GL_X Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 I have a character with a really expensive nanosuit of armor and I keep running into the problem of coming up with a background that would explain why I have the nanosuit without being filthy rich and how I have it upgraded and repaired again without being filthy. Would anyone be able to suggest any ideas how I can explain both these aspects without taking the filthy rich perk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnia Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please Government/military sanctioned hero perhaps? Then it's our tax dollars upkeeping it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please It found him while he was at work in a storage warehouse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escafarc Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please Or you came out of a bar and a little blue man gave it to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GL_X Posted December 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please I want to steer clear of the military or police backgrounds as well seeing that I would have to answer to them and follow their rules and jump through their hoops. Also the little blue man I would have to say wouldn't work because I don't want to be Ralph from Greatest American Hero and the finding it in a warehouse doesn't explain why it was there or why someone wouldn't be looking for it or how it gets upgraded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please While not a true AI, the nanobots both repair themselves, and, after enough encounters, begin to adapt and evolve in new ways. The more stimuli (combat/adventures) they are involved in, the faster the adjustment, or so it seems. In characters, the upgrades might be surprising to you, OUT of character, of course, you spend your exp points regularly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please I want to steer clear of the military or police backgrounds as well seeing that I would have to answer to them and follow their rules and jump through their hoops. Also the little blue man I would have to say wouldn't work because I don't want to be Ralph from Greatest American Hero and the finding it in a warehouse doesn't explain why it was there or why someone wouldn't be looking for it or how it gets upgraded.I didn't say it was stored there. I said it "found him there". You can always substitute any other job. "Why" it was there is not necessarily a question you, as the player, need to answer. Leave something mysterious for the GM to play with to surprise you. The "little blue man" reference was to Kyle Rayner. Not Ralph Hinkley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GL_X Posted December 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please I figured you were talking about a guardian of Oa, but Ralph was just a more fitting comparison seeing how he got his suit from aliens and we're talking about a suit. If I did go the route of having the suit itself making new abilities and such, would that cost more in the suit having it able to do that? I'm a bit pressed on character points right now. I was considering some contact that had the resources and liked me enough to repair and update the suit but that runs into the problem of how are they getting the funds and parts, and if it is a company why it wouldn't be noticed in their reports and such and again would have to jump through their hoops if I wanted my suit repaired or upgraded at all. Are there any other suggestions anyone has on either background of how I got the suit or how it is upgraded? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnia Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please Is there a reason why you don't want to be aligned with the military/cops/government, out of curiosity? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GL_X Posted December 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please I want to avoid any military/police/government ties because they have strict rules on how I should behave and I sometimes tend to be a little more brutal than they would appreciate. Also since I would be their lacky, if I did anything they didn't like they could and would take the suit away from me and give it to someone else. Also I would be forced to do any odd job and if I refused, I lose the suit. Sure they have the resources but I would feel to in check to fully explore my crime fighting style and would feel under their thumb constantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asperion Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please You could always go with the over-used bit of being an agent of some megacorp. This classic is a over-used for a reason. The megacorp would have the resources to create and maintain the suit that the character uses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GL_X Posted December 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please The megacorp is a good idea but there is still the trouble of what if I make a mistake, they can take the suit back from me. Accidents happen and I'd hate to accidently do something and then the megacorp freaks out and takes my suit and thats the death of a hero. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please If you take a step back and clear your head, you'll see that by attempting to alleviate those issues, you're actually missing out on a lot of interesting possibilities for role-playing. Yes, bad things can happen, but since you're also talking about a PC then the GM should also have ideas on how such stories would play out. Even War Machine ended up not wearing the black and silver Stark-tech suit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnia Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please I'm assuming that either this is a Rust Age campaign &/or you don't want to take a Code Against Killing for this guy. You seem paranoid about being under some other authority's control &/or taking responsibility for the character's actions and dealing with the consequences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GL_X Posted December 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please Mostly I'd say that I'm not thrilled over the idea of someone else hanging their ownership of the suit over my head into doing what they want and when they want it done or having to tip toe around out of fear of them yanking the suit because I stopped one of their business partners from doing something illegal or accidently knock a guy off a bridge to his death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please As for that, if it happens, first they'd have to take the suit from you. On the other side of things, sounds like the slippery slope to villainy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnia Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please If putting in the immediate thumbscrews is par for the course for your GM, it might be better to find a new one. On the other hand, if you've given a GM reason to worry, maybe it's best to talk matters out and clear the air. Working with a GM in compromise might be best for all sides involved. What else is the party comprised of hero-wise? Maybe there's a shared background that could work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please "A hero is made in the moment, not from questioning the past or fearing what's to come." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Tom 2009 Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please You could always go The Blob route; in other words, the character found the impact site of what he first thought was a meteor, only to find what would eventually become the nanosuit that he now wears as a vigilante hero (I don't know about you, but I figure that beats the hell out of becoming an appetizer for some alien horror -- but then again, if said nanosuit were to be hit with some weird form of energy or malicious software, that might happen anyway). Major Tom 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsalwayssunny Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please You could have stolen it or inherited it, and for the upgrades and repairs you could just be super tech savvy and a genius at converting spare parts and thrown-out electronics into useful gear. Maybe your uncle was a brilliant inventor/scientist and the suit was his prototype but it turned out his venture capitalist backers were crooked and using mob money or something, resulting in a shoot-out or arson or whatever you like that destroyed his lab and plans and you were able to salvage the suit and now use it to fight back against the crooks that destroyed him. --Kap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulcan Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please Might be as simple as 'you used to be filthy rich, then blew it all on nanotech.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranxerox Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please I have a character with a really expensive nanosuit of armor and I keep running into the problem of coming up with a background that would explain why I have the nanosuit without being filthy rich and how I have it upgraded and repaired again without being filthy. Would anyone be able to suggest any ideas how I can explain both these aspects without taking the filthy rich perk? I figured you were talking about a guardian of Oa' date=' but Ralph was just a more fitting comparison seeing how he got his suit from aliens and we're talking about a suit. If I did go the route of having the suit itself making new abilities and such, would that cost more in the suit having it able to do that? I'm a bit pressed on character points right now. I was considering some contact that had the resources and liked me enough to repair and update the suit but that runs into the problem of how are they getting the funds and parts, and if it is a company why it wouldn't be noticed in their reports and such and again would have to jump through their hoops if I wanted my suit repaired or upgraded at all. Are there any other suggestions anyone has on either background of how I got the suit or how it is upgraded?[/quote'] I want to avoid any military/police/government ties because they have strict rules on how I should behave and I sometimes tend to be a little more brutal than they would appreciate. Also since I would be their lacky' date=' if I did anything they didn't like they could and would take the suit away from me and give it to someone else. Also I would be forced to do any odd job and if I refused, I lose the suit. Sure they have the resources but I would feel to in check to fully explore my crime fighting style and would feel under their thumb constantly.[/quote'] You seem to be trying to come up with a background designed to cut off plot hooks. Let me suggest instead you come up with a background designed to generate hooks to plots to the plots you want. If you saw your character as spending a lot of time beating up drug dealer, maybe he could have gotten the suit (along with latter upgrades) from someone with resources who hate drug dealers even more than your character. If you saw your character being involved a romantic subplot, introduce in his background the brilliant nanotechnology pioneer Dr. Feldmeyer and his beautiful daughter Lillian. Maybe to improve his chances with Lillian and to at least partly explain why Dr. Feldmeyer would trust your character with the suit you could have your character save Lillain's life in your background. Backgrounds are great that way; they are the one time that the players have all the powers that are normally reserved for the GM. So don't waste your background. Make it work for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please You could also buy the person who desgined the outfit as a contact (Very good terms) or even follower. Perhaps your character saved a brilliant scientist's life, and he was so grateful, he used his research to make you this suit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinanju Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please You stumbled across the nanotech suit, and have no idea how it works (or how to repair or upgrade it), but that's okay. The suit knows. Maybe you picked up a nifty foam cushion (about the size of a yoga mat, but heavy, and an inch thick) from a second-hand store (or anywhere else you like). Only, when you stepped onto it, your feet sank into the "foam," which then ran up your legs and enveloped your entire body. For a moment you were terrified because it covered your mouth, nose and eyes--but then you could see again, and breathe as well. And you had a suit of armor on. The suit fits like a glove, thin as a condom on your fingertips (but still heavily armored), thicker on your arms and legs, thickest on your torso and feet and head. It may have a HUD, it may even have an AI interface (like Jarvis in Iron Man's suit in the movies). Either way, it learns to anticipate your instructions so quickly that you hardly even have to think about it and the suit does it (whatever "it" is). It's also self-repairing. One downside of this, is that the suit will scavenge raw materials or elements from the nearest convenient source (except living creatures, one hopes). It sends out a swarm of microscopic 'bots to find and retrieve microscopic quantities of whatever it needs, like ants bringing food back to the nest. Ordinarily, the damage it inflicts on the local environment is undetectable, but if it takes a lot of damage and you leave it in the garage, you may find tools or your car or whatever have been damaged/ruined while the suit acquires the necessary materials to repair itself. Or to make upgrades to its functions when it senses a need for them (i.e., when you spend points on new abilities or upgrades). So, you're not beholden to any government or corporation, and needn't be filthy rich to afford the suit. It takes care of itself. Where it came from, and whether anyone will eventually show up to reclaim it remains to be seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin2 Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Re: Background help please Dear old Dad who you thought was just working down at the local store asks you in for a Father to son chat. Infact he is not a plain old store clerk but "Insert hero name here". Due to old age / an injury he picked up in his last fight with a major villain, he now has to step down from the crime fighting stuff. So he wished to pass on his special suit that gives super powers and mends itself. He will not tell you where he got it from but he want you to carry on the fight for good. You can carry on the name of the old hero or start your own he is not concerned. This gets a possible DNPC and GM back story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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