fruit cup... *drool*

 

Very nice intro.

 

- Vassoom

 

Thanks.

[Thrakazog]

Re: New York Nights - Dark Champions PBeM Looking For Players

 

*bump*

[mvoncannon]

Re: New York Nights - Dark Champions PBeM Looking For Players

 

I sent you a pm. Let me know if I need to re-submit.

[Thrakazog]

Re: New York Nights - Dark Champions PBeM Looking For Players

 

I sent you a pm. Let me know if I need to re-submit.

 

I received it, thanks.

 

The call for submissions is over. I'm going to make a roster announcement as soon as I can get it together.

[Thrakazog]

Re: New York Nights - Dark Champions PBeM Looking For Players

 

Good morning, fellow gamers!

 

The New York Knights campaign roster announcement will be delayed just another day or two, mainly because the GM is an idiot and failed to send a particularly bit of email to his work address this morning. That should be righted later this evening, and hopefully I'll have a roster announcement out then.

 

The good news is that I've come up with what I think is one of my better and more imaginative plots. So, patience will be rewarded, I hope.

 

Thank you for your patience.

[Thrakazog]

Re: New York Nights - Dark Champions PBeM Looking For Players

 

Good morning, fellow gamers!

 

The New York Knights campaign roster announcement will be delayed just another day or two, mainly because the GM is an idiot and failed to send a particularly bit of email to his work address this morning. That should be righted later this evening, and hopefully I'll have a roster announcement out then.

 

The good news is that I've come up with what I think is one of my better and more imaginative plots. So, patience will be rewarded, I hope.

 

Thank you for your patience.

 

At this point, if you haven't subscribed to the game list already, you should.

[Korvar]

Re: New York Nights - Dark Champions PBeM Looking For Players

 

Can non-players subscribe and spectate?

[Thrakazog]

Re: New York Nights - Dark Champions PBeM Looking For Players

 

Can non-players subscribe and spectate?

 

Absolutely! Anybody can lurk on the list.

[Thrakazog]

New York Nights - Roster Announcement

 

The following players and characters have been selected for play in the New York Knights campaign:

 

Gary Ciaramella, playing La Fantome

Ryan Stevenson, playing the Black Dove

KL George, playing Shadow Dragon

Zen Fairborn, playing Red Cross

Nigel Cole, playing Red Cat

“cyberblade8” (Dude, I need your name), playing Dark Huntress

 

I need all six of you to subscribe to the game list ASAP. The website for the list is http://groups.google.com/group/nynights. Once everyone is subscribed and sounds off, we’ll begin.

 

Those of you who submitted a character and didn’t get in on the first try, I encourage you to subscribe to the game and follow along. I’ll give you preference if and when a player opening appears.

 

Thanks to all!

[Gary Ciaramella]

Re: New York Nights - Dark Champions PBeM Looking For Players

 

Woot!

[Thrakazog]

Re: New York Nights - Dark Champions PBeM Looking For Players

 

The first moves are out! Here's a sample:

 

Shadow Dragon

Saturday, October 14, 2006, 1:40 AM

 

Mieko strolled down the hallway from her bedroom towards the kitchen. Sleep was just beyond her reach tonight, her restlessness battling with her tiredness to leave her tossing and turning. The thought of some warm milk to help turn the tide of battle seemed a good one, and so she’d gotten up.

 

She was standing at the island counter in her pale pink panties and a black Hello Kitty baby doll tank, waiting for the microwave, when she heard the sound of the elevator opening. She quickly killed the micro and drew a large knife from the block on the counter before she crouched to half-hide herself. She doubted anybody would be so bold as to assault her father’s house directly, but it never hurt to be careful.

 

It turned out to be Ando Masahashi, one of her father’s most trusted men. Ando was a young up-and-comer in the organization, a man who understood and respected the old ways and traditions yet carried himself with ultramodern style. He was charming and handsome and had been subtly trying to court her ever since she’d been introduced to him at her father’s last birthday party. He was easy to like, but he was one of them, so while she had played coy and sweet to his face, inside she had him marked as just another criminal. Besides, she’d never be sure if he was really interested in her or if he just wanted to marry the princess to gain the status of heir to her father’s kingdom.

 

He had one of his soldiers with him, an inscrutable grey-haired harridan named Kato. She laughed when she first heard that, her hand covering her mouth, and then quickly apologized to him and to her father for her disrespect. The man had never changed expression. He hadn’t even blinked. After a month had gone by she thought that he might be a mute until she heard him mumbling quiet prayers at the shrine on the first floor. Ando clearly valued him, however, and they were seldom apart. Rumors were that he was sempai to Ando, or that he was a priest, or that he was an owned servant, or that he was ninja, depending on who she chose to overhear that particular day. Nobody really knew anything for sure except that he killed with the best of them, and he never carried a firearm. She suspected that her father knew his secrets, but she could hardly ask.

 

The two late-night visitors went straight from the elevator through the foyer to the stairs leading up to her father’s office. She crept to the entrance to the kitchen and watched them go up. There was light coming from the direction of the office. If her father was awake and expecting them then they had called ahead to wake him up, and that only happened for the most important business.

 

She padded silently back to her bedroom and opened one of the three large windows, the one furthest from her bed. It slid up in its frame silently thanks to the careful job she’d done previously to lubricate the frame. It was a cold, bracing night but the situation called for haste. Time spent putting on a pair of sweats might mean missing something important. She stopped only long enough to grab a stethoscope from inside her desk drawer. Mieko ignored the goose pimples which spread across her arms and legs and the instant stiffening of her nipples as she climbed outside onto the third-story ledge.

 

The balcony outside her father’s office was directly above her. She’d figured out how to climb up to it a couple of months ago. It was something she’d only dare do at night, given that the building was regularly watched by her father’s security forces. Fortunately, this face of the structure was somewhat concealed. Fingers and toes found now-familiar cornices and crevasses and half a minute later she was in her perch by the balcony doors.

 

The glass doors were ballistic Armalite, but the stethoscope still worked. She gingerly placed the round receptor against the glass.

 

“…plans on claiming the prize tonight.” That was Ando.

 

Her father responded with a question. “When did he obtain the item?”

 

“Not more than twenty minutes ago, according to my source within his organization.”

 

“And you trust this source?”

 

“Implicitly.”

 

“I see.” Her father paused for a few moments before continuing. When he did, he sounded disappointed and a bit grave. “Very well. You will take the required amount with you when you go tonight. Do not overplay the loss, and do nothing until you see the item with your own eyes. This meeting tonight is too important. When—“

 

“Wait.”

 

She didn’t recognize the voice which interrupted her father, which meant it had to be Kato. The room went silent at his word, but alarm bells were ringing in her head. There was a carved support underneath the balcony. She reached for it, overbalanced herself, and caught it just as her feet slipped on the cold stone. She hung precariously by both hands, directly underneath the balcony, the stethoscope still in her ears, its receptor dangling between her breasts as her hands scrabbled for purchase and her heart leapt.

 

The balcony door opened abruptly and she held her breath, forcing herself to stillness. Two sets of footsteps made their way outside.

 

“What is it?” she heard her father demand.

 

A long pregnant pause followed. “Well?” he asked again.

 

“Nothing.” It was Kato again. “I am sorry. I must have been mistaken. I beg your forgiveness.”

 

The men retreated inside and closed the door. Mieko managed her way back down to her room and went straight to the bathroom to make water. As she crossed the hallway, Ando and Kato were making their way to the elevator, their upstairs audience concluded. Ando was too far ahead to spy her but Kato turned and caught her with his eyes as she was about to leave the hallway.

 

For a long moment he only stared with a face that might as well have been made of stone. Then he gave her a bow which befit the daughter of his employer, before he, too, slowly left her sight.