OOC: "Lost In Space: Survive and Thrive"

• Our characters never expected to be here on Planet X.
• Therefore, the information below begins very minimally.
• As the characters learn more, it will be added below.

• Far, far away.
• Exact location relative to Earth is unknown.

• 1 moon (remarkably similar to Earth's moon).
• 20 hour day.
• Length of year: unknown.

• Tropical rainforest.
• Hot and humid.
• Considerable, diverse plant and animal life.

• DeadManTyping, your Game Master. (For experimentation only.)
  • PC #1:
    • NPC #1
    • NPC #2
    • NPC #3
    • NPC #4
    • NPC #5
    • NPC #6

• En route to a distant planet, a transport carrying thousands of settlers is redirected to a different planet in a different star system.
• The original destination has vast, flat plains onto which the transport's shuttles would have glided to safe landings.
• This new planet, however, is covered by mountains and thick rain forests.
• The shuttles crash land, to varying degrees of damage and loss.
• Fortunately for the crash survivors, the planet is inhabitable.
• Unfortunately for these survivors, the planet is inhospitable.
• Dangers lurk in every direction, from microbes to monsters.

• Not here yet, but soon.

• "Lost In Space: Survive and Thrive" is both game and role play.
• The game portion is similar to dice driven, table top games (such as Dungeons and Dragons).
  • The die roll portion will be very simplified.
  • Most die roll situations will require just 1D6 ("one die, six sided", for those of you unfamiliar with such game terminology) or 2D6 rolls. That's about as complex as the rolls will get.
  • I actually plan on having 2D6 at home, at work, in my car, etc.
  • By doing so, I can respond to Game Thread replies from my phone where ever I am at the time.
  • Sometimes, I will post the odds of results for certain events prior to them taking place, so the players will know up front into what kind of danger they are getting their PCs.
• The role play portion is typical creative and interactive story telling.
• Often the two elements play off one another. For example:
  • After a die roll (game portion) sets a large predator upon your characters, you may have the chance of describing the creature (creative role play).
  • After describing the creature, you may get experience points to spend on your characters/situation (game portion).

• Players have two ways of playing:
  • 1x1: If you prefer 1x1 role plays, your player characters (PCs) and that PC's non player characters (NPCs) can be isolated away from the other players' PCs/NPCs. You can play only with the Game Master.
  • Group Role Play, Small or Large: If you prefer, your PCs/NPCs can be in the same locale as those of other players. (You will still play with the Game Master, of course.)
  • After we have ironed out some wrinkles, you can create additional PCs and play them in an a new or existing 1x1 or in a new or existing group role play. (Concerning the latter, you must have the existing player'(s) permission to join.)
• Leaving a group role play:
  • If you find you are not happy in an existing group role play for whatever reason, there are easy ways to separate PCs into 1x1s or smaller groups.
  • Every player is different. Every writer is different.
  • No one should be offended if a fellow player wishes to go a different direction.

• The number of non-player characters they wish to have;
• The number and diversity of resources they wish to begin with;
• The expertise that some of their player characters and/or non-player characters have in certain areas;
• And more.

rBo3guK said:

i pmed you but you didnt reply, and everyone is writing here - i'd like to join.

Click to expand...

• I have been told by a handful of prospective players that the Character Sheet is overwhelming and confusing.
• Therefore, I am going to restructure it.
• If you haven't already begun a Character Profile, DON'T.
• I will remove this note when the Sheet is ready.
• If you subscribe to this thread, you will see my announcement that the Sheet is ready.

• I have not GM'd a table top role play in a long time.
• I will make mistakes, and then I will fix them.
• Be patient with me, please.

• If you have questions, suggestions, or comments, please PM them to me.
• Do not post them here in this OOC.
• Managing the OOC is going to be difficult enough.
• Please do not turn it into a chat room.

• Our game begins with the crash on Planet X of dozens of Transport Shuttles.
• Each player begins with 1-3 PCs and a group of NPCs.
• In D&D, players roll dice to establish their character's abilities.
• In our game, each player is given an initial number of points to spend on:
  • A PC and that PC's skill or career, called a field of interest (FOI).
  • That PC's non player characters (NPCs), collectively called a section.
  • Initial resources.
  • And modifiers of the above.
• I will send you a Player Character Sheet:
  • Complete the sheet.
  • PM the sheet to the GM.
  • Once the sheet is posted here, you can post to the IC thread.

• Click this link to open the sample profile sheet I created for my "practice" PCs/NPCs. Take a look at the sheet to get an idea of what your sheet will look like when you finish.
• Come back to this post.
• Select "Quote" in the bottom right.
• Copy and paste this entire post into a PM to the GM (me).
• Answer all of the questions.
• Be sure that your answers are to the right of the Bold formatting so that your answers are not bolded.
• Delete the instructions and explanations, saving only what is in bold (and, of course, your answers).
• Review your sheet, check your math (for the spending of XPs).
• PM the sheet to me.

• Despite having had no experiences yet, each Player begins with 300 Experience Points (XP).
• You can spend some or all of your XP on:
  • Player Characters (PCs).
  • Non Player Characters (NPCs).
  • Increased Experience Levels of either or both.
  • And Resources (Gear, Food, and Water).
• You can save some of your XPs for later use.
• And you can earn more XPs:
  • By successfully performing tasks.
  • Making smart decisions.
  • And writing creative role play posts.
• After you settle in, you can spend more points. Think of it as discovering resources, an additional PC or two, or more NPCs in the jungle over the next day or two.
• Whether you play 1, 2, or 3 PCs, each player begins with 300 XP total, not 300 XP per PC.

• All players begin with 1-3 PCs on the same shuttle.
• Each PC begins with an Experience Level (XL) =3.
• 3 PC forms are available below.
• Delete any you don't use.
• Remember, you can add PCs at any point if you have enough points.

• Age and Gender:
• Field Of Interest:
• Value to Section: Expand on your FOI if you wish:
• Experience Level:
• Die Roll Modifiers: Ignore this!
  • FOI related: Ignore this!
  • Non-FOI related: Ignore this!
• Modification Sources: Ignore this!
  • Ignore this.

• Age and Gender:
• Field Of Interest:
• Value to Section: Expand on your FOI if you wish:
• Experience Level:
• Die Roll Modifiers: Ignore this!
  • FOI related: Ignore this!
  • Non-FOI related: Ignore this!
• Modification Sources: Ignore this!
  • Ignore this.

• Age and Gender:
• Field Of Interest:
• Value to Section: Expand on your FOI if you wish:
• Experience Level:
• Die Roll Modifiers: Ignore this!
  • FOI related: Ignore this!
  • Non-FOI related: Ignore this!
• Modification Sources: Ignore this!
  • Ignore this.

• This is your PC's skill.
• The following are just a few examples of FOIs. Their original duties are obvious in their name. I've also commented on how they might serve a purpose on Planet X. I am sure you will have your own ideas for FOIs. You can either PM me to discuss it or simply put it here and, if I have an issue with it, I'll PM you:
  • Security: their weapons training means they will make good hunters.
  • Transport Officer/Shuttle Pilot: leadership, security, perhaps some technological expertise should it become necessary.
  • Medic: this is a gimme.
  • Botanist/farmer: helpful in identifying and classifying flora.
  • Zoologist/rancher: helpful in identifying and classifying fauna.
  • Dietician/Herbalist: naturalist, aid to the medics and botanists maybe ... whatever.
  • These are just ideas.

• Each PC cost of 25 points gives you an adequately trained but not highly experienced "professional".
• For example, 25 points gets you a Medic, not a Surgeon; a book-learned scientist, not a celebrated Nobel prize winner; a respected leader, not a worshipped God.
• Each XL3 PC will perform adequately enough to be appreciated by his/her Section. But (s)he won't be solving all of the Section's problems overnight; nor will (s)he have total loyalty from his/her Section.
• Also, the greater the difference between a PC's XL and his/her Section's XL, the more loyalty (s)he will get from the Section. For example, an XL6 PC leader gets more loyalty and respect from an XL2 Section than an XL4 PC Leader gets from an XL3 Section.
• You can modify the PC's FOI level if you wish.
• Each increase in Level adds a +1 modifier to all 2D6 rolls affected by that PC's FOI Experience Level.
• XL modifiers aren't cheap:
  • Level 3 to Level 4 cost is 25 points.
  • Level 4 to Level 5 cost is 50 points.
  • Level 5 to Level 6 cost is 100 points.
  • And so on...

• NPCs:
• Experience Level: XL=

• NPC's cost 1 point each.
• They act as sacrificial lambs (when fatalities occur), laborers, scavengers/foragers, and security.
• A Section begins collectively as XL=1.
• However, the Section's XL can be modified -- increasing their value and effectiveness in the above 4 duties -- by spending points:
  • Level 1 to Level 2 cost is 1 additional point per NPC.
  • Level 2 to Level 3 cost is 2 additional points per NPC.
  • Level 3 to Level 4 cost is 4 additional points per NPC.
  • And so on...
• If you decide you need additional NPCs at a later point, they join the Section at the current XL and cost (ie, if the Section is XL=4, the new NPCs cost 8 XPs each; 1+1+2+4=8).
• Increasing 1 level adds +1 to die rolls for the Section, making it harder to kill NPCs, making them work harder and more efficiently, etc.

• Food:
• Water:

• Spent:
  • for PCs @ 25 XP each
  • for XL increase (XL=3 to XL=)
  • for NPCs @ 1 XP each
  • for units of Food @ 5 units/XP
  • for units of Water @ 5 units/XP
• Gained:
  • .
• CURRENT XP BALANCE: 300 - = remaining XP

• Each Shuttle carried not only a Section of colonists but their Resources.
• The crash of the Shuttles resulted in a loss of Resources.
• For our purposes, only Food and Water will be tracked (produced and consumed).
• How many Resources survived is a function of what you want to spend to save them.
  • Food:
    • Food, obviously, gets eaten.
    • Food can be replaced via recovery (from the greater crash site) or foraging (from the environment). Be cautious of eating things with which you are unfamiliar!
    • 1 unit of Food will sustain a NPC for 1 day.
    • 1 XP will buy 5 units of Food.
  • Water:
    • Water, obviously, gets drank.
    • Water can be replaced via recovery (from the greater crash site) or foraging (from the environment). Be cautious of drinking unfiltered water!
    • 1 unit of Water will sustain a NPC for 1 day.
    • 1 XP will buy 5 units of Water.

• There is only one OOC.
• It will contain all discoveries made and lessons learned by all PCs, regardless of their proximity to other PCs.
• To account for the knowledge one player will glean from another, regardless of whether or not they have PCs in proximity to one another, we are going to pretend that every crash site is connected to the still-orbiting mother ship via satellite communication.
• The PCs make frequent reports to the mother ship as it passes overhead; and as it does so, the mother ship downloads that accumulated information to the crash locations ... to all of the crash locations.
• Therefore, all PCs (players) know anything and everything that the other PCs (players) know ... universal knowledge.

• I will create a Universal Encyclopedia in which information I deem important is catalogued.
• It will be located at this link (still to come), with information linked alphabetically.
• I would advise players to subscribe to it as some important information will only be found here, while other topics initially discussed in the IC will be expanded upon here.
• Please, please, pleeeeeease ... do not post in the Encyclopedia! If I have forgotten to add something or added it but incorrectly so, PM me about the issue.

• Each Profile Sheet is for a different Shuttle crash site.
• If you want to write 1 crash site, this information is irrelevant to you.
• But if you want to write 2-3 different crash sites, you need to complete a Profile Sheet for each crash site.
• Keep in mind that you only get 300 XPs to start total, not 300 XPs per crash site.

• 34 year old male
• Field Of Interest: Shuttle Pilot, Lieutenant Commander.
• Value to Section: Leadership.
• Experience Level: XL=4
• Die Roll Modifiers:
  • FOI related: +3.
  • Non-FOI related: +1
• Modification Sources:
  • 25 XP spent to increase XL from 3 to 4.

• 26 year old female
• Field Of Interest: Medic
• Value to Section: Medical; nutritional.
• Experience Level: XL=3
• Die Roll Modifiers: None

• 22 year old male.
• Field of Interest: Botanist/farmer.
• Value to Section: Plant identification, cultivation (when the time comes)
• Experience Level: XL=1
• FOI Modifier (if any): None.

• NPCs: 30
• Experience Level: XL=1

• Food: 100 units
• Water: 50 units

• Spent:
  • 75 for 3 PCs @ 25 XP each
  • 25 for 1 XL increase (XL=3 to XL=4)
  • 30 for 30 NPCs @ 1 XP each
  • 20 for 100 units of Food @ 5 units/XP
  • 10 for 50 units of Water @ 5 units/XP
• Gained:
  • None
• CURRENT XP BALANCE: 300 - 160 = 140 remaining XP

• 23 year old female
• Field Of Interest: Doctor (medic)
• Value to section: Doctor, co-leader
• Experience Level: XL=5
• Die Roll Modifiers:
  • FOI related: +4.
  • Non-FOI related: +2
• Modification Sources:
  • 75 XP spent to increase XL from 3 to 5.
• Personal Notes:
  • Melanie was a medical prodigy, the reason she's such a high level at such a young age.

• 26 year old female:
• Field Of Interest: Security.
• Value to section: Leader, strategist, and survival and military training.
• Experience Level: XL = 4
• Die Roll Modifiers:
  • FOI related: +3.
  • Non-FOI related: +1
• Modification Sources:
  • 25 XP spent to increase XL from 3 to 4.

• NPCs: 35
• Experience Level: XL=2
• Die Roll Modifiers: +1
• Modification Sources:
  • 35 XP spent to increase XL from 1 to 2.

• Food: 100 units
• Water: 100 units

• Spent:
  • 50 for 2 PCs @ 25 XP each
  • XL increases:
    • 75 for PC #1 (XL=3 to 5)
    • 25 for PC #2 (XL=3 to 4)
  • 35 for 35 NPCs @ 1 XP each
  • 35 for NPC XL increase (XL=1 to 2)
  • 20 for 100 units of Food (5 units/XP)
  • 20 for 100 units of Water (5 units/XP)
• Gained:
  • 50 for a great profile presentation. (Thanks!)
• CURRENT XP BALANCE: 300 - 260 + 50 = 90 XP

• All PCs would be at the same crash site.
  • This would make handling resources easier. (I never understood how DMT was going to handle that.)
  • PCs can operate alone or with others.
• NPCs will initially be written by the Host (me):
  • NPCs will follow the actions and ideas of PCs who impress them.
  • PCs who thoroughly impress NPCs with their actions will "attract" them permanently, putting them in the hands of the PC's writer.
  • NPCs assigned to PCs still act as sacrificial lambs, allowing the PCs to do more risky things without getting themselves killed.