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Dan Maruschak
United States
Eugene
Oregon
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As fans of The Gutter Skypes actual play podcast, Erik, Simon, Michael, and I all went to the Gutter Skypes forums and found that we were all interested in getting our own voice-over-IP game going. The first game we all agreed we wanted to play was Spirit of the Century, so we got together on Skype on August 17, 2009 for character creation. Michael had some microphone issues early on, and there were one or two drops, but overall the session went pretty smoothly from a technical perspective. We used GoogleDocs for character sheets and that seemed to work very well.
Before we started, Michael (who has played SOTC with his normal tabletop group) had some suggestions for house rules. We went with the 2/4/6 damage rule, as suggested by the game designers. We also agreed that starting out with ten FATE points is too many, and that only having five stunts is too constraining, so we adopted the Dresden Files system of: Refresh = 10 - # of stunts. We also adopted a system of World Aspects where each player gets to suggest an Aspect that applies to the world/campaign, and then after each session whoever spends the most FATE points that session gets the option of either adding a new World Aspect or changing one of the existing ones (Michael said that got this idea from somewhere, but I forget where!). We decided that all four of us would participate in character creation, which gives us the option of switching in and out as GM as we go along. We decided to go with the default Century Club setting as our starting point.
We all came up with rough character concepts. Simon was thinking "sailor", and that (as you'll see) evolved in a cool way during the process. Erik wanted to go with a wild west monster-hunter guy. I proposed a stage magician who's also a supernatural debunker. I was a little concerned that this would cause some friction with Erik's character, who is more supernaturally focused, but everybody seemed cool with it. Michael decided to go with a spy character. With our rough concepts ready, we went on to the phases of character generation.
Phase 1: Childhood
Erik's character is "Doc" Tom Tombstone, Monster Hunter. His backstory: Raised in Bill Cody's Wild West show and shown not everything is as it appears in the old west. He took the aspects "Rough and Tumble" and "Not everything is as it appears".
Simon's character is Jonas "Jack" Reefton. Storms off in the Great Atlantic claimed his parents while they were all aboard. He barely survives and is found by Captain Nemo and brought up on his ship. He took the aspects "Child of the Depths" and "Captain Nemo's Heir".
Michael's character is Operator X-23. Left on the steps of a secret orphanage in Manhattan at birth, he was raised to be a spy. He took the aspects "Spy Kid" and "Haunted by parents' identities".
My character is Art Black. Born into a wealthy New York family, the family was swindled out of their money by a phony spiritualist, causing Art to develop a hatred for phonies and charlatans, especially those who claim to have mystical powers. I took the aspects "There's no such thing as real magic" (I actually want there to be magic in the game world, I think it will be fun to come up with rationalizations) and "I won't stand for phonies and charlatans".
Phase 2: The Great War (and recruitment into the Century Club)
Doc was recruited into the Century Club by William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody and traveled the west with the show, but taught to hunt the hunters of humanity. Fought in the Mexican Revolution to find a vampire "father" and put him down. Aspects: "Hunting the Hunters" and "Donnovan Must Die!" (Donnovan is the Mexican vampire).
Jack and Captain Nemo see the war as a threat to the sea, but don't agree about how best to protect the sea. Jack leaves Captain Nemo to end the war by fighting for America. Later, Nemo sponsored Jack into the Century Club. Aspects: "Unconventional Tactics" and "Stand strong for what I believe".
Operator X-23 was recruited to the Military Intelligence division of the US Army when the US joined the war. Operator X-23 is sent to France to question Mata Hari extensively in prison to learn her contacts, and then goes behind the lines to kill her handler. Aspects: "License to kill" and "Sucker for a pretty face".
Art is taken under the wing of Harry Houdini, who is impressed by Art's knowledge of trickery and illusion (sponsoring Art into the Century Club). During the war, Art takes his stage act on the road to entertain the troops in Europe. Aspects: "Houdini taught me a thing or two" and "The show must go on".
Phase 3: Pulp Novels
Doc Tombstone and the Black Buffalo. Trick shootin' is all fine and good until you face the buffalo that can not die! How can someone stop something that can flip trains and demands blood revenge for all the herds that have been slaughtered?! Aspects: "Hey y'all, watch this!" and "Shotgun: Ebon Reaper"
Jonas Jack and the Hunt for the Nautilus: The Atlantis Conspiracy. A mysterious note from his long-lost mentor Captain Nemo sends Jack on a quest to find him and his fabled boat the Nautilus, but not all is what it seems. Aspects: "The Nautilus" and "The Atlantean Conspiracy".
Operator X-23 vs. the Mole Men. Who will save us when giant holes open up under every armory in the country? Can Operator X-23 stop the hideous Mole Men before they conquer the surface world?! Aspects: "Master of disguise" and "Don't worry. I can talk my way out of this."
Art Black in the Case of the Fraudulent Pharaoh. A man claiming to have the mystic powers of ancient Egypt is the darling of New York high society, but Art Black discovers that the man is really Juan Milmascos, the Spanish master of disguise! Now Art is in a race against time to stop his nefarious plan to destabilize the entire banking system. Aspects: "I'll get you, Milmascos!" and "I used to be from old money".
Phase 4: Guest Stars. Michael warned us that he had seen groups create non-cohesive teams by having the star of the novel show up in the guest star's normal milieu, rather than truly integrating the guest stars into the stories that were created in step 3. I think this was a useful comment, since it reminded me to make sure I was a supporting player in the other guys' stories rather than just putting forward a weak rationalization for aspects I wanted.
Doc joins his buddy Jack on a deep sea fishing trip that rapidly goes downhill, underwater, and into all sorts of trouble. Aspects: "Fishin' with Dynamite" and "Like hell I can't shoot that!"
Jack Reefton gets pulled into Operator X-23's world after helping X-23 clandestinely enter the Domain of the Mole Men. Aspects: "You can have your land but leave the sea to me" and "Look at all those nifty toys".
Operator X-23 and Art cross paths as X-23 is in New York investigating Milmascos as a possible Bolshevik agent. Aspects: "Are you sure that's not real magic?" and "Entranced by high society".
Art Black is brought in to help Doc investigate the buffalo's mystical mayhem and discovers evidence that many of the crimes are the acts of anarchists using the story of the buffalo as cover. Aspects: "Misdirection has many uses" and "I hope my tuxedo doesn't get dirty". (This one took some effort. I didn't want to "debunk" the buffalo, since its mystical nature was obviously important to Doc's story, but I also wanted to be true to what Art would want to do. Working in the anarchists' hoaxes let Art be Art while also adding some depth and complexity to the main story without overshadowing it. Also, I hadn't really thought about what Art would look like out of the city before showing up in Doc's novel, and I found it funny to imagine him being mortified by the dusty west.)
Phase 5: Second Guest Star. One thing I hadn't realized about SOTC character creation is that the second guest star phase can be tricky: On the one hand, you want to build on the story that has been developing in the previous two steps, but on the other hand you don't want to upstage the star of the novel by being pivotal to the climax.
Doc is captured by the Mole Men who want to cross-breed him with their queen, but he is rescued by Operator X-23 and Jack. Aspects: "I ain't aimin' to get hitched!" and "No matter what, she's still a lady"
Jack is hunting a known (to him) Atlantean Conspirator, but runs afoul of Art Black and Operator X-23 and falls into Milmascos's clutches. Aspects: "It was all according to plan" and "At least you know where you stand with the Sea".
Operator X-23 is sent out to protect the rail network and joins Doc and Art in their horrific struggle. Aspects: "Daunted by the desert" and "It's all in how you carry yourself".
Art Black is being interrogated by agents of the Atlantean Conspiracy for the secrets of Houdini's underwater escape, but is saved by Jonas and Doc. Aspects: "When I said I was good at escapes this isn't what I meant!" and "A magician never reveals his tricks". (Since Erik had Jack and Doc headed into trouble at the end of the last phase, it was hard to get my mind away from having them get captured and then rescued by Art, until I realized I should just reverse that scenario. With Art as the rescuee, I had to figure out what the Atlantean Conspiracy would want from him and I came up with the Houdini thing -- it makes Houdini seem more mysterious and hooks my character into the Atlantean Conspiracy a bit. Also, I had previously seen Art as calm, cool, and collected, but putting him into the role where he's not the top dog made me realize that he's all about facades, and would probably get pretty frazzled if things didn't go according to plan, which is where the frantic "escape" aspect came from).
With the phases finished, we all picked skills and stunts. Here are the characters for reference in future session reports:
"Doc" Tom Tombstone, Monster Hunter (played by Erik)
Refresh 3
Aspects: Rough and Tumble, Not everything is as it appears, Hunting the Hunters, Donnovan Must Die!, "Hey y'all, watch this!", Shotgun: Ebon Reaper, Fishin' with Dynamite, "Like hell I can't shoot that!", "I ain't aimin' to get hitched!", "No matter what, she's still a lady"
Skills:
(+5) Guns
(+4) Survival, Endurance
(+3) Mysteries, Fists, Investigation
(+2) Gambling, Resolve, Alertness, Intimidation
(+1) Might, Stealth, Athletics, Art, Engineering
Stunts: Long Shot, Trick Shot, Shot on the Run, Personal Artifact, Ride Anything, Bounce Back, Demolitions
Jonas "Jack" Reefton (played by Simon)
Refresh 4
Aspects: Child of the Depths, Captain Nemo's Heir, Unconventional Tactics, Stand strong for what I believe, The Nautilus, The Atlantean Conspiracy, "You can have your land but leave the sea to me", "Look at all those nifty toys", "It was all according to plan", "At least you know where you stand with the Sea".
Skills:
(+5) Resolve
(+4) Pilot (using "Pilot" for boats instead of planes), Engineering
(+3) Alertness, Weapons, Athletics
(+2) Empathy, Fists, Resources, Leadership
(+1) Guns, Endurance, Academics, Rapport, Science
Stunts: Death From Below, Anything Goes, Headquarters, Lair, Custom Submarine, Prototype Submarine
Operator X-23 (played by Michael)
Refresh 3
Aspects: Spy Kid, Haunted by parent's identities, License to kill, Sucker for a pretty face, Master of disguise, "Don't worry. I can talk my way out of this.", "Are you sure that's not real magic?", Entranced by high society, Daunted by the desert, "It's all in how you carry yourself"
Skills:
(+5) Deceit
(+4) Guns, Rapport
(+3) Alertness, Athletics, Empathy
(+2) Resolve, Stealth, Academics, Burglary
(+1) Endurance, Resources, Investigation, Drive, Art
Stunts: Clever Disguise, Mimicry, Master of Disguise, Disguise of the Mind, Universal Gadget, Blather, Best Foot Forward
Art Black (played by me, Dan)
Refresh 3
Aspects: There's no such thing as real magic, I won't stand for phonies and charlatans, Houdini taught me a thing or two, The show must go on, "I'll get you, Milmascos!", I used to be from old money..., Misdirection has many uses, I hope my tuxedo doesn't get dirty, "When I said I was good at escapes this isn't what I meant!", A magician never reveals his tricks
Skills:
(+5) Sleight of Hand
(+4) Investigation, Empathy
(+3) Weapons, Burglary, Athletics
(+2) Alertness, Stealth, Resolve, Deceit
(+1) Engineering, Science, Rapport, Art, Endurance
Stunts: Legerdemain, Stage Magic, Master of Illusion, Cold Read, The Skeptic's Ear, Quick Exit, Vanish (I'm considering changing these last two stunts)
With character creation finished, we created our world aspects: "There are things in the sea man was not meant to know", "The next war will be fought in secret", "The walls between worlds have been weakened", and "Man is not alone". I think we did a good job encapsulating some of the themes that came up during character creation. We decided that Michael would be our first GM, since he has more experience with the system, and we each picked an aspect (either one of our own or the world's) that we thought was the most interesting in order to give him some guidance for what kind of adventure to put together (although he didn't limit it to just those aspects, as you'll see in the next session report!)
I really enjoyed the session. It was fun to see the rough ideas coalesce into more concrete characters through the process. It was very collaborative, and I think we came up with a lot of cool stuff.
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Randy Shipp
United States
Irving
Texas
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What was the total time to do character creation?
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Dan Maruschak
United States
Eugene
Oregon
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Since Skype keeps a history of my calls I can answer exactly! The session lasted 3 hours and 41 minutes. That includes us introducing ourselves to each other, dealing with some technical issues, deciding setting details, figuring out who would be the first GM, and scheduling the first play session. Some of us were more familiar with the rules than others, but we all had our own copy of the rules.
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Randy Shipp
United States
Irving
Texas
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Thanks! As always, descriptions of character creation alone in Spirit of the Century are almost intoxicatingly cool! I mean, I'm sure the gameplay is fun, but I really just want to get a group together and generate characters!
Did you record by any chance, for your own actual play podcast? :-)
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Michael Bowman
United States
Portland
Oregon
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The idea for world aspects came from an RPGNet post by Judd Karlman (from Sons of Kryos).
We did not record our sessions.
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Dan Maruschak
United States
Eugene
Oregon
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The first play session with these characters is now posted.
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Oliver Graf
Germany
Weissenthurm
[Ø]
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Dan Maruschak wrote:
I really enjoyed the session. It was fun to see the rough ideas coalesce into more concrete characters through the process. It was very collaborative, and I think we came up with a lot of cool stuff.
Fantastic report! We did our first [rpgitem=44696] session using the [rpgitem=53059] demo adventure with the pre-gen characters last week. I did not want to scare off my players by only generating characters an evening long... but now the are on the hook and really want to do their own heroes!
I plan to use Doctor Who as background for my campaign and I guess I have an interesting plan how to do the Doctor... (stay tuned for a report!)
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Ken H.
United States
Amherst
Ohio
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Dan Maruschak wrote: We went with the 2/4/6 damage rule, as suggested by the game designers.
I've been reading through your session reports for this game, and really enjoying them. Thanks for putting the time in to write them -- it's giving me a great sense of what the game is like.
I have no experience with Fate yet, or any of the variant versions. So, I'm confused by the quoted sentence above. Could you explain what the rule is (or link somewhere if it's too cumbersome to explain). I think you are referring to the number of stress track hits you can negate with consequences, but I'm not really sure.
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Dan Maruschak
United States
Eugene
Oregon
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Rubric wrote: Dan Maruschak wrote: We went with the 2/4/6 damage rule, as suggested by the game designers. Could you explain what the rule is (or link somewhere if it's too cumbersome to explain). I think you are referring to the number of stress track hits you can negate with consequences, but I'm not really sure.
Yes, it's a variation on the way consequences work (I think this link explains it -- basically you take a consequence to reduce the amount of stress that a particular hit causes, with the number of stress reduced, 2, 4, or 6, based on the severity of the consequence you take). The Evil Hat guys have said in a number of interviews that they would have made this the default rule if they had thought of it before going to press. I think that the FATE games published since SOTC have all used this rule.
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