Play@YSDC

Out of Character things

Just a couple questions, because I'm quite in the dark here.

The expedition we are generating PCs for, where is it headed exactly and why? What is its goal? And who is funding all this?

I'll get my main character rolled up this evening.

@NFVD
From the original posts in the 'I'm thinking of running a game' section
[quote="Cearlan"]If and when I run this you'll be on the group doing general scientific research on the region, the Inuit, as well as in depth research on the remains of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition.[/quote]

@Papa Gateau
Looking forward to it if the first couple are anything to go by

Cearlan wrote:@NFVD

*Groan*. Forcing me to check out wikipedia..grumble...grumble...

Ah, that Franklin Expedition. I wasn't sure if it was an historical event or something invented for the adventure. Turns out I've even played a boardgame based on it a couple times. Tottaly missed the connection.


An unrelated suggestion. We could use a thread to put replacement PCs in, folks could just roll them up and flesh out details later. Or do you want us to only make them later?


Edit: I'll be darned! Fate works in curious ways. Turns out the real Franklin Expedition was found 20 years after Walker in the Wastes came out. Eerie stuff...

I should be able to create my second character this weekend, probably the archaeologist/historian. Would I be playing both characters at the same time, or only one?

@NFVD
Good idea about placement of secondary characters ... then you could either use them as a 'pool' to draw from or keep to your own as you would wish - I'll leave that for you, the players, to decide, but I'll set the other forum up after I finish this post.

What do you mean the 'real' Franklin expedition lol. Yeah I remember seeing the story unfold on the news. That may have been the 'real' expedition, but the truth behind how and why it came to it's grisly end is told herein ... it's true I tells ya!

@ Mr Handy
Playing the main character only - though after seeing what I put up above in answer to NFVD, I guess you could put first dibs on your secondary character if you wish.

Aippaq looks great! As her sheet stands now, she should have 11 HP rather than 10 (it rounds up), but aren't we all supposed to have a minimum CON of 12?

Can you beleive it? I forgot to list the guns hunting-loving Dr. Feigel is taking on the expedition. That unforgivable error has now been corrected.

He's really looking foward to the chance of bagging some critters on the way. Polar bears and Sea Lions beware!

As he busies himself packing his two favorite European-made guns, the good Doctor is getting a very good feeling about this trip.

Papa Gateau wrote:I'll get my main character rolled up this evening.

I lied - I'll get the character sorted today - atm I'm leaning towards an anthropologist.

Mr. Handy wrote:Aippaq looks great! As her sheet stands now, she should have 11 HP rather than 10 (it rounds up), but aren't we all supposed to have a minimum CON of 12?

When they were hired she and Lewis lied about her overall health, as they hadn't had her early onset of TB diagnosed as such.

ghill wrote:

Mr. Handy wrote:Aippaq looks great! As her sheet stands now, she should have 11 HP rather than 10 (it rounds up), but aren't we all supposed to have a minimum CON of 12?

When they were hired she and Lewis lied about her overall health, as they hadn't had her early onset of TB diagnosed as such.

In truth this does present some opportunity for role-play so I'll let it roll (geddit?)

With regard to meta-gaming, the only drawback would be when a CON roll is required, you would stand a greater chance of failure, but if you are prepared to accept that then so am I. That and the resultant drop in hit points of course.

Norman

Cearlan wrote:With regard to meta-gaming, the only drawback would be when a CON roll is required, you would stand a greater chance of failure, but if you are prepared to accept that then so am I. That and the resultant drop in hit points of course.

I'm happy with that, I prefer the role play opportunity.

G

My secondary character is now ready. He is a student of the first and, while not exactly professional, may be an invaluable aide should my first investigator become incompacitated. He is currently house sitting for my first investigator, but can travel to the expedition should his aide be required.

drone232 wrote:My secondary character is now ready. He is a student of the first and, while not exactly professional, may be an invaluable aide should my first investigator become incompacitated. He is currently house sitting for my first investigator, but can travel to the expedition should his aide be required.

Due to the expedition being all but cut off due to the severe Canadian Arctic winter, may I suggest that he is actually part of the expedition.

Cearlan wrote:

drone232 wrote:My secondary character is now ready. He is a student of the first and, while not exactly professional, may be an invaluable aide should my first investigator become incompacitated. He is currently house sitting for my first investigator, but can travel to the expedition should his aide be required.

Due to the expedition being all but cut off due to the severe Canadian Arctic winter, may I suggest that he is actually part of the expedition.

Sorry, I had no idea how the actual secondary character thing worked. I assumed that after the first character died, the second one was then taken control of. I will alter the character description of Jack Reynolds to state that he is tagging along for the ride and that this is his first foriegn expedition. I will, however, ask whether or not the primary and secondary characters are controlled at the same time or if the secondary character is just assumed to be in the adventure, but not actually roleplayed until the primary character becomes incompacitated. I have yet to do a campaign both online and in real life and thus only have experience of one-shots that do not make use of backup characters.

@Drone232
As I stated earlier, Walker in the Wastes is a fairly deadly game so it is likely that characters will either go insane or die, so rather than have a hiatus for a player whilst the secondary character arrives on scene, especially considering the harsh Arctic environment all but isolating the expedition from the outside world, it makes sense to have the secondary investigators in situ.

They will not be role-played until needed.

Not normally an issue I know, but the party WILL be pretty much isolated throughout the winter months where the 'prologue' scenario takes place.

@all
Once we get Andy's character up and running, we are good to go

I have made my replacement PC. I am a bit of a sucker for rolling characters that the party needs so I did one that fits a dual role as indicated in the rules, a Geologist/Photographer.

Hi Team, very sorry for being tardy, I shall be ready very shortly.

If the GM has no objections, I shall take the archaeologist spot - Dr Dougal Fraser, Scottish field archaeologist.

Sorry again for the hold-up, will be there in a jiff.

Cheers,

Andy

PS Given I'm a bit behind the eight-ball time wise anyway, don't worry about a secondary PC for me - I shall be happy to play whatever is spare if / when Dougal falls foul of something big and tentacled.

Time to roll some stats...

[dice]0[/dice]

[dice]1[/dice]

[dice]2[/dice]

[dice]3[/dice]

[dice]4[/dice]

[dice]5[/dice]

[dice]6[/dice]

[dice]0[/dice]

I suspect you'll have more than enough time to generate a 2nd character, we're not exactly moving at a massive rate of knots.

I've pm'd NFVD and if there has not been a reply in the next 24 hours or so ... I'll NPC the Doc until his return and add something to the rules to this effect.

We also have a new player, new to both the campaign and the game in general coming aboard in the next day or so, so I'll ask you all to open a warm and helping welcome to dustakr ... who'll be along shortly

Welcome, dustakr! I look forward to going insane together.

Just to clarify, what secondary / back up characters occupations still need to be generated?

Cearlan wrote:I've pm'd NFVD and if there has not been a reply in the next 24 hours or so ... I'll NPC the Doc until his return and add something to the rules to this effect.

I was waiting for my PC to be warned that the men had returned and his presence was needed, as implied in the "go get the Doc" orders of Christopher to the Inuit guide woman. I assumed from the GM's description the PC was not close enough to the scene to just drop by, and there was no reason he was aware of to indicate anything out of the ordinary.

NFVD wrote:

Cearlan wrote:I've pm'd NFVD and if there has not been a reply in the next 24 hours or so ... I'll NPC the Doc until his return and add something to the rules to this effect.

I was waiting for my PC to be warned that the men had returned and his presence was needed, as implied in the "go get the Doc" orders of Christopher to the Inuit guide woman. I assumed from the GM's description the PC was not close enough to the scene to just drop by, and there was no reason he was aware of to indicate anything out of the ordinary.

Probably my fault for the confusion then, I included Aippaq in my post as she's my main PC's companion and my backup character but was considering her an NPC so not really under my authority.

ghill wrote:

NFVD wrote:

Cearlan wrote:I've pm'd NFVD and if there has not been a reply in the next 24 hours or so ... I'll NPC the Doc until his return and add something to the rules to this effect.

I was waiting for my PC to be warned that the men had returned and his presence was needed, as implied in the "go get the Doc" orders of Christopher to the Inuit guide woman. I assumed from the GM's description the PC was not close enough to the scene to just drop by, and there was no reason he was aware of to indicate anything out of the ordinary.

Probably my fault for the confusion then, I included Aippaq in my post as she's my main PC's companion and my backup character but was considering her an NPC so not really under my authority.

No my fault entirely .... Aippaq is an NPC and will do whatever she is asked, so I made the assumption that she had gone to get the doctor as requested.

Secondary characters are not under the auspices of players until their main character is incapacitated for whatever reason, simply back-up or reserves if you will ready to slip into action when needed.

Norman

I'll finish Balzac tomorrow chaps.

I posted my char in investigators topic, where to next..

Mr. Handy wrote:Welcome, dustakr! I look forward to going insane together.

Hello Mr. Handy, thanks for words...and Count me In.

Hey there dustakr! Jump in and post something in the "Part 1 The Dead of Winter" posting, just give an idea what your PC is up to.

Oh GM of Kind Goodness!! (I take -1SAN for using the dread invocation...)

Query about equipment:

I hadn't bothered to put in mundane stuff as I assumed a fair amount has been supplied by the expedition organisers, but perhaps I should have been more specific.

Could you give us some idea what sort of stuff has been supplied? Rather specifically for Dougal's needs (besides scotch whisky and tobacco), do we have work issue:
- Rifles
- Shotguns
- Ammunition for above
- Lamps or torches (trans into American, that would be 'flashlights', sorry) of some sturdy design.

Alternatively, would you be happy for me just to amend his equipment a tad to include a few more items like a double barrelled shotty?

Cheers,

Andy

PS Happy Easter (/pagan festivity) All, may ye olde arcane rabbit lurk through the night and leave you chocolate eggs the like of which No man Was Meant To Know.

I am sorry about the confusion, but I am unclear if my PC Dr. Newton is accompanying the forey or staying behind to go over the bodies? I think he would be more inclined to performing the autopsies than joining the rest of the gang, unless it fits the GM's plans more that he would be going along for the ride.

andyw666 wrote:Oh GM of Kind Goodness!! (I take -1SAN for using the dread invocation...)

Query about equipment:

I hadn't bothered to put in mundane stuff as I assumed a fair amount has been supplied by the expedition organisers, but perhaps I should have been more specific.

Could you give us some idea what sort of stuff has been supplied? Rather specifically for Dougal's needs (besides scotch whisky and tobacco), do we have work issue:
- Rifles
- Shotguns
- Ammunition for above
- Lamps or torches (trans into American, that would be 'flashlights', sorry) of some sturdy design.

Alternatively, would you be happy for me just to amend his equipment a tad to include a few more items like a double barrelled shotty?

Cheers,

Andy

PS Happy Easter (/pagan festivity) All, may ye olde arcane rabbit lurk through the night and leave you chocolate eggs the like of which No man Was Meant To Know.

Andy - not really bothered about this with one proviso. As I posted earlier (in the "I'm thinking of running a game" section) we have this.

Since the mission is well funded, no-one is asked to bring any personal gear, through this is certainly not prohibited or even discouraged (though a 200 pound weight limit is set due to transportation restrictions). However, anyone attempting to bring along a semi-automatic, lever action or pump action firearm was asked not to since these types of firearms are more susceptible to malfunction in the extremely cold temperature. Such individuals are gently advised that bolt action rifles, break open shotguns and revolvers are much more suitable. Any character even hinting that they may bring along a fully automatic weapon would have been instantly and irrevocably disqualified and probably reported to the authorities to become subjects of a police investigation.

NFVD wrote:I am sorry about the confusion, but I am unclear if my PC Dr. Newton is accompanying the forey or staying behind to go over the bodies? I think he would be more inclined to performing the autopsies than joining the rest of the gang, unless it fits the GM's plans more that he would be going along for the ride.

Up to you if you stay or go NFVD ... the bodies will not thaw out enough to be able to carry out autopsies for ... oh let's say 18 hours or so -based on the length of time to fully defrost a frozen joint of meat and multiplying it for the increased body mass - probably wildly inaccurate but close enough to my mind

Oh Ok. It that case he will go, and bring his guns.

Cool stuff. Assume Fraser has also packed a double barrelled 12-gauge shotgun for polar bear potting.

Cheers,

Andy

#=$&#*$&!!!!

Boy, I guess we're all over that Spot Hidden skill like a rash.

As Dougal is back in the fray, my secondary character Balzac will draw back into the shadows for the moment.

It has been around a week now. Where has everyone gone? Is the game still going? No one seems to have posted anything in a while.

Nothing else I can really add on my thread without some input from Cearlan.

I can't doing anything more in my thread without him either, unless someone else posts there to converse.

Sorry to have gone AWOL, spent some time working in the UK which led to a nice piece of work that is keeping me very busy. When I'm not doing that I'm trying to keep mother nature at bay during springtime on the farm.

Sorry for being away unannounced, but a family crisis caused my absence. All sorted now though.

Real life happens. Hope everything is good now.

<tumble weed/>

Leaving this one open for you to pick up.
Let me know if it's a no go.

Cheers and good luck!
/Dave