[Other] [Mothership] Desert Moon of Karth

[Silent Rain]

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Applications are now closed

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Some theme music

What is Karth? The Desert Moon of Karth is a tiny mesa-studded moon on the galaxy’s far edge—a desolate and strange place filled with volatile factions, dangers and riches. Word has spread in certain circles, even as far as the galactic core, of the substance mined there from the ossified remains of some strange ancient creatures once native to the planet, rumored to provide those that ingest it with age reversing effects. Xenobiologists interested in studying the remains of these ancient people, and hunters of the large and deadly sandsquids, also come to Karth seeking to unlock the moon's mysteries.

What is Mothership? Mothership is a rules-light roll under d100 system that is robust enough to be used for a long campaign, but light enough that it does not get in the way of the narrative and is very simple to pick up for those not familiar with the system. The creators of Mothership, Tuesday Knight Games, have their player's guide listed as pay-what-you-want on DriveThruRPG. I will be using some houserules as well, but any not directly affecting character creation will be detailed in the game thread.

Why would Mothership be good in pbp? You don’t roll for every little thing. If you have the right tools, Skill, or class, you don’t usually roll unless the stakes are high or there’s a lot of uncertainty. You can think of a character's Stats and Saves as a measure of how good the characters are when unprepared and under extreme pressure.This reduces the amount of back and forth posts needed to resolve actions. There are no social rolls. Instead, social encounters are handled through roleplaying. Again, reducing the amount of rolling and the back and forth.

What if I've never played before? That's fine! I am expecting most players to have no experience with the system, but encourage everyone to give it a shot (It did win the Ennie for Best Game in 2019, after all).

Starting Out... Your characters have all departed from Prospero's Dream, a massive space station with over eight million unlucky souls calling it home. For one reason or another, you have all found yourselves in low berth aboard a starliner bound for the Desert Moon of Karth. Due to its distance from the Dream, it is a trip that will take months to complete.

How to create your character   Step 1: Roll your stats Step 1: Roll 6d10 for each of your stats in order starting with How able-bodied you are. Lifting, pushing, hitting things hard.Strength, then How quickly you can act and react under pressure.Speed, How knowledgeable and experienced you are.Intellect, and finally How good you are at fightingCombat. A stat of 30 is about average, and you will be able to mitigate a lower than average score with player-selected skills, in addition to the fact that each class also modifies these stats as well. All rolls should be made here. Do NOT make any rolls in the application thread. Everyone's Calm starts at 85, Resolve starts at 0, and max Health starts at x2 Strength.   Step 2: Pick a Class Step 2: Pick a Class These are the four basic classes in Mothership: Teamsters are the rough and tumble crew and workers out in space. Scientists are doctors, researchers, or anyone who wants to cut open aliens (or infected crew members) with a scalpel. Androids are a terrifying and exciting addition to any crew. They tend to unnerve other players with their cold inhumanity. Marines are here to shoot bugs and chew bubblegum. They’re handy in a fight, and good when grouped together, but whenever a Marine panics it may cause problems for the rest of the crew. Each class has their own starting Save values which represent how resistant they are to different kinds of trauma, danger, or damage. You have four different saves: Your ability to explain away logical inconsistencies in the universe, rationalize and make sense out of chaos, detect illusions and mimicry, and think quickly under pressure.Sanity, How well you can cope with emotional trauma, and covers not only fear, but also loneliness, depression, or any other emotional surge.Fear, Your reflexes, and how well you can resist hunger, disease, or any other organism that might attempt to invade your insides.Body, and How resistant you are to damage sustained during combat, whether that be through bullets, claws, teeth, etc.Armor. Class Sanity Fear Body Armor Teamsters 30 35 30 35 Scientists 40 25 25 30 Androids 20 85 40 25 Marines 25 30 35 40 Additionally, each class alters your starting Stats a little bit. Go ahead and change your starting Stats. Class Strength Speed Intellect Combat Teamsters +5 +5 - - Scientists - - +10 - Androids - +5 +5 - Marines - - - +5 (plus +5 when with another marine)   Step 3: Allocate Skill Points Step 3: Allocate Skill Points     Trained Skills Trained Skills Archaelogy: Ancient cultures and their artifacts Art: The expression or application of a species’ creative ability and imagination Athletics: Physical sports and games Biology: Study of life Chemistry: The identification of the substances of which matter is composed Computers: Fluent use of computers and networks Driving: Operation and control of motor vehicles First Aid: Emergency medical care and treatment Geology: The solid features of any terrestrial planet or natural satellite Heavy Machinery: Operation and use of large pieces of equipment (cranes, exosuits, forklifts, etc.) Hydroponics: Growing plants in nutrient solutions without soil (farming in space) Linguistics: Study of language Mathematics: The science of numbers, quantity, and space. Mechanical Repair: Fixing broken machines Military Training: Standard basic training given to all military personnel Piloting: Operation and control of air and spacecraft Rimwise: Outer rim colonies and seedy parts of the galaxy Scavenging: Searching discarded waste for useful items Theology: Study of religion Zero-G: Working in a vacuum, vaccsuits, etc. Expert Skills Expert Skills Asteroid Mining: Training in the tools and procedures used in mining asteroids Astrogation: Navigation in outer space Botany: The study of plant life Close-Quarters Combat: Hand-to-hand, melee fighting Engineering: design, building, and use of engines, machines, and structures Explosives: Bombs and incendiary devices Firearms: Guns and their use Genetics: Heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics Gunnery: Starship weaponry Hacking: Unauthorized access to computer systems Jury-Rigging: Makeshift repairs Mysticism: Spiritual apprehension of hidden knowledge Pathology: Study of the cause and effect of disease Physics: Study of nature and properties of matter and energy Planetology: Study of planets and other celestial bodies Psychology: The study of behavior and the human mind Tactics: Maneuvering military forces in battle Vehicle Specialization: Specific vehicle class Master Skills Master Skills Artificial Intelligence: Knowledge of simulacrum of human consciousness Command: Leadership and authority Cybernetics: Interface between man and machine Hyperspace: Faster-than-light travel Robotics: Design and operation of robots, drones, and androids Sophontology: Alien psychology Weapon Specialization: Proficiency with a specific weapon Xenobiology: Alien biology Xenoesotericism: Obscure alien mysticism, religion, and belief Skills represent the accumulated knowledge, craft, techniques and training you possess. All Skills start out as Untrained, meaning that you don’t have the Skill. By taking a Trained Skill, you unlock Expert and Master Skills. Whenever you make a Stat check and you have a relevant Skill, you add your Skill Bonus to your Stat, giving you a higher number to roll under. There are four different Skill ranks which determine how much you know about a given subject: Untrained (Skill Bonus: +0%): You have little to no experience in this field and you get no bonus. Depending on how complex the task is, you might roll with Disadvantage. Trained (Skill Bonus: +10%): You’ve received standard training in this area equivalent to a bachelor’s degree or on the job training for a couple years. Expert (Skill Bonus: +15%): In this subject, you have the equivalent of a doctorate or many years of experience. Master (Skill Bonus: +20%): You are one of the luminaries of the field and are aware of cutting edge techniques or highly specialized and niche information. Each class comes pre-loaded with some relevant skills which will help them perform better at different challenges. Additionally, each class has a number of points to spend on Skills during character creation. Spend all of your Skill points now, keeping in mind: Trained Skills cost 1 point. Expert Skills cost 2 points. Master Skills cost 3 points. To take an Expert or Master Skill you must first take one of its prerequisite Skills. Starting Skills Teamsters: Zero-G, Mechanical Repair, Pick one (Heavy Machinery or Piloting), +4 pts Scientists: Pick two (Biology, Agriculture, Geology, Computers, Mathematics, Chemistry), +3 pts Androids: Computers, Mathematics, Linguistics, +2 pts Marines: Military Training, +3 pts   Step 4: Pick your loadout& Finishing Touches Step 4: Pick your loadout There are four different starting equipment packages to choose from. Your Armor will also improve your armor save, which you should update now. Loadouts Excavation: Crowbar, hand welder, laser cutter, body cam, bioscanner, infrared goggles, lockpick set, vaccsuit (+7% armor save) Exploration: Vibechete, rigging gun, flare gun, first aid kit, vaccsuit (+7% armor save), survey kit, water filter, locator, rebreather, binoculars, flashlight, camping gear, MREs x7 Extermination: SMG, frag grenade x6, advanced battle dress (+15% armor save), stimpack x6, electronic took kit Examination: Scalpel, tranq pistol, stun baton, hazard suit (+5% armor save), medscanner, automed x6, pain pills x6, stimpack x6, cybernetic diagnostic scanner Finishing Touches Everyone begins with 5d10 credits. Your Calm starts at 85 Your Resolve starts at 0 Your Max Health starts at x2 Strength

Game Information Application Deadline: 3/31 Party Size: 4-6 Posts per Week: 1

Applications should include: Name Class Background Information (be sure to include why you are traveling to Karth, and feel free to create locations and NPCs as needed) Description of your character

Applications

Player	Character	Class	Loadout	Skills	Status
Hal Hammerhand	Waylan Wedgewood	Teamster	Excavation	Zero-G, Mechanical Repair, Heavy Machinery, Jury-Rigging, Scavenging, Athletics	Withdrawn
Classic Gamer	Quintonius “Q” Drake	Scientist	Exploration	Agriculture, Chemistry, Computers, Engineering	Complete
Dworin	Lew 'Kitten' Key Then	Teamster	Exploration	Zero-G, Mechanical Repair, Piloting, Asteroid Mining, Astrogation	Complete
Pelarium	John Perry	Marine	Extermination	Military Training, Firearms, Athletics	Complete
ihinka	MIDR01D	Android	Examination	Computers, Mathematics, Linguistics, Athletics, First Aid	Complete
cybersavant	Evard Kohl	Android	Exploration	Computers, Math, Linguistics, Engineering	Complete
47Ronin	Neev Jäger	Teamster	Exploration	Zero-G, Mechanical Repair, Piloting, Scavenging, Heavy Machinery, Driving, Rimwise	Complete
EMIW	Wayd Embrason	Marine	Extermination	Military Training, Heavy Machinery, Close-Quarters Combat	Complete
Jedyot	Samuel Dalton	Scientist	Examination	Computers, Biology, First Aid, Pathology	Complete
Thebardstale	Caleb Delmont	Marine	Extermination	Military Training, Tactics, Rimwise	Complete

[Hal Hammerhand]

Interested!
And for anyone on the fence about this game, Silent Rain is a good DM, he even explains the character creation process everytime he advertises a new game or less popular system!

Applications should include: Name: Str 54 | Speed 43 | Int 27 | Com 26Waylan Wedgewood Class: -Zero-G: 10% -Mechanical Repair: 10% -Heavy Machinery: 10% -Scavenging: 10% -Athletics: 10% -Jury-rigging: 15% Excavation loadout Calm: 85 Resolve: 0 Health: 108 Sanity: 30 Fear: 35 Body: 30 Armor: 42 Credits: 22Teamster Description: Waylan is a middle aged man, 37 years oldaround his late thirties but with the hard work he has endured makes him appear a bit older. He stands around five feet and six inches, a short compact fellow with a decent amount of muscle and scars up and down his arms from burns and cuts from mechanical work. He has black hair that he keeps in a braid with several nuts and bolts wove in like tribal fetishes. His beard is somewhat long but trimmed somewhat with a mustache that curls up a bit at the ends. He has unassuming brown eyes that don't seem to miss any details and his face is usually smudged with oil or grease of some kind. He likes simple clothes, a sleaveless shirt, tough work trousers, black suspenders and heavy work boots. he keeps his infrared goggles pushed up on his forehead just in case he ever needs them. He likes to keep all his tools in a heavy tool belt that fastens around his waist and on a bandolier that crosses his chest. He always has his trusty Rusty, an adjustable monkey wrench with a 'WW' engraved deep in it's head just below the adjustment screw. Around his neck, on a chain he wears an old-fashioned key. He is a quiet, serious person, very work-motivated but appreciates a good drink or a nice thick stogey. Hiding behind his eyes is a league of experiences that have turned him a bit bitter and made him erect emotional barriers to protect him from getting hurt again. He appreciates a job well done and gets quite angry when he sees someone do a crappy bit of work on something that he knows how to do better, especially leaving obvious mistakes untended. Background Information: Waylan wasn't born aboard the Prospero's Dream but he has called it home for several years, far more than he wanted to and not really by his choice. He was born planetside on the heavy gravity world of Amos to a family of miners. At a young age, he found his aptitude for engineering, he had a talent for eventually getting any machine fixed and running, mostly heavy machinery, a natural talent that doesn't come from intelligence or education. In his early adulthood, he managed to find his way off his home-planet on a freighter ship, working his way for passage. It wasn't until he made it to the Imperial-controlled station of Zindrilla, a dry-dock for building and repairing large ships that he found what he saw as the light in the darkness. He met Gwendoline Devall, A very sharp mind when it came to engineering, her brain matched the talent that Waylan had and together, they could fix anything. It was nearly seven years before things started getting rough. What started as a professional competition in order to do the best work they were capable of changed as Gwen started getting better work assignments and Waylan started getting the routine busy-jobs. He wasn't Imperial-born and the foremen never let him forget it. His stress and anger at the situation started to wear him thin and he stupidly took it out on Gwen. Eventually, the couple had to split, whether it was some kind of self-sabotage or Love turned into indifference as the little gap between them was filled with other things until it was a gaping void, Waylan didn't know for sure except that it ended with a big fight. He boarded the next ship leaving Zindrilla for any other station, far away from Gwen and in this journey, he found himself on Prospero's Dream where he put in his time, doing whatever work they would give him, having given up his hope of working on anything meaningful in the hopes of putting Gwen out of his mind. He wiled away ten years in the underbelly of Prospero's until something new came along. When the job offer for Karth reach his ear, his only thought was that it was farther away from his misery.

[Hal Hammerhand]

I hope that makes a good first application!

Also, would it be okay to switch out the crowbar in his loadout for an large adjustable wrench?, mechanically the same as far a weapon is concerned.

[Silent Rain]

Nice to see some quick interest.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Hal. Yes, your app looks good. A spanner it is. Same stats as crowbar.

[Mitsubachi]

Application withdrawn.

[Demandredd]

I love everything about this, application incoming.

[ihinka]

I've been lurking. Since this is really intriguing. I'm not sure I'll have the time to commit to this. So I'll keep lurking and consider my options.

[Silent Rain]

Look forward to seeing those applications, and lurk away ithinka.

As always, let me know if anyone has any questions.

[Aethera]

I too shall lurk, though I have less time than I think I do. Hopefully there might be room for Westerns meets Twilight Zone meets space opera.

[Silent Rain]

The version of the Player's Guide I am using is: Alpha Zine Edition, Fifth Printing. This is also the version offered that I linked to in my initial post. There are some houserules that I am using, the biggest of witch is switching Stress for Calm. This change is integrated into the character creation steps above, so that might account for the difference you are seeing.

All other houserules I am using can be found in he game thread.

Yes, I would allow linguistics as a starting skill for a scientist. No reason that have to be pigeonholed into the academia of STEM.

Hey, Aethera. Lurk away, though you forgot a dash of Buck rogers.

[ihinka]

Hm... So with those stats I'm vibing either an Android class or a beefy scientist. Playing an android is always appealing and I found the perfect pic for it.

But I'm left wondering how inhumane are Mothership androids really supposed to be? Or would the interpretation be entirely up to the player?

[Classic Gamer]

App Name - Quintonius “Q” Drake Class - Scientist Background Information - Call Quintonius Drake a “moon baby” and you are likely to get punched in the mouth. It is a derogatory term that reminds him that he grew up as a second class citizen not on the planet Eurodynas but it’s moon Faustus. Life was hard on the colony, the economy was a wreck, and illegal activity nearly matched legal activity as a means of survival. Q even had to forge documentation to allow him to get a decent education at the colony university. “Stolen collegers” they were called and anyone found attending university illegally was consigned to five years hard labor in the mines. Luckily, Q never got caught. That didn’t mean it had been an easy trick to pull off. In order to pay for his tuition, Q had to join an underground fighting circuit to earn the credits. He did manage to gain his education in a dual major of agriculture and chemistry. Q thought that terraforming opportunities were his best bet, and those disciplines would come in handy just about anywhere across the universe. After four years practically secluded on a Galarian research ship honing his skills and learning new skills in computers and engineering from a robotics specialist. Q heard about the mission to Karth. If any place sounded like it needed his particular skills, this was it. He might even be able to carve his own little peaceful niche and stop feeling like he has to look over his shoulder all of his life. Description of your character - Q is a physically fit man in his mid-twenties with short brown hair and brown eyes. His rugged looks and the utilitarian clothes he wears often lead him to be mistaken for a teamster or sometimes even a marine. Q has a habit of keeping to himself in most situations unless he feels comfortable with those around him or the situation warrants his specific interaction. Mentally Q is a fairly happy-go-lucky kind of fellow who isn’t put off by much and wishes well for just about everyone.

 

Exploration: Vibechete, rigging gun, flare gun, first aid kit, vaccsuit (+7% armor save), survey kit, water filter, locator, rebreather, binoculars, flashlight, camping gear, MREs x7

 

Strength - 31
Speed - 27
Intellect - 40
Combat - 47
Credits - 25
Calm - 85
Resolve - 0
Health - 62

 

Sanity - 40
Fear - 25
Body - 25
Armor - 30

 

Agriculture + 10%
Chemistry + 10%
Computers + 10%
Engineering + 15%

[Silent Rain]

The androids in Mothership were designed with those from the Alien franchise in mind (Bishop, David, etc). While they certainly looked human, they clearly lacked emotion, which became apparent the longer you spent time with them.

That said, I leave the specifics up to you, so long as they cannot perfectly replicate human emotion.

[Silent Rain]

Hey Gamer, thanks for the interest and nice app.

[Classic Gamer]

Thanks. I thought the agriculture and chemistry angle could be a nice fit for world building in both senses of the phrase in this this case, lol. I am looking for another long term RP intensive game to keep my mind whirring along and this looks like a nice fit. Although I am having a blast with Drifter One’s Cyberpunk - The Edge of Glory game and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants a good read along. I just need to exercise my “scientist adventure” chops.