New: SS Windstar (free, open-ended, email, human, space, rpg, abstract)

From: donotreply@pbm.com (PBM List Autoposter)

Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2007 08:13:02 +0000

Name:		SS Windstar
Costs:		free
Email:		sharlene79 zat mindspring.com
Frequency:		Daily (at least on my part)
Type:		space opera, Non-Star Trek, adventures
Last-Update:		2007Mar03
Keywords: free, open-ended, email, human, space, rpg, abstract

Description:

SS Windstar is accepting applications.	The game is based loosely on GURPS
3rd edition, but will be diceless.  This will be a GM guided series of
adventures, not merely a collaborative fiction.  Players will run their
own characters, not NPC�s or other PC�s.  It is a character description I
am looking for, not a character sheet.	Design your character like he or
she is a main character out of a science fiction story.

The SS Windstar is a fleet corvette class starship, a privately owned
vessel subcontracted by the Federation to conduct interstellar survey.
Being a privateer, the Windstar often ran other roles: mercenary work
(typically anti-piracy), asteroid mining, passenger service, and high
value cargo.  Family on board was rare, but not unheard of.  In fact, the
crew of the Windstar is much like an extended family.  Some of the crew
are political dissidents from other empires.  Many are veterans who think
of interstellar survey as a sort of vacation or adventure.  The Windstar
was from a time when the Federation was at the height of its glory much as
Rome was once seen as the Light of Civilization.  But it was also faced
with enemies � from its borders and from within.  While returning for
general maintenance and repairs the Windstar was contracted for a covert
mission.

Upon leaving their last base in 2528 the Windstar was jumped by three
Federation destroyers � black ops division vessels.  She was no match for
them.  In an attempt to escape the Windstar was forced to use their
auxiliary drives, a psionic stardrive.	They were being pounded as they
jumped � and arrived centuries later in the year 3540.	The fabric of
space has been severely strained, though it is healing.  Interstellar
travel is far more dangerous than it once was.	Civilization has fallen
into ruin.  The Federation no longer exists.  Mankind has spread across
the entire Milky Way.  But no longer are they respected as they once were.
 Hundreds of interstellar wars are ongoing every day.

You will have originated in the Terran Federation in the year 2528 with a
technology similar to what Star Trek and Star Wars has in later movies
(minus teleporters, time travel, and personal force screens).  In GURPS
terms you will be TL 12, with a little bit of TL 13 being introduced �
mainly communications and sensors.  Your character should have a
profession.  Please no characters that spend all their time cooped up on a
ship.  The Captain would have been hiring crew for Interstellar Survey.
He typically only hires veterans with 10 to 20 years of service.  (You
might be a passenger if you can justify it, but you won�t be used on
missions if you aren�t hired on afterwards.)  Humans or human hybrids only
please.  Aliens will have a hard time joining the adventures and would be
forced to remain on the ship.  No cyborgs, aliens or holodeck AI�s.  Some
implants � like communicators � are standard.  Most crew have Aggressive
Panimmunity and Second Skins (considered necessary for Survey Team
members).  They will be immune to most diseases and unable to be infected
unless their skin is pierced.

Players should be able to write with decent spelling and grammar.  I make
mistakes myself.  I don�t expect perfection.  I also ask that you be able
to be proactive in your playing.  You are the players, not the NPC�s.
Don�t just get swept along with the story.  Influence it in a direction
you like.  I have a distinct set of conflicts ongoing among the locals �
interstellar wars.

Yes, psionics are available both as abilities and technologies.  Please
limit the abilities.  I don�t want characters that are gods on paper
taking over the storyline, showing off using all the PC�s and NPC�s as
their punching bags.  I see that and both player and character will be
banned.  The SS Windstar has an auxilliary jump drive based on
teleportation.	Yes, there are a very few aliens among the crews.
However, it will be dangerous for them to go among the locals in some
cases.	Aliens like Vulcans and such are human enough to be disguised or
explained as colonial alterations.  Pointed ears might even be a fad on
some backwater planet.	Even slitted eyes, clawed nails, or tails could be
explainable at the local technologies.	But I must warn you that in many
areas they will be looked at and create serious trouble with the
authorities (thanks to past wars and hatreds generated by them).

You will receive a spam block autoreply when you apply.  Just send a
request.  The first email will be saved.  Specify what game you�re
interested in.	I run more than one at times.  Do NOT just send an email
that just says �Send more info.�  I just throw those emails into my spam
addresses and never see them again.  If you are interested enough to ask
for information, at least give an idea what you need to know.

[ This is a new entry for the PBM List. You can find the list
itself, and instructions for adding games or comments, at
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/pbm_list/ -- greg ]