Dead Cruiser

OUTLAW SPACE

@AmaranthWolf Both your ideas sound doable, though one is markedly similar to a concept I was sent by another player, so I won't pass judgement just yet on which would be better. You all can figure that out for yourselves.

As far as content rating goes, I'd compare this to an R-Rated 80s action movie. Something in the vein of Total Recall let's say.

SPIRITUM

Levy Campania

_{W A R D E N}

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LEVY CAMPANIA
21 | 5'9" | WARDEN 3rd CLASS

_{A P P E R A N C E}

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Average in height, with a trim build, Levy is not striking in appearance, and blends into crowds easily. His most noteworthy features would be his curly, jet-black hair, and his expressive yellow eyes. He has a relaxed, beguiling charm about him, though this is a well-practiced and convincing affectation.

_{P E R S O N A L I T Y}

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Levy has committed to playing the role of a lighthearted fool, an act that has taken him years and careful refinement to perfect. Externally he is an unpredictable joker with a laid-back, devil-may-care attitude, while internally he is tightly-wound, anxious, and paranoid. Only his comrades have seen both sides of his character, as he allows his mask to slip while in the course of his duties. He finds that his hyper-awareness, intensity, and pragmatism serve him best on the battlefield. This shines through his facade in certain elements of his constructed personality, as he's readily willing to use deception to achieve his goals. If you're fighting clean, you're not fighting to win.

_{B A C K G R O U N D}

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A lesser-born son of a less-important nobleman deep in the wealthiest counties furthest from the front lines, Levy's earliest years were spent in frivolity and mischief. Ever an unusually lucky child, Levy would often escape notice stealing pies and pocket change. Just as frequently his elder, favored brothers suffered unlikely humiliations when Levy's mood turned against them. When he was surveyed for WARDEN candidacy, he passed through the trials with such fluid ease that his observers were charmed, and fortuitously overlooked his lack of traditional magical ability. It was said his lordly father was relieved when Levy was selected to train in the Citadel, only for him to cause him even greater headaches from afar. Though Levy excelled in his studies (save for one subject) his academy years were spent as an incorrigable and pernicious troublemaker. Backroom gambling, petty theft, scams, and smuggling contraband were his usual games, making Levy someone good to know, but bad to get too close to. Despite his gregarious personality, Levy made few real connections at the Academy. It's unconfirmed if he holds the record for most demerits earned by a graduated WARDEN, but it is also rumored that his father had to open his coffers to keep Levy in school.

_{C O M B A T}

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Combat Class:
RANGER

Combat Style:
Levy's ability to use magic is severely hindered by a sort of affliction; his attempts to use magic bear out severely unpredictable results. Even attempting to cast a simple spell can create a chaotic misfires, or cast a different spell entirely. While this does not affect his ability to reliably use magic items, it effectively nullifies his traditional magic power, and Levy typically eschews personal spellcasting.

In truth, this is a side effect of Levy's true magic power, which allows him to exert control over luck, probability, and random chance. By compressing or expanding the odds of particular events, Levy can give himself the best possible circumstances, nearly eliminating the possibility for random failure, or give his enemies a run of bad luck, weakening their odds of success and inducing unlikely mishaps.

Armed with this ability, Levy actively works to stack the deck in his favor, giving himself the best possible odds, and hitting enemies where it hurts the most. He specializes in infiltration, sabotage, and close-range assassination. His favored weapons are knives, silenced pistols, and pocket-sized explosives, but he also prides himself in his diverse experience with as many weapons systems as he could train with or simulate. This adaptability makes him a superb saboteur, and allows him to enjoy some occasional on-site procurement.

_{R E L A T I O N S H I P S}

---

Gerard Biserus:
Gerard and Levy get along like oil and fire; both being the "rich kids" of the squad, they are more alike than either would care to admit, and this has developed into something of a bickering rivalry between the two. Constantly trading barbs, Levy gets a warm fuzzy feeling from getting under Gerard's skin and deflating his ego, but deep down cares for him as a valued member of the team.

Kalina Kovalic:
Out of all his squadmates, Levy understands Kalina the least, and this fact unnerves him. Her lack of social skills makes it difficult to convince her of his freewheeling facade, and Levy frequently worries that she's seen through to his true nature completely. Rather than dialogue about this, however, he prefers to keep a professional distance between the two of them, and tries not to end up stuck with her one-on-one.

Lance Bennett:
Levy is very often the first and loudest person to crack jokes about Lance's status as "best of the worst," but actually has a decent amount of respect for him, and keeps his ribbing to what he feels the other man is comfortable with. Feeling like a perpetual underdog is familiar to Levy, and he identifies with Lance and his struggles with magic and the Academy for this reason.

Justice:
When the two aren't getting wrapped up in a bickering argument, or a battle of wits, or Levy being on the receiving end of a headlock, they actually get on quite well. Levy cuts out his goof-off behavior just enough to stay on Justice's good side (usually) and actually has quite a lot of respect for their squad leader as a soldier.

Antonio Wenger:
Tony is the squadmate that Levy identifies most strongly with, given their shared struggles in utilizing their magic, as well as their similar approaches to combat scenarios. Despite their different upbringings, Levy considers Tony a kindred spirit, and is the closest thing to a genuine confidant he has in the squad.

Silje Birgisdóttir:
While Levy isn't overly fond of Silje, considering her to be flighty and unreliable, he doesn't shy away from her as he might with others. Rather, he finds her distractability and emotional vulnerability to be fun strings to pull on, and often agitates her for his own amusement.

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OUTLAW SPACE

@PerfectThought If you can, try to marry the two vibes you're describing for the setting. The galaxy is a really big place, and we are basically the small fries trying to survive in the midst of all of this crazy shit going on in the background.

Huge teams of personnel maintain the rings, and usually trading hubs rapidly grow around the rings. The action operation, repair, etc of the portal mechanism is the purview of the SCL Sector 1 Hyperspace Engineers, and while they are to a degree cultlike, their god is business. They effectively invented the Galactic Standard Credit. They operate more like a secret society, you have be hand-selected to join the inner circle from the rank and file.

I'll check your DM in a minute.

@Nyxella Seems like a perfectly functional character, though I'm sure it can develop more. What would have driven her to try and free (?) Crux slaves?

@AmaranthWolf I think with your interest I will probably close up applications to yea many.

Given the cast at hand, while I work on a CS and an OOC, perhaps you could discuss potential crew roles or an overall mission/specification for the ship?

SPIRITUM

Character shit

Levy Campania

_{W A R D E N}

---

LEVY CAMPANIA
21 | 5'9" | WARDEN 3rd CLASS)

_{A P P E R A N C E}

---

Average in height, with a trim build, Levy is not striking in appearance, and blends into crowds easily. His most noteworthy features would be his curly, jet-black hair, and his expressive yellow eyes. He has a relaxed, beguiling charm about him, though this is a well-practiced and convincing affectation.

_{P E R S O N A L I T Y}

---

Levy has committed to playing the role of a lighthearted fool, an act that has taken him years and careful refinement to perfect. Externally he is an unpredictable joker with a laid-back, devil-may-care attitude, while internally he is tightly-wound, anxious, and paranoid. Only his comrades have seen both sides of his character, as he allows his mask to slip while in the course of his duties. He finds that his hyper-awareness, intensity, and pragmatism serve him best on the battlefield. This shines through his facade in certain elements of his constructed personality, as he's readily willing to use deception to achieve his goals. If you're fighting clean, you're not fighting to win.

_{B A C K G R O U N D}

---

A lesser-born son of a less-important nobleman deep in the wealthiest counties furthest from the front lines, Levy's earliest years were spent in frivolity and mischief. Ever an unusually lucky child, Levy would often escape notice stealing pies and pocket change. Just as frequently his elder, favored brothers suffered unlikely humiliations when Levy's mood turned against them. When he was surveyed for WARDEN candidacy, he passed through the trials with such fluid ease that his observers were charmed, and fortuitously overlooked his lack of traditional magical ability. It was said his lordly father was relieved when Levy was selected to train in the Citadel, only for him to cause him even greater headaches from afar. Though Levy excelled in his studies (save for one subject) his academy years were spent as an incorrigable and pernicious troublemaker. Backroom gambling, petty theft, scams, and smuggling contraband were his usual games, making Levy someone good to know, but bad to get too close to. Despite his gregarious personality, Levy made few real connections at the Academy. It's unconfirmed if he holds the record for most demerits earned by a graduated WARDEN, but it is also rumored that his father had to open his coffers to keep Levy in school.

_{C O M B A T}

---

Combat Class:
RANGER

Combat Style:
Levy's ability to use magic is severely hindered by a sort of affliction; his attempts to use magic bear out severely unpredictable results. Even attempting to cast a simple spell can create a chaotic misfires, or cast a different spell entirely. While this does not affect his ability to reliably use magic items, it effectively nullifies his traditional magic power, and Levy typically eschews personal spellcasting.

In truth, this is a side effect of Levy's true magic power, which allows him to exert control over luck, probability, and random chance. By compressing or expanding the odds of particular events, Levy can give himself the best possible circumstances, nearly eliminating the possibility for random failure, or give his enemies a run of bad luck, weakening their odds of success and inducing unlikely mishaps.

Armed with this ability, Levy actively works to stack the deck in his favor, giving himself the best possible odds, and hitting enemies where it hurts the most. He specializes in infiltration, sabotage, and close-range assassination. His favored weapons are knives, silenced pistols, and pocket-sized explosives, but he also prides himself in his diverse experience with as many weapons systems as he could train with or simulate. This adaptability makes him a superb saboteur, and allows him to enjoy some occasional on-site procurement.

_{R E L A T I O N S H I P S}

---

Gerard Biserus:
Gerard and Levy get along like oil and fire; both being the "rich kids" of the squad, they are more alike than either would care to admit, and this has developed into something of a bickering rivalry between the two. Constantly trading barbs, Levy gets a warm fuzzy feeling from getting under Gerard's skin and deflating his ego, but deep down cares for him as a valued member of the team.

Kalina Kovalic:
Out of all his squadmates, Levy understands Kalina the least, and this fact unnerves him. Her lack of social skills makes it difficult to convince her of his freewheeling facade, and Levy frequently worries that she's seen through to his true nature completely. Rather than dialogue about this, however, he prefers to keep a professional distance between the two of them, and tries not to end up stuck with her one-on-one.

Lance Bennett:
Levy is very often the first and loudest person to crack jokes about Lance's status as "best of the worst," but actually has a decent amount of respect for him, and keeps his ribbing to what he feels the other man is comfortable with. Feeling like a perpetual underdog is familiar to Levy, and he identifies with Lance and his struggles with magic and the Academy for this reason.

Justice:
When the two aren't getting wrapped up in a bickering argument, or a battle of wits, or Levy being on the receiving end of a headlock, they actually get on quite well. Levy cuts out his goof-off behavior just enough to stay on Justice's good side (usually) and actually has quite a lot of respect for their squad leader as a soldier.

Antonio Wenger:
Tony is the squadmate that Levy identifies most strongly with

Silje Birgisdóttir:

---

OUTLAW SPACE

@Expendable Both pretty much valid concepts, though I would ask you to pick one or the other.

A note on Auld Aerth (as it is known among the few Terrans that give a shit in this day and age): the first Terrans to abandon their homeworld are actually the ancestors of the SINTH. Paradoxically, they were only "discovered" more than a thousand years after the planet itself was destroyed. They were rich-and-important types that left the planet to escape a meteor impact some 10k years before the rest of mankind made it to space (mostly due to said meteor impact) and Aerth was destroyed not long after in the First Umbral War.

@jimapple Another workable concept, but I would note that genocidal atrocities are pretty much the entire raison d'etre of the Crux. They're explicitly out to enslave every living thing in the galaxy, and blow up the planet of anyone who resists. The main force of resistance against them is the Arc, who were formed out of the earliest successful rebel movements. Food for thought.

@BangoSkank Sounds pretty good to me.

Might be worth thinking about what kind of crew/mission we want to run. Seeing as we have a lot of cowboy types, perhaps we could be a team of Bounty Hunters?

SPIRITUM

Working on a character. Honestly the character art is the bit holding me up the most.

Basic idea is a roguish scoundrel sort of guy, very into cons, gambling, sleight of hand. Ranger class, specializing in sapping and sabotage. Thinking he might have a sort of "chaos magic" aspect, not in complete control over his own abilities, but gives the impression that he is.

OUTLAW SPACE

@rocketrobie2 Glad to have your interest. I'll give my thoughts on each of your ideas, and see if that helps you in the decision-making process.

Reverse Cyborg: Probably the biggest stretch, but not unworkable. Generally, cybernetic organisms tend to exhibit traits of superiority in the galaxy, so one reversing that process would be quite an unusual proposition. I could see it though, maybe someone who underwent SINTH conversion trying to reverse the process, or some space-vagabond android of another description pulling a Bicentennial Man. Worth exploring more.

Space Cultist: Outlaw Space is teeming with weird sects and cults, so this one would fit quite smoothly. Worshiping an AI isn't an unheard of prospect, though they are exceedingly rare and secretive beings. This is because 1. the Crux Tenebrous outlaws almost every form of synthetic lifeform in its borders and 2. synthetic lifeforms (including AIs) have full personhood in the Arc Luminous, making it kind of a laughable idea to worship, like, Steve. Key exception: there is a huge, godlike AI that runs a large part of the Arc, and commands considerable political power, basically equivalent to being a small country on her own. This is PANDORA, the galactic-simulator AI that helped found the Arc after she defected from the Crux. I could very easily see a fringe sect of weirdos in Outlaw Space obsessed with her.

Plucky Pilot: Easy as pie. Pilots are everywhere, and their licensing body is usually the Spacer Commerce League, who runs pretty much everything relating to interstellar economics. A level-5 license through them is all you need to pretty much have clearance to fly anywhere in the galaxy.

Disgraced Marshall: This guy would probably be an outcast from the Crux, who run on a sort of feudal system. Vassal states and tributaries are constantly jockeying for power and status, and it makes sense that a character such as this could have fallen from grace following a military defeat or some other humiliation.

All in all very workable stuff.

@BangoSkank Both these ideas have legs, just let me know any specifics when you think of them. Might be amusing to consider when and why your character or their ancestors had their genes augmented to be short and hobbitlike.

I think if we get one or two more committed players we'll have enough to start.

S P I R I T U M

Mite b Cool 👍

OUTLAW SPACE

@BangoSkank I'll try to cover everything you're asking about, but my answers for some of these are going to be a bit vague.

In general the galaxy is populated by a very diverse variety of intelligent aliens; very Star Wars like, but humans (and a few others) are more common than most. A long, long history of galactic war has reduced most of these aliens to slowly-dwindling vagrant populations after the destruction of their respective homeworlds.

Humans (also called Terrans) are among these space-drifters, but are unique in that their population has increased following the destruction of Earth, rather than gradually gone extinct. Theoretically this is due to a human predisposition toward adaptability. Humans are more resistant than usual to spaceborne radiation sickness, and are also remarkably compatible with cybernetic and genetic augmentation. As a result, Terrans are very diverse even among their own species. "Halflings" or "Dwarves" would potentially fall within gene-augmented Terran populations. Terrans are generally stereotyped as being like space-roaches: ubiquitous and impossible to exterminate.

Cybernetic augmentation is common enough, if you can afford it. This includes full-body prosthesis, and potentially even full cybernetic conversion. Though at that point you are no longer considered your original species, and are instead a SINTH. Terran-converted SINTH are among the first to exist, and the most common, and are regarded as a far more civilized successor species to humanity. True AI is rare and usually created/discovered by accident, though there a few fully-cybernetic species in the galaxy, nearly all of whom are allied with the high-tech Arc Luminous.

FTL has come in a variety of forms in galactic history, though most have become obsolete due to resource exhaustion. Currently it comes in two forms: Ether Drives, and Hyper-Ring travel. Ether Drives use special Ether fuel to create a special pocket of hyperspace around a ship, allowing it to travel faster than light. It's fairly zippy, you could cross the entire galaxy in about eight years this way (assuming you had enough fuel), but the fuel is not cheap, so it wouldn't be the most economical. Hyper-Rings are massive portals directly into hyperspace, allowing near-instantaneous travel from ring to ring. These are tightly controlled by the Spacer Commerce League, who are the only ones that know how to activate, run, and repair the rings. Most Hyper-Rings are mobile, able to be towed around the galaxy via Ether drive, but a few Mega-Rings are immobile transport hubs.

In terms of playable characters, humans are generally considered the default, but I'm open to nearly anything. There are a few species of noteworthy aliens in the galaxy, such as the Lsola (plant folk) and Tora-Tora (catgirls) as well as the SINTH that I mentioned earlier. Basically float me an idea and we'll see if we can make it work.

OUTLAW SPACE

THE GALAXY BLEEDS; TRAPPED IN AN ENDLESS CYCLE OF REVENGE AND WAR.

ENTIRE WORLDS BURN, ERASING SPECIES AND CULTURES IN THE FIRES OF HATRED.

BILLIONS DIE IN THE NAME OF FREEDOM AND PURSUIT OF POWER.

IN THE MIDST OF THE STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE, THERE ARE NO HEROES NOR VILLAINS.

THERE ARE ONLY...

OUTLAWS

---

Hello and welcome to Outlaw Space, a sci-fi/fantasy Space Western roleplay inspired by a variety of movies, games, anime, and so forth. This is my own custom homebrew setting filled with a variety of different stuff to suit different tastes, but I'll try to keep things simple to start with.

Players will take the role of the crew of an independent starship operating out of (you guessed it) Outlaw Space, the hazardous region of no-man's-space between the two warring empires of the galaxy. We can discuss what sort of missions our ship (name pending) will take on, but I am expecting characters to be (dun dun) Outlaw space criminals in the vein of mercenaries, thieves, bounty hunters, rebel partisans, and so on.

The galaxy is a dangerous place, filled with not only pirates and rival criminals, but ruthless corporations, deadly cults, and bizarre aliens. The business of Outlaws is booming in the wake of the latest Umbral War, the cyclical confrontations between the galactic superpowers of the Arc Luminous and Crux Tenebrous, which has persisted for more than 2000 years. Technically neutral in this ancient conflict are the Spacer Commerce League, a 100,000-year-old NGO whose control over the galactic Hyper-Ring network has kept its thumb firmly on the throat of galactic economics. However, intrigue abounds as each force in the galaxy desperately vies to gain an advantage over the other before they are mutually annihilated. Lost technology and ancient secrets abound in the dark reaches of Outlaw Space, promising a fortune to anyone bold or insane enough to pursue them.

Obviously there's much more going unsaid, but feel free to drop any questions, comments, etc, below, and I'll answer as much as I can.

Stay gold, Outlaws.