Welcome to my latest idea, "GB: Ecto-Charge"; aka, "What if Ghostbusters was an anime?" :P (because some of these ideas sound very "Anime", if I'm being honest)
So, the premise is thus:
In the city of Olympia, at the Evergreen State College, a handful of students and a professor find themselves in possession of some unique equipment!
These materials confirm the existence of ghosts! Unfortunately, it was not meant for them, and their purpose was not in the interest of "pure research". A classmate, a genius in their own right, has hostile intentions, trying to use ghosts like attack animals, and the campus is their testing grounds.
With the guidance of their mythology professor, can these students protect their peers, thwart this ghost-lords' plans, and still pass their midterms?
Beneath the hider boxes I'll be sharing more background details to this rp, including some guidelines for character building, details on the gear/equipment, and a sort of system for how Ghosts and Ecto work.
I strongly recommend reading through the material before submitting a character, because, as I state in all my rp's, if a character submission or questions indicate you aren't ready the material I went to the effort of providing, you're not going to play in my rp.
That being said, I will point out that since this is Ghostbusters, there is absolutely room for levity/humor, just don't try to derail the whole thing, alright? Outside of that, (again, per my usual schtick in my rp's) don't expect that there won't be consequences for your actions- escapism is one thing, power fantasy is another. Y'all aren't just here to bare witness to "my story", and I appreciate the same level of consideration from the players for each other.
Important Note: The Setting assumes the players will all be in a Mythology course together, and that's the only GM Mandate I'm issuing (unless it becomes necessary...)
phew, now, I think that's enough of me being so serious! Shpadoinkle. Time to share the details of the setting, and all that jazz!
For simplicity and diversity's sake, every supernatural/paranormal creature/entity will be subsumed unter the moniker of "Ghost", with some exceptions. No, I won't go into detail.
In Ghostbusters, Ghosts are often organized into "classes". Effectively, this reflects their level of overall power and capability, a Class 1 being a Wisp or Orb, while the most powerful apparitions like Gozer fall firmly into Class 7 (and Vigo The Carpathian, briefly, but, we'll get to that...)
For a run down of each class, I'm providing this link.
It will be important to know some of this because 1) because of details in the setting, Ghosts can be powered up to higher Classes temporarily, and 2) Players will, due to the nature of the equipment as described in this setting, be able to occasionally call forth a Ghost to help wear down and capture other Ghosts!
Obviously, Player Characters aren't going to know this right out of the gate, that'll come out through roleplay/exposition, but, it still helps to have this kind of thing clarified.
Earlier I mentioned our boy, Vigo. He seemed to present a serious threat, but, not without a lot of help. Vigo was the antagonist in Ghostbusters 2, wherein the GB's (and Vigo) had discovered a radical build up of psychokinetic residue; a sort of pseudo-ectoplasm. It collected and reacted to powerful psychic energy, such as negative emotions. It had been growing and was thoroughly charged with negative energy, because New York. Vigo used this "mood slime" to artificially boost his Class power up to 7, but originally, he's technically only a Class 4 Ghost, at best.
To put it another, more amusing way? Slimer(Class 5!) is technically more powerful than Vigo! XD
I'll detail how this is relevant to the setting more in the Equipment section, but in this setting, Ghosts produce Ectoplasm, and for purposes of the setting, shed ectoplasm (ecto that's been left on a person or surface) and "Mood Slime" are effectively the same thing, the former being in a somewhat nuetral state, while the latter is charged with positive/negative psychic energy.
To start: The equipment is all essentially 1 device, with extensions that serve different functions! The overall device is The Pack, and each function is facilitated by an Extension.
The CU or "Containment Unit" This is a specialized chamber that contains Ghosts; they can't get in, or out, unless the operator wants them to. But, in order to maximize the limited space (yes, even condensed ghosts have mass), excess/residual Ectoplasm is syphoned into-
The Ecto Chamber This container serves to maximize space in the CU, but primarily stores Ectoplasm as a fuel! It has a limited capacity, and doesn't refill quickly (especially if ghosts' have escaped/been purged from the CU). Ecto get's expended to temporarily release a Ghost and give it visible mass. It get's expended to power-up the Ghost/give the Ghost an "Ecto-Charge" (note: This can be the riskiest expenditure of Ecto, because it uses the most). In negligible quantities it powers other extensions such as the PKE Scanner and the Trap. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, it powers the Proton Projector- the primary weapon.
The Proton Projector This is the part of The Pack that arguably sees the most active use. Ecto-plasm gets converted into raw energy, and the lion's share of that energy goes towards the Blast Attack! It has 2 settings: Blast Mode is the normal default, and it projects a powerful stream of energy that can restrain ghosts! Lower Class Ghosts can be damaged, or even dispersed with this Extension! The second setting is a nozzle that connects directly to the Ecto Chamber- It's purpose is firing Charged Ectoplasm directly into a Ghost! This increases a Ghost's power, and thus it's effective Class. This function is the titular "Ecto-Charge".
The Trap The Trap is pretty self explanatory; it draws in sufficiently weakened ghosts, and deposits them directly into the CU. It can also act as a Tether, preventing a released Ghost from escaping again.
The PKE Scanner This device folds over the shoulder, and over one of the user's eyes! It allows the user to see weaker Classes of Ghosts that can't normally manifest on the visual spectrums, or are hiding from sight deliberately. It also reads the energy levels, allowing the user to identify the Class of the creature, and it also acts as digital registry of all Ghost's currently in the CU. That last function let's the user single out and select a specific Ghost if they intend to release it temporarily. Lastly, it can act as a general proximity alarm, detecting when there's an uncaptured Ghost within it's passive scanning range.
The Location As the rp progresses, I'll open up the setting to include locations in the rest of the city, perhaps even further? For now, however, I'm limiting the map to the main campus:
Character Sheet Character Name: Age: Major: Personality: Background: Favorite Ghost: (This one can be left blank at first, or it can be filled out and inform plans I make so that a Ghost matching this closely can be encountered) Do You Believe in UFO's, Astral Projections, Mental Telepathy, ESP, Clairvoyance, Spirit Photography, Telekinetic Movement, Full Trance Mediums, The Loch Ness Monster and The Theory of Atlantis?:
Please apply by sending me a proposed CS, expressing interest and discussing ideas in the OOC is fine with me!
@BenG85 So I've been looking at this on and off, wondering if I like Ghostbusters enough to join a roleplay about it. And it turns out I do. So I'll throw in my interest. I'll start working on a character sheet.
@BenG85 So I came up with a character. He's going to be the skeptic member until he sees actual ghosts.
Character Name:
Chase Robinson
Age:
20
Major:
Creative Writing
Personality:
Chase is a pleasant person to be around. While he doesn’t stand out too much, he always has a polite smile and doesn’t say anything too offensive. Part of this is because he is an introvert, favoring putting his nose in a book then engaging in conversation. He doesn’t like to rock the boat as he grew up in a household of fights. As such he tends to keep to the status quo.
Chase is a staunch skeptic. While he finds the stories of folklore and mythology interesting and good stories, he does view them as simply stories. Perhaps one of the reasons he writes fantasy is for escapism. Chase views his life as pretty mundane, save the family troubles. Chase tends to avoid these things, keeping his mind on his dreams.
While Chase doesn’t mention it much, he is bisexual. He kept it on the down low back in his hometown as he didn’t want people talking, or his family finding out. Chase is not very good at romantic relationships, having not dated anyone since his senior year of high school. But he is still looking, hoping that with as many people living in Olympia that he could find a match.
Background:
Chase was born in the small town of Krant, a few hours drive from Olympia. Chase was one of four kids, born to a school teacher and an entrepreneur. Chase enjoyed growing up in his small town, getting to know all the residents very well. Chase’s father would try multiple times to put Krant on the map, starting all kinds of businesses and creating many different products. The repeated failure of these ventures put a strain on Chase’s parents’ relationship.
Chase would escape this conflict through the written word. He would quickly make his way through most of the books in his small elementary school, before moving onto the used bookstore that sat in downtown Krant. Chase would spend many an hour perusing the many overstocked shelves of the store. Even when a big box bookstore opened in Krant as part of a new development, Chase would still favor the independent store.
In his later years at elementary/middle school, Chase would begin dabbling in writing his own stories. They would function as an escape for Chase as his parents’ relationship got worse. Chase would not be able escape the whispers of small town gossip about his family. Eventually it reached a boiling point, and the summer before starting high school, Chase, his siblings, and his mother would move out of Krant.
They would move to West Hartings, a small city much closer to the big city of Olympia. Chase’s mother would get a job at a high school just as Chase started at the same school. Chase would fall in with the artsy crowd, favoring the language arts. It was in these teen years both decided he wanted to write for a living and also became a skeptic. But conversely he also came to view supernatural stories as good fodder for stories.
Chase would end up winning a short story writing course for his school district. This confirmed to Chase that writing was his true calling. But he didn’t dive in immediately, instead after graduating he decided to travel the world. For many months he would backpack across Europe and Asia alongside some friends. Chase would find these cultures and superstitions interesting, incorporating them into his writing.
When Chase returned to America, he applied to Evergreen State College. He was quickly accepted, prompting him to move to Olympia a month before classes would start. Chase found a cheap apartment, and would find employment at an independent book store much like the one in Krant. Chase would immediately go head first into his studies.
Chase would manage to maintain good grades through his first year. It was then during his second year that he would decide to take a mythology course. Chase mostly took it as a form of research for the fantasy stories he wrote. But he would find Professor Abraham very interesting, getting annoyed when anyone called him Doctor Specter. In fact he greatly enjoyed the course, even if he viewed it all as stories and nothing else.
Favorite Ghost:
[Blank for Now]
Do You Believe in UFO's, Astral Projections, Mental Telepathy, ESP, Clairvoyance, Spirit Photography, Telekinetic Movement, Full Trance Mediums, The Loch Ness Monster and The Theory of Atlantis?:
While they are all cool concepts, I do realize that they probably don’t exist. But they make great fiction.
Character Name: Joseph "Joe" Bronson Age: 20 Major: Graphic Design Personality: Upon first glance, Joe is a quiet, reserved young man. His face is almost always in a neutral expression, which has lead many of his peers to half-jokingly speculate if he is even capable of smiling. While initially standoffish with strangers, we will eventually warm up to people, especially if they're funny.
Those that are familiar with Joe know that he values humor more than anything. He has a bleak sense of humor, and often makes sarcastic deadpan quips around people he's comfortable with. He shrouds everything he does in humor to hide the fact that the years of near isolation as a child have left him feeling rather empty. All of his art is intended to be comedic first. Even when tackling serious issues, always tries to find a humorous angle to approach it from.
Joe is a lifelong collector of comic books, and took an interest in Mythology to get a better understanding of the myths and legends that many of his personal favorites are based on. He is very protective of his collection, keeping it locked in a safe in his dorm room. He uses the skills learned from majoring in graphic design to write and publish comic strips in the university newspaper.
Background: Joe was born in Sedona, Arizona, and lived there for most of his life. He had no siblings and very few friends as a child, and was generally seen as "the weird kid" by his peers. His overprotective parents rarely let him go out, so he spent the majority of the first 18 years of his life cooped-up in his room. He grew an interest in Comics from an early age, collecting as many as he could get his hands on, and drawing his own with printer paper and #2 pencil. The few friends he had, he made through sharing his comics. He continued to hone his craft and managed to get a scholarship for multiple prestigious design colleges, but for some reason, he felt something urging him to attend Evergreen State College.
Favorite Ghost: [blank for now]
Do You Believe in UFO's, Astral Projections, Mental Telepathy, ESP, Clairvoyance, Spirit Photography, Telekinetic Movement, Full Trance Mediums, The Loch Ness Monster and The Theory of Atlantis?: I don't know, I've never seem much proof, but I've never seen anybody disprove that those exist either.
Age: 20 Major: History Personality: Felix can be described as an somewhat introvert. Always there for his friends and family but also enjoys his alone time. Often reading what books and comics that interested him. Especially history and mythology, as he loves the two subjects along with video games.
Generally speaking, Felix tends to keep to himself and go with the flow most of the time. However, there are times when he can be stubborn and will not budge. This tends to happen with dealing with something that Felix cares about, and it can be hard to convince him otherwise.
When asked about the myths he has learned and whether or not he believes that there is something more out there. Felix always says he does not know. For Felix always based what he has learned with what he has experienced personally. Though with myths and legends, he always thinks that while they are probably just stories. They might have a truth in them that is waiting to be found.
Background: The eldest son of Colombian immigrants and born in Austin, Texas. Felix was always the odd one out, and despite the times, he tried to fit in. He just couldn't though that did not stop him from making friends. What few they were, and mostly just did his own thing while growing up, which was not easy as his parents struggled to find jobs to support themselves. While they were poor, Felix did not mind, just treating it as something he had to live with and managed his way. What helped was the stories that his mother told him. Often based in myths that she grew up with and made him curious about other cultures and their myths.
It was not until when he was fifteen that his father caught a big break and was offered a well-paying job in Olympia, and though Felix would miss his friends. He did welcome the change as now the family had money that they could spend on luxuries and others on. One thing that Felix asked for was books about history, mythologies, and more. Feeding his personal library and interest in history and mythology. Deciding on becoming an archeologist and seeing the world.
When it became time to go to college, Felix managed to get a scholarship to Evergreen State College and was glad to be able to pursue his dreams though fate would have plans for him.
Favorite Ghost: Blank for now Do You Believe in UFO's, Astral Projections, Mental Telepathy, ESP, Clairvoyance, Spirit Photography, Telekinetic Movement, Full Trance Mediums, The Loch Ness Monster and The Theory of Atlantis?: Maybe? I am unsure of it all and maybe if I have seen it. I just stick to what is known to be true most of the time.
@BenG85 So, I didn't realize that Olympia was a real place when I made my character. I thought it was just a generic city somewhere in America. But yeah I looked it up and learned that it was the capital of Washington state. Whelp. You can blame it on my being Canadian.
@BenG85 So, I didn't realize that Olympia was a real place when I made my character. I thought it was just a generic city somewhere in America. But yeah I looked it up and learned that it was the capital of Washington state. Whelp. You can blame it on my being Canadian.
Also I posted.
lol, yeah, I'm a born-and-raised 1st generation Washingtonian; I actually live 10 minutes by car from this college. Some people think Seattle is our capitol just because it's the city they've heard of :P
Alright, got a post out. Y'all can react however you like, don't sweat posting a large post since I only gave you so much to work with. soon though I'm going to move it along.
I was thinking about including y'alls brief interviews with the poli of oly, but if y'all would rather skip that, it's fine with me to move on with the plot.
Ok, well, 1 week, 0 feedback, or responses. I'm inclined to move on, and give you all more to do with some overt and clear prompts.
I openly encourage y'all to message me directly if you have ideas in mind for your characters, an arch you want to pursue, whatever will improve engagement here.
@BenG85 Yeah sorry about not responding sooner. I was dealing with some things for the past week so all my RPs took a hit. I did put up a new post as Chase where he is first in line to talk to the cops.
