Mr. Touch

Appreciate the suggestions, folks. I've incorporated most of them. As far as semantics goes, I'm going to just stick with "Navy" [shrug]. Question: Should I give Navy crew any OCV in the Martial Art "Dirty Infighting" (read: Bar Brawling)? Regards, - Mr. Touch

Working on a SH campaign, and I'm trying to create some basic package deals that could potentially represent a player-character's background. My basic Marine (enlisted) PD (cost: 4 character points) Abilities: Combat Driving (3 pts), Concealment (3 pts), Demolitions (3 pts), Interrogation (3 pts), Martial Arts (Commando Training - 24 pts), +2 OCV w/ Martial Arts & Combat Rifle (4 pt levels; total 8 pts), Survival (3 pts), Tracking (3 pts), TF: Tracked Vehicles (2 pts), WF: Small Arms - SF (2 pts). Total: 54 pts Disadvantages: DF - Marine (-5 pts), Watched by Higher Authority 11- (-10 pts), PsychLim - Loyal to Government (-20), PsychLim - Always obeys orders of superiors (-15). Total: -50 pts. Total Marine PD Cost: 4 pts. So far, so good. But now... My basic Navy enlisted...er...person (cost: negative value, read on). And I can't call them "sailors". "Sailor" just doesn't seem to work in a SF campaign; not for me, anyway. Abilities: Concealment (3 pts), Interrogation (3 pts), Navigation (3 pts), +2 OCV w/ Small Arms - SF (10 pts), +2 OCV w/ Ship's Guns (10 pts), TF: Ship's Boat (1 pt), WF: Small Arms - SF (2 pts). Total: 32 pts. Disadvantages: Same as Marine (Enlisted), except substitute "DF - Navy (enlisted)" for "DF - Marine". Otherwise, total is same: -54 pts. See the problem? That makes the Total Navy (enlisted) PD Cost negative 22 (-22) pts. Not workable. I can't really cut back on the Disadvantages for Navy because they apply just as logically to them as they do the Marines. So I guess what I'm really looking for is more "stuff" (Skills, etc. - but not powers) to add to the Navy abilities list. At minimum, I need the Navy (enlisted) PD to cost zero points. And - having served in the Navy - I feel that Combat Driving, Demolitions, Martial Arts, Survival, and Tracking don't seem to apply in an overall capacity to your basic Navy grunt. I added Navigation, but I need more. A lot more. 22 points worth at least. What else can I add that brings that PD cost to zero or better? (Bonus question: What's a good name for a SF "sailor" that isn't gender-prejudiced?) Thanks in advance, - Mr. Touch

Tiger, Best advice I can offer is to visit a bookstore of your choice and peruse the titles of various sci-fi novels. While there may not be an exact titling pattern, notice how professional authors name their works in order to grab the attention of a potential reader. Better still, think of particular works you enjoy and examine their titles. If this method doesn't strike you as workable, Plan B might be to decide on a few dramatic words that basically sum up your entire campaign, without giving any real secrets away. Consider, as examples, Star Wars or Event Horizon. Even The Empire Strikes Back summed up the plot without really giving anything away. I just happen to be designing a HERO System SF campaign myself. It starts off with the characters just going through the motions of another ordinary day in whatever mundane job each of them chooses. Except...all of a sudden, nobody seems to know who they are. Their friends, relatives, work buddies, etc. all treat them as total strangers. The characters need to find out why this is happening. An alternate reality? Some low-profile agency performing psychological experiments on them? I decided to name my campaign Severed Identity. I got the idea the day the massive Equifax hack occurred. Best of luck, - Mr. Touch