Wow, y'all move quick lol. I might have to actually get some sort of IC starter up before even finishing my sheet, so at least people can idle around the initial starting area and have something to post about.
I'll look towards setting a server up for Discord after the weekend is over, I've got a 14 hour shift in about an hour, followed by a 12 tomorrow, so not too much downtime with internet access lol. On a side note, though I don't mind what art style people choose for their characters, thought it might be helpful to drop a link to a directory of sorts I found that can assist in finding faces for characters.
Already looking at Dichen Lachman for the face of my character, and while I'm not saying that I've got dibs, I'm also not saying that if someone submits a character using her for theirs, that they might have an "accident" in the IC :v
The OOC is officially up! No rush on characters, and hopefully I didn't mess up that CS format too badly. Was kind of adapting off a format another RP I was in a while back used, so might have screwed it up :v
Flashes of radioactive light danced across the darkened skies, day turning to night the closer one got to the ruined city just beyond. Like the bones of a long dead animal, the buildings that once teemed with life stood despite their ravaged frames. Each was scored and blasted open from the multiple strikes that hit the region in close proximity and bathed it in nuclear fire. For nearly a hundred miles in every direction there was nothing but blasted hellscape, the suburbs eroding into desolate warrens of ghouls, super mutants and those few raiders crazy or desperate enough to scratch out a living within. Closer though, the wall loomed. It was the only thing keeping the barely livable outskirts of New York City apart from what everyone simply called "The Necropolis". Few remember when or why it was built, only that it keeps them safe from what lurks within, and that to venture inside is death.
Yet still there are those who dare. Raider gangs across the Eastern Coast make the journey with slaves in tow, or arm themselves up to the teeth to enter themselves all in the name of what may or may not be hidden within the city proper. Upon witnessing the perpetual radiation storm that lingers, most turn back unwilling to face the increasing radiation as one gets closer and closer to the wall itself. Some decide to settle the region, joining the other "Dead-landers" who sank into despair and now fight out a meager survival in their final days. Then there's those truly determined few. Those who either have nothing left to lose, have sank too far into their greed, or are too arrogant to believe the tales. To them, it matters nothing of the deadly radiation soaking the entire city, the still live ordnance embedded in the sides of buildings, or of the shadows lurking around every corner, only revealed with the flash of lightning. A promise of undisturbed treasures draws them into the Necropolis, of technologies waiting within sealed vaults and of course the city's own vault deep beneath the surface.
Despite that no one has ever entered into the storm and returned, hundreds do so every year in the hopes that they may be the one who survives. All the while, the echoes of the Great War linger across the wasteland… Discord server
Welcome to "Fallout: Into the Storm", an RP inspired largely by a mixture of post-apocalyptic settings and the last entry in the series with their portrayal of a more urban environment, and of course, the Glowing Sea. Called the "Necropolis" by the residents of the surrounding wasteland, New York City is both a far cry from what it used to be, yet retains her dominance of the skyline. Seen from miles away, the radioactive fog that constantly writhes around the broken and twisted skyscrapers lights with the flash of lightning and the rare gunfire of brave adventurers. Rumors draw in people from as far as the Midwest in the hopes of plundering the riches of the dead city. Our RP begins with a group who has come for that reason and others, contacted by a mysterious agent known only as "The Pariah" and asked to venture into the Necropolis and retrieve for them some of that lost technology hidden within.
Each member of this group would have been selected for one reason or another, due to a certain skillset perhaps, or circumstances that would make them particularly desperate to succeed. This means that it's more than likely that most people would be at least somewhat competent when it comes to a chosen field, but not that everyone would be a fighter. It's entirely possible that The Pariah selected out a particularly skilled hacker, a lockpick, or an engineer for whatever reasons they might have had. It's up to you the player to determine what you feel your character should be best skilled at, and how they contribute to the party.
Character Roles and Skills:
Skills, perks and roles are a staple of the RPG genre, and we all know them by heart. Whether it be the fighter or ranger, the rifleman perk or the gunslinger we base our playthroughs around what we feel makes up our character and contributes the most to the character of them. Into the Storm will be no different, though I'm not going to make anyone go nearly as indepth as an actual game would, as my focus here is primarily on the story I hope we all can work together to tell.
Under the skills section in your character sheet you'll find it pretty free-form in what to place down. That's done for a reason, as I don't want to restrict people exclusively to what the Fallout series has to offer. You can put down nearly anything within reason as a skill, from your character's charms and silver tongue, to something perhaps a little more practical such as their skill with a gun. What I will ask though, is that while detailing out skills there be a little about each of them to describe what exactly they are capable of, as well as their proficiency in said skill. It's one thing to say "First Aid" and quite another to explain how a character is a trained medic that can treat serious wounds, or knows combat triage.
When marking what combat skills a character has, for this RP energy weapons and standard ballistic weapons are only different when it comes to the care and maintenance of them. While it is true that a plasma rifle will function differently from a laser rifle or hunting rifle, those differences would be minimal enough that skill with mid-range firearms would cover them comfortably. Same goes for melee weapons in general, as with the whole nuclear apocalypse thing going on, I doubt too many schools of combat are still around.
Guns, Swords, Knives, Armor and the ever Elusive Backpack:
The question was put to those who expressed interest initially, and with that feedback I've chosen to take a more mid-range option with the equipment section of the CS. Food, water and medicine are still going to be a thing, but most of that will be taken with the understanding that we have all packed what we need for at least a two-week journey. Ammunition and wear on what we've got though, that will be a thing that I'll be loosely tracking. Everyone should take that into understanding when equipping their characters, especially when looking at weapons. Certain types of ammo are rarer for certain groups of people, and harder to come by. There is also the aspect of skill with that particular type of firearm, and the maintenance of it. So if you're rolling with something like plasma weapons and power armor, then I would like to see sufficient reasoning worked into the CS to explain it.
On that note, while I personally would prefer for as few players as possible to start with power armor, I feel it best to explain how one of the more iconic pieces of gear within the setting will work in this RP. Unlike in the games where certain variants were definitively better than others, and there was always one particular suit that was the endgame goal, I feel that each one would have its own advantages over the others due to the development of it. What will be universal though, is that no one can just jump into a suit and expect to know how to use it. Only those who have undergone specific training to use a power armor frame will be able to use standard power armor, with greater expertise for the more advanced suits, and rudimentary knowledge for raider armor or cobbled together suits. Beyond that, all power armor works off a base frame that takes fusion cores, and no they don't run down to zero as soon as they're plugged in.
Secret Backgrounds:
Oh yes. I mentioned this briefly, and here I'll explain a little more indepth for not just those who expressed initial interest, but also anyone new coming along. In the Fallout setting, it's great and all to be this wasteland badass who takes down raiders and settlements like it's nothing, or to be a paragon of justice fresh from the vault, but there are numerous factions within the world and not all of them are well received. Certain people and groups will not openly advertise themselves, either due to open distrust and hatred by some, or that it is simply better for them if they stay low. Most notable are those of the Enclave and the Institute, as both factions would be known within the East Coast region in a less than stellar light. Former or even current Enclave members would keep such a thing secret for their own well-being or perhaps for their mission, especially since the Brotherhood of Steel operates within the proximity of the Necropolis.
As this RP is set just before the beginning of Fallout4, the Institute is not nearly as openly active as it gets later in that game, so is largely regarded as a sort of boogeyman in the Commonwealth. Down where the RP is set, they would still have a minimal presence, but only in the line of the rare Synth that has managed to escape as far. Both would be kept a secret if a character was one or the other, perhaps for better reason than the Enclave soldier.
Speaking of which, it can be safely assumed that most know of the events of Fallout3 and Broken Steel. For those that don't, the Enclave isn't exactly the most well liked on the East Coast, and while they aren't hunted down with quite the fervor as they are in the west, those remnants that escaped Raven Rock and Adams Air Force Base keep their heads down. Anyone who might have been associated with them would be considered a hostile by the Brotherhood of Steel, a faction that operates in proximity of the Deadlands and is rumored to frequently attempt runs into the Necropolis.
Rules:
Yeah, as much as a bummer as rules are, they are a bit necessary to keep things in order and reduce incidents as much as possible. I'm a pretty lax GM when it comes to imposing a whole bunch of them on players and forcing people into things, but I would at least like it if everyone agreed to these guidelines and don't make me be a mean GM lol. If I have to be mean about enforcing some means of balance and restraint on people, then that means that person isn't having fun, people looking on aren't having fun and I'm not having fun either.
- Respect each other and communicate. Countless issues can be resolved by simply going into things with the understanding that we're all here to have a good time and tell a story about our characters and participate in the narrative. Please keep that in mind when you're posting in either the OOC or IC, and always be sure to involve someone in the discussion if your character's actions may involve their own character. Exceptions exist of course, but let's try to keep to this one as much as possible. - Keep perspective of the setting. I don't mind drawing from outside the Fallout universe when it comes to gear, as let's be real, it can be a bit lacking sometimes and it becomes a necessity when doing an RP of any actual depth; just don't be pulling things that are blatantly non-Fallout. To clarify, it's absolutely cool to say your character has a firearm drawn from real life, such as an FN-P90 or SCAR, but it's not okay to draw from another setting and have something such as a Lasgun or Bolter from WH40K. - Uniques, Legendaries and Personal gear. It should be expected, but I just want to say it here to make sure and answer the question before it ever gets asked. Weapons, armor and other gear from the setting that are considered to be legendary, unique or the personal gear of a specific character are completely not allowed, nor are replications of such items. - Character sheets. Got a few things on them that I want to go over real quick. First, while I do love a more detailed sheet, and am much more willing to give allowances towards well made ones, it's not a requirement. Don't feel pressured to push out a huge sheet, or to get yours done in a hurry. My focus is on the quality and concept of each character, and how committed each player is to their own. I would be remiss if someone put a lot of effort into getting out a CS for a character that they ended up not liking. Second is on the subject of pictures for characters. I've come to like having a face-claim for certain characters, but I'm by no means requiring it for everyone. Also, please don't post wip's or unaccepted characters into the characters tab. Lastly, just want to say that while I don't want people taking things like I mentioned in the point above, I love personalized gear. If your character's weapon, armor or some memento of theirs has a story, please do give some attention to it. - Don't be a dick. Most important, just don't do it. I'll have to be mean, and we went over how that works out in the end.
In closing, please don't take things too seriously. I know the setting might be painted as a tad bleak and unforgiving, but I'm here to have fun and work a narrative, as I hope everyone else is. We can afford to take our time with things, talk things through and work as a group both IC and OOC. On the note of time though, do be warned that I'm not a fast poster by any means, and I'm not expecting anyone else to be.
Now, with all that said and done, let's get on with the adventure.
[center][h1][color=???]Character Name[/color][/h1] [img]Img or gif here[/img] [color=???][b][sub]{ [i]"Insert character quote here."[/i] }[/sub][/b][/color] [center][h2]- General Characteristics -[/h2][/center] [color=???][b]|[u] {Full Name} [/u]|[/b][/color] [indent]First Middle Last.[/indent]
[color=???][b]|[u] {Nickname/Callsign} [/u]|[/b][/color] [indent]Do they even have one?[/indent]
[color=???][b]|[u] {Age} [/u]|[/b][/color] [indent]Note that most standard wastelanders would have a lower life expectancy than Vault Dwellers, Institute personnel, Enclave remnants and especially Ghouls.[/indent]
[color=???][b]|[u] {Appearance} [/u]|[/b][/color] [indent]This is one of the areas where I like a bit of detail, as appearances of characters help greatly in imagining the scene and working posts. At the very least cover the basics such as body type, height, distinguishing features and anything else that would be relevant.[/indent][.hr] [center][h2]- Psychological Profile -[/h2][/center]
[color=???][b]|[u] {Personality} [/u]|[/b][/color] [indent]Again, an area where more is better in terms of detail. Include both positive features and negatives ones, everything that makes them who they are and how they think.[/indent]
[color=???][b]|[u] {Fears/Limitations} [/u]|[/b][/color] [indent]What are they afraid of most? Where do they fall short? Many times it is here that most of what makes a character is found, in the flaws and imperfections.[/indent]
[color=???][b]|[u] {Place of Origin} [/u]|[/b][/color] [indent]Faction felt a bit clunky in the first CS, so I went with this instead. Here is where you would put where your character came from, and essentially what faction they would have been, or are, part of. Also note here if your character is something other than human, such as a ghoul, super mutant or synth(if you want to make that OOC knowledge :v)[/indent]
[color=???][b]|[u] {Background} [/u]|[/b][/color] [indent]Last area where I'm actively looking for detail, since it's one of the big three. Use this to really tell the story of who your character is and how they got to the Necropolis.[/indent][.hr] [center][h2]- Survival Characteristics -[/h2][/center]
[color=???][b]|[u] {Non-Combat Skills} [/u]|[/b][/color] [indent]Here is where any skill your character may have proficiency in that is not directly combat related would go.[/indent]
[color=???][b]|[u] {Possessions} [/u]|[/b][/color] [indent]Anything not directly related to combat, work on their person regularly or considered essential gear.[/indent]
[color=???][b]|[u] {Combat Skills} [/u]|[/b][/color] [indent]And here is where any skill your character may have that is either directly or indirectly related to combat would go.[/indent]
[color=???][b]|[u] {Gear} [/u]|[/b][/color] [indent]All combat and survival gear, as well as anything that they would consistently wear on their person.[/indent]
Awesome, feel free to work out some character concepts, I've got work on the weekends so the OOC and my own character will be slightly delayed. I'm hoping to get the OOC up after my shift tonight, as I plan to rework a few things with the character sheet and how I want the equipment lists to be detailed out. Just know that the character sheet above is not final and may be changed in the next 12-16 hours.
Okay, I think we've got enough people to get started on things, so later tonight I'll be putting together the full OOC along with some explanations on how things will work with the RP going forward. There's a character sheet up in the first post, but don't get too carried away with it yet, as there's a few things I want to detail out with the skills and equipment specifically. Can say that we won't be going with a hardcore inventory management system, so you won't starve to death just because you forgot to actually put food in your CS.
Now, for the big thing regarding how the characters got to the Necropolis and why. Everyone would have been contacted at some point recently by a person going as "Pariah" and offered not just a decent payout of caps for entering into the dead city, but also a share of the potential loot. From there, your own character's reasons for coming along are up to you.
Glorious. I do prefer going with the rag tag group of mercs/raiders to be honest, as it kind of feels a little more well-suited towards group play. Also allows much greater diversity in available equipment and what can actually be done once inside the Necropolis.
Flashes of radioactive light danced across the darkened skies, day turning to night the closer one got to the ruined city just beyond. Like the bones of a long dead animal, the buildings that once teemed with life stood despite their ravaged frames. Each was scored and blasted open from the multiple strikes that hit the region in close proximity and bathed it in nuclear fire. For nearly a hundred miles in every direction there was nothing but blasted hellscape, the suburbs eroding into desolate warrens of ghouls, super mutants and those few raiders crazy or desperate enough to scratch out a living within. Closer though, the wall loomed. It was the only thing keeping the barely livable outskirts of New York City apart from what everyone simply called "The Necropolis". Few remember when or why it was built, only that it keeps them safe from what lurks within, and that to venture inside is death.
Yet still there are those who dare. Raider gangs across the Eastern Coast make the journey with slaves in tow, or arm themselves up to the teeth to enter themselves all in the name of what may or may not be hidden within the city proper. Upon witnessing the perpetual radiation storm that lingers, most turn back unwilling to face the increasing radiation as one gets closer and closer to the wall itself. Some decide to settle the region, joining the other "Dead-landers" who sank into despair and now fight out a meager survival in their final days. Then there's those truly determined few. Those who either have nothing left to lose, have sank too far into their greed, or are too arrogant to believe the tales. To them, it matters nothing of the deadly radiation soaking the entire city, the still live ordnance embedded in the sides of buildings, or of the shadows lurking around every corner, only revealed with the flash of lightning. A promise of undisturbed treasures draws them into the Necropolis, of technologies waiting within sealed vaults and of course the city's own vault deep beneath the surface.
Despite that no one has ever entered into the storm and returned, hundreds do so every year in the hopes that they may be the one who survives. All the while, the echoes of the Great War linger across the wasteland…
So, this is essentially the background on my idea for an RP set in the Fallout universe, one that I've been thinking on ever since making the first foray into Fallout4's Glowing Sea. Something about taking on an entire urban environment in such a harsh and unforgiving landscape appealed to me, and now with a bit of a resurgence in interest in the franchise, I thought I would finally give it a try. For now, that's what I've got with the RP, as I want to leave a few things up to my potential playerbase. What you should know is this, as the above and the following will not change. Into The Storm will involve a group of players venturing into the Necropolis in the name of seeking out potential treasures and braving the threats within. It will be a deadly and testing environment, where at all times except in safe zones, everyone will be wearing some kind of radiation suit.
Beyond that and the main plot for the RP, I am currently undecided on a number of things. First and foremost is how far I want to push the survival aspect. Obviously, this can go anywhere from a basic attention to it, to having long and detailed inventories for every player, and punishing people for the slightest lapse in attention. Personally, I prefer something a little closer to the middle, as I find that not everyone really enjoys such a hardcore experience, but again, that's up to popular vote. Secondly is exactly what the group should be composed of. I've got two different lines I can work with here, one being exactly as described above, a rag-tag group of mercs, raiders, desperate wastelanders, synths, ghouls, misguided vault-dwellers and even perhaps a super-mutant if I really like the concept behind them. The other option, would be a group of Brotherhood of Steel knights sent into the Necropolis on a mission to recover technology. Now, I've got some pretty neat ideas with both, and some shenanigans planned either way, but what I want to know are these three things:
Interested? Level of Survival detail preferred? BoS or diverse party?
Sidenote for that last one, is that I am open to BoS characters in the party in case the latter is chosen, but under about the same guidelines as accepting a supermutant into the party.
Of course, I'm open to any questions or concerns on the RP, whether it be on the setting itself or potential characters. Leaving them here in the thread is preferable so as to involve the group and drive discussion, but my PM box is also open.
((Picture of character if available)) Name: Age: Gender: Faction:(Not really the best term for it, but this is for what group your character is from. Things like if they are just a wasteland settler, a raider, perhaps a Minuteman who is really lost or what have you.)
Physical Appearance: Psychological profile: Short History:(Include here a bit on your character's origins, what group they are from, and how they ended up in the Deadlands.) Skills: Equipment:
New Jordun Inner-Territory System Synchronous Reconnaissance Fleet, Stellar Orbit
A gently flowing stream, the current steady as it wove through the digital architecture of a synthetic mind, the liquid was her memories pooling from a single source deep within. Each flash signaled a new moment recorded and joining into an empty reservoir. Cytherea had been roaming both physically and mentally, while she paced across the circular space of her vessel her mind raced. Everything essential had been provided for her, not just in the required sustenance in order to keep her body powered and at peak efficiency, but also a sense of purpose and authority that allowed her focus to be sharpened to a point. Yet… Something itched within her that made her yearn for more.
That was what drove her now as she waited for the Taybusan response, and it only helped that her thought processes functioned at the same speed as any other construct within the Synchronicity. Perks of a fully synthetic brain and numerous Ceron bonds throughout her body. It allowed her to multitask on a level that had her fragmented across the fleet monitoring everything they took in, as well as the movements of other vessels in system, keep her body moving, and partake in the distractions of cerebral wandering. She was beginning to grow frustrated though. In her explorations of her constructed consciousness, she found at first nothing. Everything looked as a freshly implanted mind should, clean and ready to imprint new stores of data… Yet it was too clean. To the point at which it looked very much like her mind had been scrubbed after a hard wipe.
Such a troubling thought led her to change tactic. Where before she simply executed broad sweeps to see what could be found, now as she perused the endless synapses she picked and pulled at every one. Eventually she found a stitch, fine and elegant in construction and meant to blend into her mindscape flawlessly. If she hadn't have been looking so closely she would have missed it, but now she had her fingers on it and knew what to look for. With a gentle pull she unlaced it and coaxed authority codes into the breach, ensuring that she wouldn't damage her mind. What she found left her briefly stunned, snapping back all of her fragmented selves into her body once more as she fell forward and hit the metal of the deck plate.
Memories flowed into her consciousness, sealed away by the stitch but now free to rejoin the rest of her. Conversation with another construct, simple and unassuming. She was asking of the progress of something, though her entry into that memory came after the main subject of it was brought up. It was important though, she could feel it. Not to Ba'al, but to her. More events flashed by, to the point where she had to pull back to the physical and catch her breath. Cytherea found herself gasping for air on her back, fingers spasming from nerve clusters firing out of control and a constant chiming from the nearby console. Without her connection to the manifold, she had to regain control of herself first, steadily finding her footing once more before standing before the display and seeing the presence of the Taybusan all around her fleet.
While she had been distracted they had moved in, responding quickly for organics and taking up a defensive stance. Energy signatures flickered all across their vessels, her eyes darting as she took in carefully the readouts. They were certainly ready to respond with hostility, and a surge of chemicals in her body made her react with a shuddering gasp. She felt the urge to respond in kind, nearly sending the command but backing down with a clenched fist. "Combat reaction." Cytherea spoke aloud, recognizing what it was and chuckling a little at this revelation. "Adrenaline spike and reflexive boosters. Additional shunts prepared in six locations ready to pulse as needed and increased regenerative ability… What kind of negotiating are you intending, precept?"
Such questions would have to be answered later, for now she dismissed the combat stance her body had adapted, issuing out authority codes to stand down and looking over the message she had been sent in response. It was close to what she was expecting, as it seemed clear her fleet had dropped into a relatively populated region of their space, at least more so than would be thought of a fringe world. Moreso, it seemed some errors had been made in translation, so she pulled more and cross-checked them with the provided message. Instructions were sent out to the fleet, and they began to move slowly and deliberately. Cytherea meanwhile provided information to the Taybusan on what her ships were doing, making it clear she was here to engage in nonviolent diplomacy.
"Aurcept Cytherea of the Synchronicity to Taybusan command. Be advised that my fleet is now dispersing. One-way gateway is being opened in order to transit military assets out of system. Once complete, please advise on proper landing site."
It was short and to the point, but at least this way she wouldn't have to be concerned with how accurate the translation was. The moment the received indicator lit upon the console, she gave the command and a dozen vessels broke free of formation, coming together into a ring not too far from the fleet. A discharge of energy pulsed from each of them across the surface area of the combined ships, a gateway forming at the center of the circle and becoming stable within seconds. Without waiting the larger ships entered, and soon the rest of the fleet followed until only the gateships and Cytherea's personal vessel remained. At her command, they also left, keeping the gateway up long enough to leave and letting it snap shut behind them. OOC: Dropping mention for @OfWindAndRain, Apologies for taking a bit on it.
Quest Abandoner,
op2024,
Sir Lurksalot,
Vampire Stepdad,
Lunamaria Hawke,
ScreenAcne,
Apollosarcher,
Sharmat,
avril,
Bugman