Defense & Armor

I’m a big fan of armor in rpgs as damage reduction, not defense, and so I would try this tweak. Calculation of Defense remains the same (the average of Warrior and Rogue + 4), and Shields continue to add to Defense. Armor however no longer adds to Defense, but rather reduces all incoming damage by it’s Armor Rating, which is equal to it’s old Defense Bonus, thus Leather Armor reduces incoming damage by 2, while Heavy Plate Mail reduces incoming damage by 7. The GM may decide that certain types of damage are not reduced by Armor, such as from a fall or from penetrating cold, as is their choice.

Mortal characters only though they will have some connection to death.  Each player must write a background concerning how the character had a near death experience, how it caused them to break down, what “powers” it seemed to give them, and why are they in an asylum.  Powers available will be internal only (psychic) dealing with death (such as Death Sight, Ghost Calling, Unseen Sense, etc.)  Characters’ situation in the asylum is largely up to the players, save that they must be patients.  The first session will begin in group where players may introduce their characters and backstories, as well as allowing the Storyteller to introduce a few NPCs.  Figure that the characters have just recently been commited, and can thus be honest about what they have seen (in fact the group counsellor will suggest this).  Players of course can be as forthcoming or not as they wish.  What should become clear in group is that all of the players’ characters, and in fact all of the NPC patients, have some odd connection to death.  After group if any of the players begin to ask around they find that a majority of patients in their wing have ties with death.  And then there are the ghosts.  There appear to be many in the asylum for those that can sense them, and many appear to have been patients, though not all.  If the players have any Occult skill, particularly with a specialty in ghosts, they may find it odd that so many ghosts are anchored to one place.  When the ghosts appear they seem to be lethargic, drained.  They are difficult to draw into conversation (-3 to Social rolls) for those that can communicate with them.  They seem to spend the most time haunting those patients that are on suicide watch.  Occasionally a more powerful spook will have a poltergeist episode and strangely staff remains calm and ushers any patients present to other areas.  Any players that can observe these tantrums will note that the ghost appears to be trying to escape the wing but cannot seem to pierce the outer walls.  If players want to do any research on the asylum, or more specifically the wind they are in, they may search the wing’s library (-4 to Research rolls, most of the material has been removed) or gain access to the computer lab (difficult in itself, may require Social rolls, favors for staff, and possibly B & E).  Success will indicate that the wing had undergone extensive remodling nearly twenty years ago under the dictation of the current director.  On an exceptional success they find records of several deaths in the wing, but nowhere near as many as the number of ghosts present, and none suspected to be criminal in nature by the authorities.  The director, if spoken to, seems an intelligent and sympathetic man, though a successful Empathy roll (vs. his Manipulation + Expression) indicates that he is hiding something.  If the director or any of the staff are questioned as to the nature of the majority of the patients (brushes with death through attempted suicide, trauma, or “psychosis”) they explain that it is thespecialty of the wing to focus on the relatively new field of thanatology.  Again Empathy rolls will indicate that only the director is being evasive on this topic.  Attempts at discussion with NPC patients about ghosts and death outside of group sessions is met with evasiveness, drugged stupor, and even forced separation and warnings about future attempts to “stall healing” by the orderlies.  If attempts continue forced isolation and/or drugs may result “for your own and others’ good.”  Seven days after the last character is admitted (if any have chosen to be longer term) the shadows begin to arrive.  All of the characters can see them, even those who have no ability to see the dead.  At first they are few and solitary, flitting around almost as if looking for something.  Their behavior and numbers ramp up over the following days, and they begin to attack ghosts, as well as some NPCs and player’s characters.  The shadows are just as intangible to the living as ghosts, but each touch against a living target, regardless of number of successes, deals damage caused by intense cold.  Shadows may harm ghosts normally.  If observed, shadows do not ever attack the director, though they do cluster around him in large numbers, he does not appear to notice them.  What is going on?  That is for the players to decide from the situations and clues given.  Just roll with their conclusions and intuitions.  Will need to populate psych ward, shadows need stats.

• The Plague Wars were a booming time for St. Louis, particularly economically, as biz was plenty as the Wall went up.
• .spook
• Oh yeah, great time for everyone that couldn’t get out of the Plague Zone, infected or not…
• .piRat

Today the Wall is still maintained and Eastside still appears to be in the grip of what many now just refer to as The Plague.  Drone and spirit reconnaissance shows that there is still life behind the Wall, and many speak out for allowing the uninfected a chance to be tested and leave.  The government and corporations claim that the infection rate it to high for this to be feasible though, perhaps as high as 70 to 90 percent.

• If the infection rate, for either VITAS or HMHVV, were really that high then the Plague Zone should be a quite undead wasteland.  The fact that something like life endures indicates there is something else going on in there.
• .hAlLuCiNaGeNeTiCiSt

The Plague Zone, as many now call it, is still in lockdown as options are explored for reclamation.

• Get this, one “option” that both Lone Start and Knight Errant are using is to dispose of criminals that they don’t want to deal with into the Zone during a routine fly over.
• .piRat

If she shows.

We haven’t been on good terms lately.

Hell with it, I just have to trust her.

Now, I take stock of my injuries, yes, definitely plural.

In the time I have been focusing on Bob, I have been gifted with two feet that can’t walk, due to the puncture all the way through; several cuts about my face from the flat bladed slapping; several lacerations on my chest and thighs, surely from the edge of the cutlass, but thin enough to be paper cuts, and just as painful.

I could begin to heal it all right now, but I think Donald might just do it again, for lack of anything else to do, so I keep still and enjoy my companion pain.

Probably tired of me, especially when I seemed to pass out, he rises from the rotting chair and takes his rotting self to the center of the hold, where he begins a simple kata using the rusty cutlass, which sings with each stroke through the stagnant air.  That bears more looking into when I pry it from his cold dead hands I decide, and add it to the list of to dos.

Then, quite suddenly, there is a boom from above, and distantly, when sounds like rattle of gunfire, and a very inhuman howl.

Thank goodness.  She made it.

Ruling Three (••••)
Effect: Your character counts another Arcanum as Ruling in addition to the two gained from your Path. This third Ruling Arcana may not be the Inferior Arcana of your path. Available only at character creation.
Note: A character that takes this Merit, if later joining a Legacy, must select one that boasts one of their existing Ruling Arcana as it’s Primary Arcana, as by having Three Ruling Arcana already they are unable to forge a strong tie to a Fourth.

Okay, I’m scared shit-less, but I don’t broadcast.

He jumps into the deep end right away, no nonsense.  “You have the relic, don’t you.”

I shake my head, biting back the torrent of words that want to spill out.  The cutlass separates the fine leather of my shoes, and the skin and flesh of the skin inside it.  Bob is having a nice lunch today.

Of course.

I smile, and partition my mind out, an easy mental trick, leaving one part working while the other prepares to piss the shit out of Donald.

“No clue what you’re talking about dick-cheese.  Gonna have to be more spe…” and I’m cut off by the smack of the sword against my face again.  Donald grins, and slips the rusty point beneath my chin.

“I don’t know how much of this you can take with what appears to be a concussion and all,” Donald shrugs, seeming almost caring, “but I can keep this up for a very long time.  I know things, about where to cut, to produce the most pain, and the least bleeding.  About how to keep a man awake, about…”

Gods, he does drone on.  “Pardon Donald, but I don’t care what you know,” he seemed shocked that I was interrupting him, “or what you think I know.  If you’re going to torture me, cowboy up and do it, just don’t monologue, please.”

He stabs my other foot, neatly slicing through tendons, as his fist backhands me across the temple.  I hope it’s enough.  That sheltered part of my mind is drawing in all the pain, and feeding it to Bob, nurturing him, until.

There, sentience.  Bob becomes a small, vibrant pain spirit, and begins to gorge as Donald again strikes me and slashes the inside of my right calf.  My segmented mind calls out to Bob, urging, pushing, and even though the feast before him is great, he floats off, unseen by cutting and pummeling Donald.

I’ve promised him much if he returns on his promise.  If he succeeds, I won’t have much problem with that.

Back to the fore front.  I can’t feel my right leg, and the glances at it I get between jarring blows to the side of the head don’t look good.

And my suit is ruined.