Players needed for MotW and/or Black Hack OSR

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Fenris-77

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I'm running two PbP's here that have been on hiatus for the summer, and both need players before we spin back up.

The MotW game is pretty X-Files, so more agents and badges than, say, something like Dresden or Buffy. This one is still in the opening movements, so dropping in a new character will be easy. Check out the IC thread here.

The Black Hack game is a little further along and probably needs two players, although one would work. Right now the group is deciding whether to continue the current story, or perhaps reboot and possibly change OSR systems. It will be very OSR in approach, lethality and feel regardless though. OOC thread here.

So, anyone interested in either of those two opportunities can post here and we'll work something out.
 
Yup, ideally I need two people for that game. Are you guys familiar with the rules?
 
Yep. I have a copy of the rules and have read it. I'll read through it again before making starting.
 
T
Yep. I have a copy of the rules and have read it. I'll read through it again before making starting.
Take a look at the OOC thread. Theres some lore dumps you may want to take a gander at. Not a ton, but it'll help get you situated. I'm not too fashed about what kind of character you roll up, we can work with anyhing, but by all means take a look at who's playing.
 
We are also discussing changing rules sets for the BH game, although that's only a notion at this point. The game I thought of first there is Trophy Gold, mostly because I've been writing for that rules set all summer. If people wanted to try that out I wrote a Trophy Gold treatment of Keep on the Borderland that would make for a decent one-shot. Anyway, just throwing that out there.
 
I own the 1e rules for sure. Were there big changes in 2e?
 
Hmm, there are a bunch actually. Maybe DM me...
 
I've looked at the trophy rules and am willing to try them.
 
I've looked at the trophy rules and am willing to try them.
I wouldn't mind running a Trophy Gold one-shot regardless of what we decide about systems. I haven't had much of a chance to run it, and the incursion I wrote needs some playtest reps. Anyone who needs access to the TG rules in order to give them a read can PM me.
 
Hmm, there are a bunch actually. Maybe DM me...
Ah! I forgot that I Kickstarted 2nd edition and already own the PDF!

I'm set. Should I make a character? Any particular guidelines or gaps to fill in the party?

EDIT: oops, it's straight up 3d6 in order, go with what fate gives you. Cool
 
I don't see any Thieves in the OOC thread! I'll make one of those, if that's cool?
 
I don't see any Thieves in the OOC thread! I'll make one of those, if that's cool?
For sure. :thumbsup: I'm going with the mutual trust option on rolling up your character. That said, 18s across the board will raise some suspicions...
 
I've got a cleric and I've levelled them up. I need to read through the setting material before choosing background skills.
 
I've got a cleric and I've levelled them up. I need to read through the setting material before choosing background skills.
On purpose there's a lot of design room left in the setting materials, so feel free to really make the character your own.
 
Good lord. I spaced on both of these things. Sorry folks, my only defense is that my new job is eating up a lot of previously inhabited by gaming mental space. I''ll try to post the Black Hack precis this weekend.
 
I'm on this, I really am.:grin: Real life. Fuck. Anyway. I have the day off tomorrow because of the water issues here, so I'll get the BH side up and running. Promise. Pinky swear.
 
Hi! I'm brand new here and your ad caught my attention. Do you still want someone for that MoTW game? I looked through the story and I think I can make a character to fit.
 
Hi! I'm brand new here and your ad caught my attention. Do you still want someone for that MoTW game? I looked through the story and I think I can make a character to fit.
Yes, actually I do. It has been on hold because I was working on a hack that we might switch to, rules-wise, but I've lost some steam on that project so I think we'll just start up again using the MotW rules set.

The IC thread is here, which has the brief setting intro at the top. Take a look at the other characters to get a feel for the group and we can get you set up.
 
Fenris-77 Fenris-77 Thanks! Not sure if I should reply there or here so will do it here so as not to spoil that thread with too much OOC.

The team is very interesting. I like to create contrast (and not invade niche!) so how about this for a character...

Saori Nishimura is an international freelance journalist with an obsession with the supernatural, and exposing fakes. This comes from her grandparents being scammed, shortly before their deaths, by a fake cult that promised miracles. She has tackled several gangs and earned a difficult relationship with law enforcement. On the one hand she is a tenacious and fearless investigator, driven by a strong sense of right and wrong, and has uncovered numerous actionable leads for the police. On the other hand, she can be a righteous pain in the ass.

Along the way, Saori has seen and experienced things she cannot quite explain. This has dented her cynical outlook, and she is becoming drawn deeper and deeper into the underworld of the real supernatural.

She represents both a threat and potential useful friend to the Fairfax OSR...

WBKZmPd.png


It is about now I should confess I have not played MotW before though it has been recommended to me by a friend. So I will have to beg for help on the mechanics of chargen.
 
Don't worry about experience with the system. One of the joys of PbP is you have a ton of time to look shit up. The character looks great. Do you own the rules? If not I can work with you to pick a playbook and work out the mechanical parts of your PC.

Do you have experience with PbtA games more generally? I'm just trying to figure out what kind of scaffolding on system basics will be necessary here.
 
M Maya Qwan - once we have a PC built I'll figure out how to insert you into the narrative. It won't be hard. :thumbsup:
 
Hi! Thanks for this help. Is there an SDR online? I am looking at other characters to try and figure it out but they just seem to each have unique playbooks. :sad:

If I describe what Saori is good (and bad) at maybe you can help me fit her into a playbook?

As for PbP generally yes I have done it a few times now - D20 modern, M&M, Star Wars, Delta Green. So I know about IC and OOC and moves and actions and rolls.

That's a point... is there a dice roller on this site? :errr:
 
No MotW SRD I'm afraid. Lemme take a look at the rules and I'll present a couple of playbook options for you to pick from that fit your write up. There's no die roller built-in to the forum sadly. I use Orokos personally, but you can use online roller you like.

Edit: check that, the playbook you want is The Searcher, it perfect for you, so I'll give you a series of choices to build your character. See following...

You have the choice of the following stat blocks (I'd recommend something with +1 Charm but it's up to you):

Charm=0, Cool+1, Sharp+1, Tough–1, Weird+2
Charm+1, Cool–1, Sharp+1, Tough=0, Weird+2
Charm=0, Cool–1, Sharp+2, Tough=0, Weird+2
Charm=0, Cool+1, Sharp+2, Tough–1, Weird+1
Charm+1, Cool=0, Sharp+2, Tough–1, Weird+1

You get a choice of one of the following moves that relates to your first encounter with the Strange. Add some backstory to link the move to your background.

Cryptid Sighting: You take note of any reports of strange creatures. Whenever you first see a new type of creature, you may immediately ask one of the investigate a mystery questions.
Zone of Strangeness: Things are not fixed. You never need act under pressure when supernatural forces alter the environment around you, and you get 2-armour against harm from sudden changes to the laws of physics.
Psychic Event: Your mind is awakened. You may act under pressure to use the sensitive weird move, or—if sensitive is your weird move—empath. See page 21.
Higher power: Something looks out for you. You start with an extra Luck.
Strange Dangers: You are always watching for hazards. When you have no armour, you still count as having 1-armour.
Abduction: They taught you hidden knowledge. Gain +1 to any move when you research strange or ancient secrets to do it.
Cosmic Insight: You have encompassed the soul of the universe. You never need to act under pressure due to feelings of fear, despair, or isolation.

You also get to choose two off the following list of moves (Fellow Believer looks awesome for your concept):

Prepared to Defend: Even truth seekers need to fight some times. Whenever you suffer harm when you kick some ass or protect someone, you suffer 1-harm less.
Fellow Believer: People understand you’ve also known strangeness. Bystanders will talk to you about weird things they would not trust another hunter (or a mundane official) to believe.
Guardian: You have a mystical ally (perhaps a spirit, alien, or cryptid) who helps and defends you. Define them, and their powers, with the Keeper’s agreement. Their look is one of: invisible, an intangible spirit thing, a weird creature, disguised as an animal, or disguised as a person.
Just Another Day: When you have to act under pressure due to a monster, phenomenon, or mystical effect, you may roll +Weird instead of +Cool.
Network: You may gain an ally group of others who had experiences similar to your first encounter—perhaps they’re a support group or
hobbyist club. Detail up to five members with useful skills related to what happened to them (none are up for fighting monsters).
Ockham’s Broadsword: When you first encounter something strange, you may ask the Keeper what sort of thing it is. They will tell you if it (or the cause) is: natural, an unnatural creature, a weird phenomenon, or a person. You gain +1 forward dealing with it.
The Things I’ve Seen: When you encounter a creature or phenomenon, you may declare that you have seen it before. The Keeper may ask you some questions about that encounter, and will then tell you one useful fact you learned and one danger you need to watch out for (maybe right now).

You also get two choices from this list of starting gear:

A bag of cameras & microphones.
Forensic tools.
Ghost hunting tools.
Scientific measuring tools.
Cryptid hunting gear.
Historical documents and witness reports of strange events.
Maps, blueprints, and building reports for significant places.

And two self-defense weapons:


Walking stick (1-harm hand innocuous).
Small handgun (2-harm close reload loud).
Small knife (1-harm hand messy).
Martial arts training (1-harm hand innocuous).
Incapacitating spray (0-harm hand irritating).
Heavy flashlight (1-harm hand innocuous).

And you're done. Well, we need to work out some links to the other characters, but we can handle that after you've built your character. We will also need to figure out how you ended up working for or associated with a shadowy government agency.
 
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Thank you again. :kiss:

OK I like this one...

Charm+1, Cool=0, Sharp+2, Tough–1, Weird+1

But I want to move that +1 weird to cool instead. UNLESS I am misunderstanding what weird means?
For the moves, I agree. How about these two:

MOVES
Fellow Believer:
People understand you’ve also known strangeness. Bystanders will talk to you about weird things they would not trust another hunter (or a mundane official) to believe.
Network: You may gain an ally group of others who had experiences similar to your first encounter—perhaps they’re a support group or hobbyist club. Detail up to five members with useful skills related to what happened to them (none are up for fighting monsters).

(The network will be cops she has befriended/earned the trust, or editors to whom she has sold stories, maybe some conspiracy theorists she has also interacted with.)

GEAR
A (very expensive) handbag (with) a digital camera & microphone. (essential journalist equipment)
Ghost hunting tools. - to be determined

WEAPONS
Martial arts training (1-harm hand innocuous).
Incapacitating spray (0-harm hand irritating).

(though, this is America, so... maybe I will take the handgun instead of the spray?)

I thought it might be useful to give more detail on her background. I can of course change things to help you fit me into the group...

Name: Saori Nishimura
Age:
28
Nationality:
Japanese
Occupation:
Investigative journalist (freelance)
Equipment:
Press pass, CIA ID (stolen), microchip scanner/cloner (stolen)
Biography:

Intelligent, articulate, curious and tenacious; Saori was attracted to law from a young age. With a flair for languages, she studied Journalism and International Affairs for five years in Montreal and speaks English and French fluently. She was headed for a bright career in international law. But, she returned to Japan when she learned a ring of “psychics” scamming the elderly with miracle cures for cancer had made victims of her grandparents. They died soon after, and Saori made it her mission to expose this ring. She became a kind of freelance journalist and hunted them down with media exposure, befriending and sometimes exasperating the police along the way.

Her skills and confidence suited the work of a journalist and she earned a role on the Yomuiri Shimbun national newspaper. She became involved in other paranormal stories. Her standpoint was always as the cynic, to uncover the scientific explanation and expose the frauds. She also tackled regular gangs, including a Chinese triad trafficking North Korean women and running illegal brothels out of massage parlours. Saori has been forced to sneak and bluff her way out of trouble several times. Her senior colleague stole the credit for several stories, so Saori quit and went freelance. She moved to America, where stories of the Weird were appearing with increasing frequency.

Again and again, she was attracted to the paranormal. It had become an obsession, especially when she witnessed things that just had no rational explanation. Then she began to study the occult... and discovered disturbing truths.

She is armed with her international press pass and an ability to talk her way past many doors. She once undertook a police-run self-defense course in Tokyo, and mandatory judo in high school. While she might surprise a bigger, stronger male who would underestimate her, she is not really a combatant.

In another life Saori perhaps would have been a spy, and she deploys this arsenal, along with charm when necessary, in her insatiable quest for the truth.
 
I don't have a problem with you moving the +1 to Cool.

The last thing to do is connect to the other characters. There's a list of questions, and you pick one and apply it to each of the other PCs. That said, you don;t actually have to connect to all four other agents, but say pick at least two of the following and explain how they apply and to whom. You can use my NCP Richard Dale or not at your convenience. Here's the list:

• In your researches, you found accounts (and pictures) of someone matching their description perfectly, but long before they were born. Tell them if you have mentioned this.
• A relative. Decide between you how close.
• They were involved in a supernatural event similar to your first encounter. Perhaps it was the same event, or perhaps you investigated their event later. Ask them how the event affected them.
• You figured out a supernatural or weird secret they keep. Ask them what it is.
• You met when you were each investigating seperate mysteries. Tell them what trick you used to protect them from weirdness and ask them how they saved you from a danger.
• You’re both veterans of a therapy or support group or a treatment program. Work out the details between you.
• Some creature or force is stalking them. Ask them what it is. Then decide if you’ve told them about it or if they are still happily unaware.
• You found their pet when it went missing. Where had it gone?
 
You figured out a supernatural or weird secret they keep. Ask them what it is.
• You met when you were each investigating seperate mysteries. Tell them what trick you used to protect them from weirdness and ask them how they saved you from a danger.

I think these two will work.

You figured out a supernatural or weird secret they keep. Ask them what it is.
- This must be James Hew. Somehow I figured out he is a leonine monster in alternate form! Or maybe I suspect, and have been secretly investigating them to see if I'm right.

You met when you were each investigating separate mysteries. Tell them what trick you used to protect them from weirdness and ask them how they saved you from a danger.
- For this, I would like you to ask if one of the others would like to take it. If no takers, then Richard Dale. Let's say they first rescued me from being tied down to a cursed altar or something, ready to be sacrificed (somehow I got myself into this trouble), then I returned the favour as we tried to escape the location, by successfully picking a lock to get us out of a dungeon?
 
Silverlion Silverlion - one additional connection for you above

Séadna Séadna Simon Hogwood Simon Hogwood Voros Voros - any takers on connection 2? If not it can be Deltone...

M Maya Qwan - it's always good to tag specific posters if you're directing a post at them. The get pinged and helps keep things moving along. Also, once we have the detail sorted, could you collate your character info and post it to the play thread.

I'm going to start on a character keeper that will eventually get a link in the OP there.
 
M Maya Qwan I'll take it sure. We can say that your reporting work on some cases of mine was useful, it was clear you had learned enough to know the supernatural existed and I ended up running into you on some investigation. Say a Yōkai or similar and got approval from Deltone to recruit you. Or any variation on this that you prefer.
 
So, hard decision time. I'm going to call the Black Hack game done for now. The general lack of interest (also on my part) suggests it would be a chore rather than a joy to try and resuscitate. I am still committed to the MotW game, which will hopefully pick up some steam after the holidays. I'm looking to start a Stars Without Number game, so anyone form my BH campaign who wants to jump ship is welcome to.

hawkeyefan hawkeyefan is the only person I can think of who hasn't already expressed interest (other than the new folk). Mt apologies if I've forgotten someone.
 
So, hard decision time. I'm going to call the Black Hack game done for now. The general lack of interest (also on my part) suggests it would be a chore rather than a joy to try and resuscitate. I am still committed to the MotW game, which will hopefully pick up some steam after the holidays. I'm looking to start a Stars Without Number game, so anyone form my BH campaign who wants to jump ship is welcome to.

hawkeyefan hawkeyefan is the only person I can think of who hasn't already expressed interest (other than the new folk). Mt apologies if I've forgotten someone.

I’d be down to play Stars Without Number if you need another person.
 
Can I use this one to connect to Saoshi? • In your researches, you found accounts (and pictures) of someone matching their description perfectly, but long before they were born. Tell them if you have mentioned this.
 
Can I use this one to connect to Saoshi? • In your researches, you found accounts (and pictures) of someone matching their description perfectly, but long before they were born. Tell them if you have mentioned this.
I'm struggling to decide what the purpose of this post is. If it's about our prospective new player some IRL stuff cam up and they won't be joining us.
 
I'm struggling to decide what the purpose of this post is. If it's about our prospective new player some IRL stuff cam up and they won't be joining us.
That was...as the thread just popped up for me.
Alas ;(
 
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