PrivateVentures

Mass Effect: Underworld

Ellis stomped back to the elevator. The cool voice of Talos, the ship's shackled AI, sounded in the small space, echoing ever so slightly, asking for his destination.

"Cargo bay."

The doors closed and sealed, and with a quiet hum, dropped at imperceptible speed, the doors sliding open once more, revealing a wide space, housing a massive rover, exercising Turians, storage crates of weapons, ammunition, materials, and other cargo. Ellis ignored the stares as he meandered his way to one of the storage closets lining the space. It was a long walk, and he was watched the whole way.

I wonder if any of them recognize you.

Look at the way they're glaring.

One of the Turians gave him a slight snarl as he passed.

He remembers you, at least.

Ellis ignored the man and continued on, to wait at the door while it scanned his biometrics, before sliding open, revealing a space just large enough to be comfortable for someone of Ellis' size. He squeezed through the tight doorframe, and sat firmly onto a wide, metal container. The label bore only a single, enigmatic word: "TOOLS". The top gave in just a bit under his enormous weight, and Ellis felt comfortable here, even more so when the door closed, concealing the harsh lights of the cargo bay, to be replaced by dim shop lights. A metal desk sat in the corner, stray mechanical odds and ends littering its surface. Ellis paid them no mind, promising to clean the place up when he awoke.

"NERO, initiate 'Good Night' protocol." His suit powered down, his viewscreen darkening. Ellis, exhausted from the night before, collapsed against the gel that encased him. It was soft. It was warm. And here, he was alone.

Ellis slept.

ENDGAME

Don't worry about writing in enemy reactions. Just focus on your own character's thoughts, feelings, and actions. Leave the enemy response to me.

ENDGAME

Setting: Unified Earth Administration Navy assault cruiser, in orbit above Europa, possibly guarding something, more likely as a shuttle, to pass cargo back and forth, as we have observed it leaving, to be replaced by another, more well-armed and armored UEA Warship, over the course of one month

Enemy personnel: Twelve UEA Marines, Four UEA Navy officers, one UEA Navy Captain, one UEA Navy Navigator, two Engineers, one Pyrotech Mech, outfitted for ground combat, two civilian scientists, of unknown specialty

Intel: Marines patrol up and down central corridor in pairs. They switch shifts at exactly 4:00 A.M. and 8 P.M. Optical Security sensors watch all airlocks at all times, monitored by a team of two Marines in the Armory. Shifts switch at 5:00 P.M. Ship is outfitted heavily for ship to ship combat, and orbital troop deployment. The orbital drop pods could also be used as an escape if need be, and if there is in fact a station on Europa, could potentially signal for reinforcements. No one can be allowed to escape. The ship’s long range sensors are outdated, generally pulsing every three minutes. You will have a three-minute window to board. I recommend starting with a Mech launch into the cargo bay, to disable their own Mech before a proper defense can be mounted. The cargo bay is relatively small, containing a single shuttle, and doubling as barracks for the marines. Be advised: the marines on board are from the “Killer Crows” 6-1-4 company, and are known to be excellent sharpshooters. It is believed that their close-quarters skills are lacking. I recommend that once the Mech is on board, that two boarding pods be launched, to pierce the anterior airlock as well as the starboard airlock, and that the two teams meet in a pincer maneuver toward engineering, to disable the ship’s engines, shutting off primary power. Auxiliary power cells will activate, but will be unsuitable for ship to ship combat. Its weapons will be unable to fire without risking life support.

Be advised: The ship is known to be carrying some sort of experimental cargo. Whether this is a weapon, tool, or even cargo of scientific interest is unknown. Avoid damaging any and all cargo crates at all cost

I recommend forgoing the usage of explosives, as this will minimize collateral damage.

I also advise that you make attempt to capture the scientists. If they will not go willingly, force them. If lethal force is required for coercion, make it so.

NOTE: New intel suggests that Company 614 has recruited two highly skilled and highly decorated Hyperscout specialists from the “Fighting 4-0-4”. I advise you deal with these with extreme prejudice as soon as possible, to avoid being overwhelmed. They are fast. They are deadly. And they come from the most highly decorated Space Corps company in the entire UEA Navy.

The scientists will likely be in the barracks, as the ship has no lab of its own. The simple AI within the ship will likely destroy all vital information upon being boarded, so any and all prisoners must be interrogated.

LOCATIONS OF CONSEQUENCE HAVE BEEN MARKED BELOW:

ENDGAME: A dark sci-fi epic, accepting anyone interested

@Gunther@Ryougu@LordofthePies@Infamous Empath

OOC is up: ENDGAME

ENDGAME

Welcome to Endgame

The year is 2242. Humanity has successfully built and harnessed the power of the Graviton for instantaneous space travel, through the opening of a corresponding black and white hole. Earth watches with envy as Mars sends probe after probe after warship after warship into the darkness of space, a combination conquering effort and exploration endeavor. Humanity now begins toeing the line between science and enigma, reaching its long fingers into places that life as we know it has never belonged. We call out into the abyss, and the voices beyond the void have answered.

This will be a dark sci-fi adventure, controlled only by my own mathematics and your imagination. I will be your captain, of the pirate vessel, Endgame. I will provide you with maps, missions, intel, briefing, and debriefing, and your all-powerful armaments. Humanity lives within solid shells of graphene and titanium, pressurized and sealed against the vacuum of space. Choose your profession and forge your destiny.

This will be DnD styled, with my own dice rolls controlling your fates. The numerical rules of your weapons and gear will be largely unknown to you as the players, but will be the ruling factor in combat. If your character dies, you are free to create a new one, but your old one will remain deceased. Make your choices carefully, for each death will affect the morale of your captain and your crew.

PLAYER CLASSES

THIEF: Excels at lockpicking/hacking/searching/looting, falters in direct combat

ASSASSIN: Excels at stealth/hiding/agility, falters in direct combat, particularly close quarters

RAIDER: Excels at fast, powerful frontal assaults, combat oriented, low armor, low equipment load, falters in prolonged combat

BERSERKIR: Excels at taking ground, heavily armed and armored, high equipment load, falters in prolonged combat

NEGOTIATOR: Excels at disguises/mimicry, high charisma, falters in direct combat

BATTLE MASTER: Tactical command, excels at long-range combat, equipped with long range bioscan, falters in direct combat

PYROTECH MECH: Excels in direct combat, heavily armed, extremely heavily armored, slow boarding mech, fired like a missile into enemy hull, falters when heavily outnumbered

WEAPONS AND ARMOR

KINETIC DISPLACEMENT SWORDS: Deployable close-range weapons, designed to shatter hardlight ablative webbing, (energy shields), excessive damage to unprotected armor and soft bodies, usable by all classes aside from PYROTECH MECH.

KINETIC DISPLACEMENT MORTAR: Deployable close-range weapons, designed to destroy anything and everything that gets within range, excessive, often lethal damage to hardlight ablative webbing, unprotected armor, soft bodies, vehicles, mechs, usable only by PYROTECH MECH.

DISPLACEMENT RIFLES/PISTOLS: Short to mid range weapons, excessive damage to hardlight ablative webbing at short range, moderate to severe damage to ablative webbing at mid range, damage suffers a steep drop after thirty yards, becoming completely ineffective. Usable by all classes except PYROTECH MECH.

GAUSS WEAPONS: Magnetic accelerator weapons, require reloading, typically have 1 to 3 barrels, designed for extreme damage against unshielded armor, can be shut down by EMP weapons or Tesla Guns.

MAG PISTOLS: Magnetic Accelerator weapons, require reloading, typically only carry 1 to 4 rounds, excessive damage against unshielded armor, against shields, the kinetic yield is generally enough for severe formation disruption. Useable by all classes except PYROTECH MECH.

GAS POWERED RIFLES AND PISTOLS: Standard firearms, vacuum-sealed cartridges, ineffective against armor, but effective at overwhelming shielding. Upon reloading, require rechambering.

HARPOON GUNS: Use a pressurized gas cartridge to launch a harpoon, linked by a cable, often electrified to make the dragged target more "persuadeable", single shot, require reloading, ineffective against ablative webbing, moderately effective against unshielded armor, completely ineffective and certainly lethal against soft bodies. Useable by all classes except PYROTECH MECH

SKILLS

LOCKPICKING/HACKING: Requires proximity to console/Hacker Drone/code injector attachment

STEALTH: Active Camoflage is finnicky, as such, is easily disrupted

ASSASSINATION: Can only be achieved while cloaked or disguised, instant kill on soft bodies, moderately successful against unshielded armor, 50/50 chance against Ablative Webbing.

BOOST CHARGE: Only useable by RAIDER and PYROTECH MECH, requires a DISPLACEMENT SWORD or DISPLACEMENT MORTAR, can be used to hit multiple targets along the way

HEAVY RUSH: Same ruleset as BOOST CHARGE, except only up to two adjacent enemy targets can be selected. Successful implementation can easily disrupt enemy formation.

BACKSTAB: Can only be used while disguised, instakill on most unshielded targets, but disengages disguise

MIMIC: Can only imitate certain enemies, but is a foolproof disguise, unless discovered. Must mimic a previously killed target.

SAVING GRACE: Can only be used by BATTLE MASTER armed with a projectile weapon, can be used to interrupt another player's combat. If successful, can kill, stun, or maim an engaging enemy on contact

FIREFIGHTER: Only useable by PYROTECH MECH, is able to damage up to three enemies per attack, can be used in lieu of other Mech abilities, requires a projectile weapon, moderately ineffective against shielding, high damage to unshielded armor and soft bodies,

SHOCK AND AWE: Only useable by PYROTECH MECH, affects all adjacent enemies with excessive electrical current, stunning or killing small targets outright, can disrupt shielding with moderate effectiveness.

PATRIOT ACT: Only useable by PYROTECH MECH, affects up to five enemies at once, instant formation disruption, mild direct damage

SIX GUN: Only useable by PYROTECH MECH. Target one enemy, strikes six times, requires projectile weapon

SPEARGUN: Only useable by PYROTECH MECH, targets one enemy or mech, and cripples it, (unable to move or attack), only effective on unshielded targets

IDENTIFY: Only useable by THIEVES. Allows thief to scan for loot or useful materials.

SMASH AND GRAB: Only useable by sword-wielding THIEF. Deals slight damage, gives random loot or materials.

PLAYER STATS

DURABILITY- Determines how much damage an unshielded body can sustain before death

EQUIPMENT LOAD: Determines how much weight in equipment that a player can carry before being over-encumbered

STRENGTH: Determines bonuses when engaging in unarmed combat, i.e. punches, kicks, throws

DEXTERITY: Determines bonuses to sword damage and critical hits

VISION: Determines ranged weapon roll bonus

CHARISMA: Determines Mimic/Persuade/Haggle/Negotiate bonus and effectiveness

AGILITY: Determines speed and dodge/cover roll bonuses

SKILL: Determines dodge roll/sword deflection/cover roll bonuses

LUCK: Determines the mercy of the game on your character

CLASS VARIANTS

THIEF
CAT BURGLAR: 2DUR/9EQU/0STR/1DEX/1VIS/2CHA/4AGL/2SKL/4LCK
MUGGER: 3DUR/8EQU/3STR/2DEX/0VIS/1CHA/1AGL/1SKL/1LCK
PICKPOCKET: 1DUR/7EQU/0STR/1DEX/3VIS/2CHA/3AGL/3SKL/3LCK

ASSASSIN
STREET SNIPER: 3DUR/9EQU/3STR/0DEX/5VIS/0CHA/1AGL/2SKL/1LCK
HITMAN: 4DUR/9EQU/4STR/3DEX/2VIS/0CHA/0AGL/2SKL/1LCK
SIC SEMPER TYRANNUS: 2DUR/8EQU/2STR/2DEX/3VIS/6CHA/4AGL/1SKL/2LCK

RAIDER
BULLET BILL: 3DUR/9EQU/2STR/6DEX/0VIS/3CHA/6AGL/1SKL/1LCK
HYPERSCOUT: 2DUR/9EQU/1STR/4DEX/1VIS/4CHA/7AGL/5SKL/2LCK
BLACK IRON: 4DUR/10EQU/3STR/5DEX/1VIS/2CHA/5AGL/7SKL/2LCK

BERSERKIR
KNIGHT: 6DUR/10EQU/4STR/6DEX/0VIS/3CHA/1AGL/5SKL/3LCK
THE ROCK: 7DUR/8EQU/6STR/5DEX/2VIS/3CHA/0AGL/6SKL/2LCK
PSYCHO: 4DUR/10EQU/5STR/6DEX/4VIS/1CHA/3AGL/1SKL/4LCK

NEGOTIATOR
HANNIBAL: 1DUR/8EQU/7STR/1DEX/0VIS/8CHA/4AGL/3SKL/2LCK
GRIFTER: 2DUR/7EQU/1STR/2DEX/2VIS/8CHA/5AGL/2SKL/4LCK
DOPPLEGANGER: 2DUR/7EQU/1STR/2DEX/3VIS/10CHA/3AGL/5SKL/1LCK

BATTLE MASTER
HOLLYWOOD: 3DUR/10EQU/1STR/2DEX/16VIS/7CHA/2AGL/8SKL/4LCK
BRIGHT FUTURE: 4DUR/8EQU/2DEX/2STR/5VIS/8CHA/1AGL/9SKL/5LCK
TACTICOOL: 2DUR/12EQU/3STR/2DEX/5VIS/6CHA/2AGL/7SKL/4LCK

BOARDING AI (PYROTECH MECH)
SPARTAN 117: 10DUR/8EQU/8STR/4DEX/3VIS/0CHA/4AGL/2SKL/6LCK
HAL-9000: 7DUR/8EQU/1STR/2DEX/7VIS/0CHA/3AGL/2SKL/4LCK
DREADNOUGHT: 15DUR/10EQU/1STR/1DEX/6VIS/0CHA/1AGL/4SKL/3LCK

ADDITIONAL INFO

In the event that one's shields are broken, they will not recharge. Ablative Hardlight Webbing is generated by a "AbWeb Module" that must be replaced in order to restore shield functionality. Without such a module, that player will be without shielding for the remainder of the mission, relying on their character's durability and tactics to keep them alive.

Swords and electronic weaponry can be shorted out if exposed to excessive electrical stimulus or significant EM frequencies

Hi!

@kasterbora No one welcomed you yet?

Allow me, PV, the purveyor of the finest exoskeletons, to officially extend the hand of the Roleplayer Guild.

ENDGAME: A dark sci-fi epic, accepting anyone interested

I did not anticipate this kind of turnout.

I'll get to work on maps, descriptions, settings, etc!

EDIT: OOC is currently in progress. It will mirror the interest check, with little additions here and there on solid world ruling.

ENDGAME: A dark sci-fi epic, accepting anyone interested

@Ryougu As many as you want, according to your class. Just know that the more skills you take, the less effective each will be.

Also, if you come up with new skills, you can include those, too, with descriptions. I'll check over everything, and provide the official designation on your weapons and armor.

Oh, and your armor is essentially extra-vehicular powered armor. Feel free to add mounted weapons, jump jets, etc. Anything you can think of. I'll review it all impartially.

ENDGAME: A dark sci-fi epic, accepting anyone interested

Guys, also bear in mind that just because your character starts off with certain stats doesn't mean they'll never change. A Pyrotech Mech with a penchant for sparing civilians could, in theory, eventually rack up enough charisma to trick enemies into thinking it's operated by a human, or even mimic a human voice and mannerisms through comms.

ENDGAME: A dark sci-fi epic, accepting anyone interested

@LordofthePies The Mech is what I like to call a "Boarding AI". It's an advanced Artificial Intelligence with its own set of programming, subprogramming, subroutines, etc.

So, basically, you're a robot who can make its own decisions. With 0 charisma, it's unlikely that it will be very friendly, but at the same time, being an AI means your character will never beat around the bush. With anything. If something is a problem, a Mech will almost always be a good solution.