Set Us Free [OOC]

[NontheistCleric]

I can make a post IC for all this is needed.

Yes, please do make a post IC. It might even take some back-and-forth. I don't mind some checks being made, but remember, checks are really only for when the situation is seriously testing your raw abilities. Other than that, the exact strategies you take, words you choose and actions you attempt, also have a huge impact on events, and those need to be established IC.

Would Senate and SIS resources give Lorm a bonus to Investigation or Technology checks? Like a Group check bonus? Just curious because she's pretty skilled just by herself but bonuses can't hurt.

That will depend on how you roleplay it IC. If you can convince the right people to help out, maybe things will be easier.

[Vorpal Glaive]

I get that what I the player types has weight but it's my character who actually lives in the setting and has the capabilities being used. She knows what to say far better than I know and I'm hoping that matters. It's kind of the reason I prefer rules for using abilities instead of Freeform where the qualifications for in-game task resolution can get somewhat whimsical. Like in this instance, if Lorm's roll of 29 for Deception still brings this level of non-compliance from the gathered NPCs it makes me wonder what impact using this system (based on DnD 5e) is going to have.

Wouldn't Gavontra's Noble trait (Position of Privilege) and her mastery of Deception carry here? She's not getting much respect from people who are literally commoners, even disrespectful ones like CSF Chief Anwil. It feels like there's history here between Lorm and these NPCs that I'm unaware of?

Edit: or maybe I haven't grasped the setting and how the Empire and Senate are entangled?

[NontheistCleric]

They're not noncompliant, but you have to actually tell them information if you want them to start reacting. The Deception is for making them believe you're sincere, and as far as Lorm can tell, they do believe it. Deception is not just a 'make them do exactly what I want' skill.

Anwil and Trant are just stressed out and overworked. They're not kissing up to her, but you'll notice they did come running when she called, and a Senator did too. Trant even volunteered relevant information.

Well, the Senator actually probably went back to bed, but then, she is a Senator.

Also, Gavontra is a noble on Alderaan (a planet which isn't even technically Republic at this point in time). On Coruscant, she's just a member of an advisory body to the actual bosses of these people. They have to listen to what she says, but she isn't exactly their superior.

[Vorpal Glaive]

Thanks Nontheist Cleric for your quick responses. Going forward I'm only concerned that Gavontra's noble privilege has the impact I imagined when the Background was selected. The Rebels were sorely overworked in their fight against the Empire but Princess Leia was still given the respect she deserved despite Alderaan being destroyed. My hope is the way Lorm Gavontra was designed has an impact on your story.

Thanks again and I'll have a post up soon.

[NontheistCleric]

Yes, of course it will have an impact in the right places–but Leia was well-respected in the Rebellion because of her position in the Rebellion, not because she was a princess–and she was the Princess, not just a minor noble.

Being a noble on a different planet makes some difference, but people like Trant and Anwil are not commoners. They're leaders on a planet struggling to put itself back together, and if they respect someone, that tends to manifest in being interested in what they have to say, not necessarily remembering the right protocol. The equivalent to their authority on Alderaan would be the heads of minor houses.

Also, they spend a lot of their time around actual Senators, who are at least ten times as important as any of you. Some Senators oversee entire planetary systems.

Fundamentally, a background feature is not supposed to have a huge effect on play. In the particular part of the setting it pertains to (Alderaan), it can open up all sorts of doors and make you many contacts, but on Coruscant the things it changes will be much subtler.

[Vorpal Glaive]

Yes, of course it will have an impact in the right places–but Leia was well-respected in the Rebellion because of her position in the Rebellion, not because she was a princess–and she was the Princess, not just a minor noble.

Being a noble on a different planet makes some difference, but people like Trant and Anwil are not commoners. They're leaders on a planet struggling to put itself back together, and if they respect someone, that tends to manifest in being interested in what they have to say, not necessarily remembering the right protocol. The equivalent to their authority on Alderaan would be the heads of minor houses.

Also, they spend a lot of their time around actual Senators, who are at least ten times as important as any of you. Some Senators oversee entire planetary systems.

Fundamentally, a background feature is not supposed to have a huge effect on play. In the particular part of the setting it pertains to (Alderaan), it can open up all sorts of doors and make you many contacts, but on Coruscant the things it changes will be much subtler.

Well then I've probably made a mistake with character creation as I imagined Lorm's Background having a somewhat "deferential" impact on how NPCs interacted with her. I get some NPCs would see nobles as having only honorary status among the Republic but I didn't expect that some NPCs would confront her with anger and disrespect as Anwill has done. I also understand that nobility and Deception are not a form of mind-control but I (incorrectly) assumed they would carry more narrative weight than what I'm seeing. Knowing what I know now I would've done things differently regarding the current IC scene. Again this is my mistake not yours.

I'll think things over and get back to you. Thanks Nontheist Cleric.

[NontheistCleric]

I think it's worth noting (and Gavontra would realize this because her Insight is high enough) that part of Anwil's brusqueness is because she just wasn't in the mood to deal with a crying, speechmaking person today. It doesn't necessarily mean people are going to be spitting in Gavontra's face everywhere she goes.

[BananaPhone]

Posting today!

[Vorpal Glaive]

Nontheist Cleric can I change my background from Noble to Agent? The latter would make Gavontra as effective as I need her to be. I can rework her background story easily.

Edit: Being a noble in this setting isn't what I expected.

[NontheistCleric]

Yes, you can, but you don't actually have to stop being a noble. The way I see it, these background features are a way to add a little bit of codification to your backstory, but just because you have one background on your character sheet doesn't mean the rest of your written background doesn't matter.

Practically speaking, Lorm is already an agent. She doesn't have the Safe Haven feature written on her sheet, but that doesn't mean she can't find a safe haven with her spy network, and if she had the Agent background but was an Alderaanian noble in her backstory, I would still have her be treated like a noble lady if she went home to Alderaan (and in other places where being a minor Alderaanian noble would make a difference). She doesn't need to have the Sith background to be treated like a Sith either, and in fact, even though the Sith couldn't give half a credit for an Alderaanian noble title, Lorm will get a hundred times the overt respect in Kaas City as compared to Coruscant, because she is a Lord of the Sith, and lesser beings do not emit so much as an audible breath in the presence of one such without leave if they value their lives.

Vecta's background is Sith and not Entertainer, but that doesn't mean that she was never an entertainer.

The bottom line is that background features are supposed to be situational at best. You get their benefit if it makes sense within the situation your characters are in, but you just have to accept that not every scenario or NPC is going to be conducive to the realization of the background feature as it is written. A Bounty Hunter is not going to be able to use their Ear To The Ground in the swamps of Dagobah. Moreover, if you wrote your backstory to include a certain thing, you might get a benefit even without having a feature. That's essentially the level a background feature is on—flavor. That's not a bad thing, because in a game where we are creating a story together, flavor can have a huge impact.

[BananaPhone]

That's basically the conclusion I came to. I built Vecta to be very multi-skill, to represent someone who was an Emperor's Hand type character at this point in her life and able to solve problems in lots of different ways. Taking the Sith background was better over the Entertainer background, because as a Twi'lek she already had the dance moves and the rest of the skills available were already in Sith background anyway. (though I admit I wish I could've found a way to take 'Acrobatics', but the skills use is very limited, so *shrugs*)

[Vorpal Glaive]

Yes, you can, but you don't actually have to stop being a noble. The way I see it, these background features are a way to add a little bit of codification to your backstory, but just because you have one background on your character sheet doesn't mean the rest of your written background doesn't matter.

Practically speaking, Lorm is already an agent. She doesn't have the Safe Haven feature written on her sheet, but that doesn't mean she can't find a safe haven with her spy network, and if she had the Agent background but was an Alderaanian noble in her backstory, I would still have her be treated like a noble lady if she went home to Alderaan (and in other places where being a minor Alderaanian noble would make a difference). She doesn't need to have the Sith background to be treated like a Sith either, and in fact, even though the Sith couldn't give half a credit for an Alderaanian noble title, Lorm will get a hundred times the overt respect in Kaas City as compared to Coruscant, because she is a Lord of the Sith, and lesser beings do not emit so much as an audible breath in the presence of one such without leave if they value their lives.

Vecta's background is Sith and not Entertainer, but that doesn't mean that she was never an entertainer.

The bottom line is that background features are supposed to be situational at best. You get their benefit if it makes sense within the situation your characters are in, but you just have to accept that not every scenario or NPC is going to be conducive to the realization of the background feature as it is written. A Bounty Hunter is not going to be able to use their Ear To The Ground in the swamps of Dagobah. Moreover, if you wrote your backstory to include a certain thing, you might get a benefit even without having a feature. That's essentially the level a background feature is on—flavor. That's not a bad thing, because in a game where we are creating a story together, flavor can have a huge impact.

It's cool that you see Backgrounds that way as it helps create more multi-faceted characters. I'll shift a few things and let you know when I'm done. Her backstory itself will probably stay the same now that I understand how you interpret Backgrounds and thanks a lot.

That's basically the conclusion I came to. I built Vecta to be very multi-skill, to represent someone who was an Emperor's Hand type character at this point in her life and able to solve problems in lots of different ways. Taking the Sith background was better over the Entertainer background, because as a Twi'lek she already had the dance moves and the rest of the skills available were already in Sith background anyway. (though I admit I wish I could've found a way to take 'Acrobatics', but the skills use is very limited, so *shrugs*)

I agree with your viewpoint here and I want a little something extra from Gavontra's Background that I can use.

[BananaPhone]

Lore: (1D20+6)[25]

Sweet.


Also, tut tut Mr Cleric , assuming Vec would approach the two strangers. That just creates two witnesses to her presence, best try to avoid being noticed for now!

[NontheistCleric]

Sorry, just trying to speed things along. I didn't want to spend multiple posts establishing exactly how Vecta searches for the ship, because that would hold up the meaningful bits of plot, so I assumed she would go visually by the information Gavontra gave her, and the man was able to notice you as soon as you were close enough to identify the ship.

If you're really unhappy I can change it, though. It's the most recent post anyway.

[BananaPhone]

It's allg, I'm just being playful .

She'll try to avoid direct contact with the two workers if she can because as I mentioned, witnesses. But she'll engage them in conversation if she must.

[BananaPhone]

However, we are in an interesting conundrum.

Miraluka's can see through the Force.

However, Force Camouflage makes you invisible.


What's the resolution? Or at least with Vecta's lore roll (getting a 25), one that she'd know?

[NontheistCleric]

It would be basic Sith knowledge that Miraluka can see invisible enemies with their Force Sight. They know it because many Jedi in this era are Miraluka and they have fought them in battle. However, with a 25, Vecta knows that:

Spoiler

Show

Past a certain range (30'), the Force Sight actually diminishes to about a comparable level of functionality as normal sight, and as long as you stay further away than that, Force Camouflage could hide you from them.

However, you would still have to make a Stealth check. Invisibility provides you with the concealment required to hide at all, but other factors like sound might still give you away if you're not careful.

[BananaPhone]

Interesting.

Well, Vecta will use two of her two temporary force points (via Ideal of the Tranquil) to cast Force Camouflage.

She will then try and sneak aboard the ship. Needless to say, she'll stay a healthy distance away from the miraluka.

Stealth: (1D20+7)[15]

Eh, could've been better. Still, 15 is "medium difficulty", so hopefully sneaking past a couple of dock workers while invisible cuts it lol.

[NontheistCleric]

Could you make an IC post about that? Generally, I would like players to make IC posts for their characters taking action that can affect the world beyond their characters. It's okay if you want to just roll things like Lore in the OOC, but if it could actually make something happen in the game, it needs to go in the IC.

Oh, I see you did. Well done.

[BananaPhone]

Oh sure, I made the roll before finalising the post in case she really screwed up.

[BananaPhone]

Well, that approach failed. Time for Plan B.

Vecta will use her Technology skill and Slicers kit, while maintaining her Force Camouflage, to enter the maintenance tunnels and plug her slicers kit into the data cables and access the security camera feeds on the Hanger Bay with the target ship, downloading and viewing the recordings on the day of the ships arrival (so she can know who left and who remained on the ship), as well as any other flight/landing information.

Technology: (1D20+6)[8]

[BananaPhone]

Bleh, so she gathers her thoughts, but can't think of where the data cables would be running through. She'll explore the hangers a little more, enough to get a second chance to roll.

If able to she'll take 10/20.

If not, second roll to know where to go and slice, Technology: (1D20+6)[26]

[NontheistCleric]

Okay, I think we've had a bit of miscommunication.
By 'staying out of his line of sight', I thought you meant never going into his sensitive range at all, since everything within that is 'visible' to him. So when he pulls the gun on Vecta, he actually still can't 'see' her, only pinpoint her via hearing. This is probably my fault. I'm going to try to make my narration clearer going forward.

I would have liked to have seen Plan B being posted IC, but more importantly, if you make a check on your own initiative, please give me a chance to describe what actually happens before you assume failure, or that the consequences of failure will allow you a retry. In this case, I'll let it slide, since I think what you describe would have been possible in the situation, and I'll make my next IC post describing what happens when Vecta tries that (so you don't need to post it, just this once). But in general, it may not always work out so neatly, and I don't want to have to retcon too much of what you tried to have your character do. That just feels bad on all sides.

[BananaPhone]

Okay, I think we've had a bit of miscommunication.
By 'staying out of his line of sight', I thought you meant never going into his sensitive range at all, since everything within that is 'visible' to him. So when he pulls the gun on Vecta, he actually still can't 'see' her, only pinpoint her via hearing. This is probably my fault. I'm going to try to make my narration clearer going forward.

I would like to see Plan B being posted IC, but if you make a check on your own initiative, please give me a chance to describe what actually happens before you assume failure, or that the consequences of failure will allow you a retry. In this case, I'll let it slide, since I think what you describe would have been possible in the situation, and I'll make my next IC post describing what happens when Vecta tries that (so you don't need to post it, just this once). But in general, it may not always work out so neatly, and I don't want to have to retcon too much of what you tried to have your character do. That just feels bad on all sides.

It's all good. I was picturing that the hanger would be something like what we've seen in SWTOR, with room for the ship, cargo, loading, workers and loading equipment/machines etc and general room. She was basically going to move around the sides and as far away from the two as possible, before putting obstructions between herself and the pair when she made her approach. (I'm assuming the Miraluka don't have x-ray vision, so they couldn't see through the loading ramp/landing equipment of the ship that Vecta could use to sneak around)

It's because he reacted the way that he did that I thought he had detected her, rather than just heard her footsteps. I've been in plenty of loading area's where there are sounds all the time, but I didn't hear something odd, turn around and whip out a gun on it haha, so I figured that he'd detected her rather than just heard her, thus my post. As you said, just a miscommunication so allg.

Allg on the IC posting as well. Typically how I'll operate is that I'll give vague details and outline IC, then come to OOC to roll on it to see the results, and then typically add/edit the results in when given the pass/failure OOC by the GM. So in this case, if she succeeded and you said so, I'd go back and edit that she's gone and found a way into the maintenance tunnels, followed the data cables, found an outlet, pulled her slicers kit out and got cracking, then you could take it from there. If you had've said she'd failed, I'd write that in and then her attempting something else, rinse repeat.

As it is just the three of us, I'll try and bring my posting/rolling style more in alignment with yours, as that would be easier. But in the future if you see such behavior, that's the thoughts behind it.

[NontheistCleric]

It's because he reacted the way that he did that I thought he had detected her, rather than just heard her footsteps. I've been in plenty of loading area's where there are sounds all the time, but I didn't hear something odd, turn around and whip out a gun on it haha, so I figured that he'd detected her rather than just heard her, thus my post. As you said, just a miscommunication so allg.

Ah, I see. I was actually trying to be generous with my interpretation, because if he had heard suspicious footstep-like sounds behind the cargo ramp (and he did beat Vecta's Stealth with his Perception), he would simply have walked around it, and then Vecta would have been completely exposed (because within 30', while his sight is not X-ray, it will infallibly detect the invisible). The way I had it, he only realized someone was invisible, and apparently misinterpreted the situation as someone using stealth tech instead of the Force, giving Vecta a bit more leeway to go unrecognized.

I will try to detail environment better going forward, and maybe provide some maps to clarify situations. I can't promise I will always be able to turn up a map, though.

Allg on the IC posting as well. Typically how I'll operate is that I'll give vague details and outline IC, then come to OOC to roll on it to see the results, and then typically add/edit the results in when given the pass/failure OOC by the GM. So in this case, if she succeeded and you said so, I'd go back and edit that she's gone and found a way into the maintenance tunnels, followed the data cables, found an outlet, pulled her slicers kit out and got cracking, then you could take it from there. If you had've said she'd failed, I'd write that in and then her attempting something else, rinse repeat.

Okay, I think I understand where you're coming from. I've never played with someone with this approach before. I don't actually hate it, but to me, it kind of bogs down the game, because I'd have to wait for you to edit something in when I could otherwise just describe the outcome myself. So in general, I would prefer players to confine themselves to describing attempts, and I will describe outcomes.

[BananaPhone]

No worries. I'm always self-conscious about how much I can put in before a check is needed. But going forward I'll make the full posts and roll the appropriate skill here OOC, then you can deliver the results.

[Vorpal Glaive]

Touch-up complete: replaced Noble with Agent, picked up another language and reworked her backstory making Lorm an orphan adopted by nobility. If this works I'll have a post up today.

[NontheistCleric]

That all seems fine.

[BananaPhone]

Technology roll: (1D20+6)[15]

[BananaPhone]

Casting Affect Mind on the dude in the booth. He needs to take a DC 15 Wisdom save.