💣 Love Bomb Piracy Front 💣

[Spike]

Alright, this is it. I think that we can submit it now. If anyone wants to make any changes, say so now. I'm gonna post it in a few hours.

💣 Love Bomb Piracy Front 💣

Name:

"No, Marco, we are not 'the big bang pirates'. We're the noble redistribution front of a revolutionary people’s union."
“But pirates, Giggles. Pirates.”
“...Yeah sure alright.”

THE BIG BANG PIRATES💣 Love Bomb Piracy Front 💣

Graphic:

Hider

Motto:

"We're the bom-""NO."

"No Gods, No Masters"

Leader:

“None. Everyone gets equal say.”
"Umm.." Eyes Giggles suspiciously. "You sure that's a good idea?"

Description:

“The premise for this group is just that it's a band of space pirates, though how much pirating we'll get up to is _"LOTS!" up for discussion. Everyone is equal. _"Pfft."There is no leader. The goal is to explore the galaxy and pursue the goals of every individual member of the group.”

Goals:

"Explore the galaxy, acquire riches. Others?""n' look damn sexy while at it!"
"...I have so many bullets with bourgeois names written on them. So goddamn many."
Aye, never stay still for long and see what the void has to offer us. If we come across some Fat Cat with a bulging purse, alls the better.

Allies:

“None yet! Probably any law enforcement organizations.”
“...Those are enemies, Marco.”
"Yeah Marco, allies are the ones giving us money."

Enemies:

"If we're going to do any pirating, the UFP is probably gonna be against us. Also we're probably gonna be non-evil? So any really really bad guys are probably gonna be our enemies."
"Anything that breathes in my direction" mutters Alexis.
Giggles nodded assent, running the whetstone once more over the edge of his machete. Non-evil was a good enough way to put it. Good, by whatever means necessary.
"Good, evil? Which one has my money?"
*RUFF* Geez, language Hound.

Assets

"We should probably have a ship. Maybe a tricked out one?"
“When we get a budget better than the change from my last protein shake, I’ll let you know.”
"Well just saying, it doesn't look like anyone is guarding that old piece of scrap over there"
Oh sweet saints surround! Let me see what that beauty is hiding under her hood!

Contraband

Contraband

---

AKA the stash • Loot • Leftovers
"Sharing is caring!"

---

Contraband: Membership of the crew grants a piece of equipment of power level equal to that of the highest power level among the crew. It's either stolen (In which case whoever once owned it probably put a bounty on your head to get it back) or built by a fellow crew member (Which means it's probably not street-legal and/or made of stolen materials.)

Details
It has become an honoured tradition to welcome new crew members into the official ranks by granting then a piece of exciting contraband from the secret stash.
It's amazing what these guys pick up, throw out or tinker together. Most items in the stash are forgotten about, their purpose, reasoning and origins. That is until some lucky member pulls it out and starts asking questions.

Restrictions:

• GM and Crew approval is always required upon selection.
• Lost or confiscated items may on occasion be replaced if you have contributed valuably to the crew. (Do not abuse this.)

FRIEND SHIP

Friend Ship

The Love Bomb Pirates are all typically onboard their flagship, the Penumbra. A former military vessel, it has many advanced training facilities, including a VR deck and a gravity room. Since they're so close knit, joining the crew gives the new member a new skill of power level equal to their own. The skill doesn't necessarily have to be an exact copy of the partner's ability. But it does have to be something that the crew member could conceivably learn from another crew member. For example, if there are no crew members with magical powers, then this ability can't be used to learn any magical powers. It should be talked about with the other person, and can be roleplayed in character.

Territories:

"Rent is theft, we go where we want."
"Ahmen, but I do like that place Tortuga."

Tortuga, a pirates refuge.

Tortuga

---

The stolen moon • Pirate haven • Mercenary lair

---

This tiny moon has undergone much construction. A powerful propulsion system lets it travel where ever it wants. Much of the core has been mined away and used on its large exoskeleton.

The labyrinth of empty tunnels and caverns that sprawl beneath the surface have become a sanctuary and breeding ground for all sorts of unsavoury types seeking either refuge, work, the thriving illegal trade or even all of the above.

under the surface

Tortuga is home to the large four armed Goratu.

Goratu

A dull seemingly animalistic race incapable of language beyond grunts. Many dismissed them at first. While large and powerful they remained peaceful unless really provoked.
But like all animals they had some powerful instincts, a natural understanding of things. And those things were mechanics, metals and spacecrafts. With an uncanny comprehension of engineering they turned their small moon into a space station and fled the different world they revolved around.

History:
The Goratu struggled to co-exist. They once populated many lands across a single planet. There was variety to their species and the land supplied all they needed. Then colonisation came. The Goratu don't understand things like 'personal space', 'possessions' or 'law'.

Seen as unintelligent and a hinderance they were kicked off their own planet. Now only a small percentage still survive. Their ways have not changed but the people that visit have adapted.

Interactions:
The Goratu mostly mind there own business. The have a keen sense of smell and touch. Occasionally they will grow curious or decide to look at or touch something of yours... Let them!
Basic trade is not possible with them, as any attempts of communication is futile. Visitors have learned though that if you can get a Goratu to your ship he will surely fix it. They will also take anything that interests them.
It is common practice and considered proper behaviour to entice them by leaving food and spare parts.

Critical Points

Critical Point One: Flagship

The Penumbra

The Penumbra is a Max-One-Five model TRD ship that the THO stole somewhere around the end of the war. The ship gets it's name from the fully integrated AI that keeps the ship's systems online. The AI, named Max by Alexis, has been hacked by THO scientists but the hack was never fully finished and some parts of the ship remain inaccessible.

The Penumbra is equipped with the latest TRD weapons that include(but are not limited to) photon missiles capable of blowing holes up to 20kms, plasma machine guns placed on almost every square inch of the ship and an yet locked weapon called "Annihilator Missile" said to be the TDR's reply to heavily defended Space stations.

It's strongest asset, however, is the AEGIS energy shield. It’s able to absorb almost any attack. As it does so, it gathers energy. When it’s turned off, it releases a massive amount of force. Thus, the shield can also be used for a devastating ram.

In terms of facilities, the ship is huge but with most of it closed off by the AI. There crew quarters have been refurbished by the crew in order to house humans and not robots and an workshop has been remade into a medical lab. The armory has a decent stock of TDR's latest weapons (plasma guns and radars(same one Alexis has)), and there’s a workshop with a military-grade 3D printing facility.)

The inside looks like a bachelor pad for the most part. The Lounge has a stripper pole with a hologram projector. Marco attempted to program an anime girl stripper into it, but instead accidentally got it stuck to a man named Mario who hangs out in the lounge and claims to be the captain.

Critical Point Two: Smuggling Network

Honor Among Thieves

The Love Bomb Pirates are, of course, involved in smuggling. They sell stuff they steal and make in exchange for things like weapons, ammo, and raw materials. Most of their trading is done on Tortuga through various contacts. If Tortuga were retaken, they would lose this and be much less well-equipped.

Critical Point Three: Star Chart

X Marks The Spot

This map leads to an ancient, priceless treasure that lies near the galactic core. Mere posession of it is dangerous, for whatever it leads to could change the face of the Galaxy forever.

Members

@HeroicSociopath : Marco Valentine the Pirate
@Antarctic Termite : Giggles the Anarchist
@Dark Light : Anya Alexi the Demoness
@ChickenTeriyaki : John the Wannabe Urban Ninja
@LPRKN : Colin Setanta the Engineer, Hound the Good Boy
@Ashevelendar : Alexis Ben'Ghazad the Experiment
@Styxx Acheron : Lucca Valentine the Cheetah Shifter Extraodinaire
@SIGINT : SIGINT the Best Hacker In the Universe
@JaceBeleren : Diana Vultz the Iron Miaden

[Dark Light]

Ok that sold it for me!
Love the upgrade to the OP!
Consider me interested.

Pleeeaaasssse take me in!
(Character is waiting on one more approval. Also I don't have discord.)

[Antarctic Termite]

Fiddling around with ship details, if it ever becomes relevant.

A former Harmonious Network bioship, albeit heavily modified- that is, destroyed, salvaged, and then hybridised with components of UFP origin to create an entirely new vessel. The LBPF spacecraft is effectively the engine of a much larger Network vessel with enough add-ons to make it functional and livable.

Capable of FTL travel and not much else, the vessel relies on a virtual particle pair propulsion system for thrust. An organic matrix at the prow of the ship interacts with the quantum substrate to 'project' a stationary field of charged particles ahead of the vessel, which are entangled with antiparticles captured in the three hollow 'wings' at the stern. While the projected particles can be moved, their captured siblings remain stationary relative to the ship, pulling it along as they try to meet and annihilate the forwards field.

Similar interactions power the vessel, which is capable of safely confining antimatter in the organoquantum matrix and reacting it with ordinary hadrons to release large amounts of energy. Due to its high energy density, antimatter isn't the most expensive fuel around, but the ship's crew have to live with the fact that they are ultimately flying the interstellar equivalent of a leaking propane tank. Better keep Giggles close at hand.

The antiparticle field projector system cannot adequately function outside of a relatively true vacuum. This means that the ship struggles to accelerate through interstellar clouds, or even too close to stars, let alone in atmosphere. Its pulling power, however, is considerable.

Mid-sized at about 250 metres long, the vessel nevertheless has very little interior space, by virtue of being a modified engine. It can support up to twenty people, albeit not for very long, or in any comfort whatsoever- It has a total of two bedrooms.

<Maybe more to come, maybe not.>

Love the upgrade to the OP!

@Dark Light

you're welcome

[Spike]

Ok that sold it for me!
Love the upgrade to the OP!
Consider me interested.

Pleeeaaasssse take me in!
(Character is waiting on one more approval. Also I don't have discord.)

@Dark Light

Alright, sure. It's looking like we'll be using this thread for discussion anyways.

Fiddling around with ship details, if it ever becomes relevant.

A former Harmonious Network bioship, albeit heavily modified- that is, destroyed, salvaged, and then hybridised with components of UFP origin to create an entirely new vessel. The LBPF spacecraft is effectively the engine of a much larger Network vessel with enough add-ons to make it functional and livable.

Capable of FTL travel and not much else, the vessel relies on a virtual particle pair propulsion system for thrust. An organic matrix at the prow of the ship interacts with the quantum substrate to 'project' a stationary field of charged particles ahead of the vessel, which are entangled with antiparticles captured in the three hollow 'wings' at the stern. While the projected particles can be moved, their captured siblings remain stationary relative to the ship, pulling it along as they try to meet and annihilate the forwards field.

Similar interactions power the vessel, which is capable of safely confining antimatter in the organoquantum matrix and reacting it with ordinary hadrons to release large amounts of energy. Due to its high energy density, antimatter isn't the most expensive fuel around, but the ship's crew have to live with the fact that they are ultimately flying the interstellar equivalent of a leaking propane tank. Better keep Giggles close at hand.

The antiparticle field projector system cannot adequately function outside of a relatively true vacuum. This means that the ship struggles to accelerate through interstellar clouds, or even too close to stars, let alone in atmosphere. Its pulling power, however, is considerable.

Mid-sized at about 250 metres long, the vessel nevertheless has very little interior space, by virtue of being a modified engine. It can support up to twenty people, albeit not for very long, or in any comfort whatsoever- It has a total of two bedrooms.

<Maybe more to come, maybe not.>

<Snipped quote by Dark Light>

you're welcome

@Antarctic Termite

Ah, I like it! All Gigeresque and spooky!

[Dark Light]

I think the ship should deffinatly be both the major critical point and the first Asset.
Secondly you could have a 'salvagers/Pirates/repossesors' license wich generally allows you to take anything not currently supervised and probably get around the law for doing so. (At worst we have to return it.)

Ooh, could of somehow snagged or accidentally created a large teleport device that remains on the ragged ship.
Maybe it has a fun flaw and never gets people close together or randomly pulls them back before they are ready.

As for other assets maybe an item choice like
Slim atmo suit with oxygen field
Those jump boots/ grappling gloves.
Things that will generally make pirating easier...

Just ideas :)

[Antarctic Termite]

An atmosphere suit is a must, yep. As are funky malfunctions. I was thinking that Marco's Valentine Bombs could be an official team asset, since they're already something useful and unique that we have in good supply.

Heroic mentioned healing resources, so it's possible that the (purely hypothetical) ship has a solid nano-medical bay. That'll be useful when we end up hurting innocent people as collateral damage. I don't think there's much teleportation in Expanded Horizons yet, since it's a pretty major ability.

Secondly you could have a 'salvagers/Pirates/repossesors' license wich generally allows you to take anything not currently supervised and probably get around the law for doing so. (At worst we have to return it.)

@Dark Light

"Licensing," said Giggles somewhere between Nova and the Valentine shop, "is the Devil's business."

Anarchists don't need permission to take your stuff

This actually happened in character. Salvage work could be a pretty viable front, though.

[Dark Light]

"You know, if you guys really want a ship, I hear nearly anyone can get hold of a Bishop if you go to the Myrlian system.
It's a bit rough n dangerous from what I hear but it's a place for free folk.
Gotta sign up and swallow a gut worm but if you don't mind sharing your food it's an easy start. Would get your little two man party started until you found a full crew. But you gotta take me with ya's."


_{Ahhhh, I just want my character approved. :(
Just a thought, we could be part of another group to get it started until our 'unofficial' but still existent group gets enough members. FAQ says you can have unofficial groups, you just don't get the perks until they are approved.}

[Spike]

The ship can be our first asset. I think that having some kind of, like, artifact doomship would be a good way to put a pirate crew on equal footing with the UFP. Maybe we start with a more "normal" ship, but maybe find the nice one in some ruins?

As for assets...I like the idea of new people getting gadgets, but I think the specific one should be up to the players? Maybe membership just gives a new piece of equipment and a new ability? Like...

Arsenal: By pooling objects that individual members find, the Love Bomb Pirates have quite a stock of nifty gadgets they've acquired or built. Joining the Love Bomb Pirates gives a new member one piece of equipment, with power level equal to the highest power level an individual crew member has.

Training: By sharing knowledge and training, as well as facilities such as the VR room and gravity training area, a new member will usually end up stronger after joining the crew. They gain one new ability equal to their current power level.

How about these? They're useful for pretty much any character, they provide a nice, tangible benefit, and like they could both be used for nice character building, where, like, they go get whatever new equipment they've got or do a bit where they train with another character.

What if we had codenames?

"I mean, I hired you as an escort. That means you're with us, right?"

Ah, @ChickenTeriyaki has expressed interest in having his character join our ranks upon acceptance.

"Say 'Hi,' John. Do you want some tea?"

Tea

[Antarctic Termite]

Codenames don't sound too useful, given that a kegful of pirates isn't important enough or organised enough to spy on and I doubt we're the stealthy infiltration type ourselves. I'd steer clear of backstory-originating spacecraft before the group actually starts writing, too.

Maybe assets for new members are selected by the rest of the team, or at random (with discussion, obviously). Grab-bag skill additions suit the vibe. And are fun. And less prone to the abuse that comes with choice.

@Dark Light@ChickenTeriyaki Shameless advertising: Go check out the Harmonious Network thread. It's a sizeable project to character-populate a setting outside of Federation space. Quetz did a bunch of worldbuilding for part of it, the Myrlian Belt, which is shaping up to be an excellent setting to play around with piracy and revolution.

They need another head or two to get approved, hop to it.

[ChickenTeriyaki]

@HeroicSociopath

"Wait, what?"

"Oh, yeah. John here. I joined these guys because this blonde gentleman told me that I'd get to run a sword through some diplomats. Efficient stress relief."

[Arawak]

My hands are too full to join this, but it's nice to see a group close to being official already.

@Antarctic Termite Be a bit careful w/ network shilling

Actually don't. We don't regulate there.

[Dark Light]

@HeroicSociopath

"yea but that was when I felt like #%^*ing, now with all this 'bullet and stabbing' talk I feel like killing something.

Besides, that was before I had decided to join you instead of just robbing you, I mean maybe if you still had a bit more salvageable stuff lying around... Anyway I wanna come on as crew not just some escort, otherwise you guys get all attached and emotional, next thing your all testosterone-y 'n' fighting for my feelings, getting yourselves killed. She takes a pause to sigh and shake her head in memory. I can't go through that again. And no offence or nothing but your just not my type.

((Yay I'm finally approved!
So one more person to go!))

[Dark Light]

Also lets take on this mission as a team!

[Antarctic Termite]

next thing your all testosterone-y 'n' fighting for my feelings, getting yourselves killed.

@Dark Light

The irony here is that Giggles is the horniest bastard on the team and he barely has any testosterone. He'll settle down though. Eventually. Probably.

I'd recommend Anya beat the shit out of him but I don't think that would help at all.

[LPRKN]

Oh man. Sounds like you guys could use a ship's engineer, and his trusty Dog sidekick. I would love to join if you would have Colin and Hound.

" Oi, we don't take up much room, just a hammock in the matrix engine room. Hound don't shed too too much. I'm keen with my tools and I believe I can make this hurling propane tank a wee bit less leaky. Anything to get back on that sea of stars."

[Spike]

"What? An escort is someone that comes with you and fights for you, isn't it?...I guess that means Giggles and I are your escorts too."

Codenames don't sound too useful, given that a kegful of pirates isn't important enough or organised enough to spy on and I doubt we're the stealthy infiltration type ourselves. I'd steer clear of backstory-originating spacecraft before the group actually starts writing, too.

Maybe assets for new members are selected by the rest of the team, or at random (with discussion, obviously). Grab-bag skill additions suit the vibe. And are fun. And less prone to the abuse that comes with choice.

@Dark Light@ChickenTeriyaki Shameless advertising: Go check out the Harmonious Network thread. It's a sizeable project to character-populate a setting outside of Federation space. Quetz did a bunch of worldbuilding for part of it, the Myrlian Belt, which is shaping up to be an excellent setting to play around with piracy and revolution.

They need another head or two to get approved, hop to it.

@Antarctic Termite

Hmmm...That's true. While other groups do have things that can serve as new abilities or equipment, they aren't just wildcards. Maybe if we just narrow it down a bit? Have a few restrictions.

Contraband: Membership of the crew grants a piece of equipment of power level equal to that of the highest power level among the crew. It's either stolen (In which case whoever once owned it probably put a bounty on your head to get it back) or built by a fellow crew member (Which means it's probably not street-legal and/or made of stolen materials.)

Nakama: The core officers spend a lot of time together, and often train each other. Joining the crew gives the new member a new skill of power level equal to their own. It has to be something that the crew member could conceivably learn from another crew member. For example, if there are no crew members with magical powers, then this ability can't be used to learn any magical powers. It should be talked about with the other person, and can be roleplayed in character.

Oh man. Sounds like you guys could use a ship's engineer, and his trusty Dog sidekick. I would love to join if you would have Colin and Hound.

" Oi, we don't take up much room, just a hammock in the matrix engine room. Hound don't shed too too much. I'm keen with my tools and I believe I can make this hurling propane tank a wee bit less leaky. Anything to get back on that sea of stars."

@LPRKN

I bet our dudes could design some killer weapons together >:^3

"Can I pet your dog?"

Also lets take on this mission as a team!

@Dark Light

Hmmm. Now this is interesting. How about Marco, Giggles, and Colin take the mission as cover for an attempt to escape UFP space? And there, they can meet Anya. Or they can just somehow meet her on Frixion prime. And at some point, one of them can get information on the location of the cool alien ship. Maybe it's a map Marco's dad left him. We can do a thread to get it, and use the ship to start capturing territory.

Also at some point we need to kidnap a 14 year old boy obviously.

Also! We should probably set up a few territories at some point. We get a total of 3. Any ideas?

[LPRKN]

I bet our dudes could design some killer weapons together >:^3

"Can I pet your dog?"

@HeroicSociopath

"I don't know, Hound say hi." Hound looks away and licks his chops revealing his shiny smile, eventually he rises and strides over to Marco leaning his hip against his leg.

Me and the pup could stumble into your shop if we can get away from the love child of Beast and The Terminator that we seemed to have pissed off.

[Spike]

Well, if Marco sees some dude and his dog being accosted by some big scary cyborg dude, he's gonna try to help the dude with the dog. Marco may be a pirate, but he can't stand by and watch someone get pounded for no reason. Nobody likes a bully :)

[Dark Light]

Copied

Once a group is approved it will be granted a territory such as a planet or ship, but feel free to request something specific to your faction; just know you cannot take what others already have by doing this. This territory, like their power, belongs only to them. In it, they have complete say and dominion, able to use it as they see fit so long as they do not break the rules.

So I think the ship can be our territory. But we should also make a space Tortuga. Maybe a small planet or space station that is a haven for pirates and their activities. And maybe Marco's Shop?

They can all be critical points for us.

I also think under the write up of our ship as well as a training room it needs a good (self operating) med bay. Unless someone wants to chuck together a special healing character.

[Spike]

Mhm. Our ship should definitely be one of our critical points. I was thinking it'd be some sort of lost superweapon? That would be a convincing way that a band of pirates could make themselves a legitimate threat to other galactic powers. Some sort of old but still very powerful battleship outfitted with a lot of killer weapons! >:^3

@Antarctic Termite I like your ship, but maybe it should have more weapons? Or if you're not particularly married to that one, I have an idea for a ship.

The Penumbra

An old UFP Frigate, a flagship once thought lost in a great battle. It has many custom modifications, such as enhanced armor and shields, and a pair of twin anti-battleship cannons. It has six cannons on the back that can fire up to 24 cruiser missiles at a time. It's strongest weapon is the Ragnarock cannon: By expending a massive amount of energy, it can fire a huge laser that can decimate nearly anything. However, using this weapon drains almost all the ships power. In other words, it becomes a sitting duck!

Maybe we can upgrade to a warship later >:^3