It all started when that blasted thing rose from the ground.
It was ominous, out-of-place, and commanded the attention of a dying race. But we were desparate, and soon worked to harness the energies of this...thing. It took everything we had but our civilization eventually merged with it. It grew and grew until eventually it became our home. We were saved from the Darkness. We were saved from the Hunger. We were able to use this Monolith to jumpstart our civilization for the new generation.
It's been 15 years since the Integration. And most have forgotten about the hardships of those times. These days, people have become used to living inside a huge alien structure of unimaginable power, taking the Monolith's qualities for granted. Life has never been better.
Today is just another day, after all.
Attention to the ff Players:
Lobotomizer
Kyra
Tremorfist
Xate
BoomerangReturns
Nish
Devour
Camila
Hello, and Welcome to The Monolith; a reboot RP of an old idea I scrapped ages ago. If you've never heard of that RP, then it's fine. Because this is entirely different now. For one, it is unequivocally, a Horror Game. And I don't mean Resident Evil Guns Ablazin' Survival Horror. I mean, Silent Hill You Better Run kind of horror. In addition this will also be an RPG game, meaning we shall have stats and dice-rolling and stuff like that. This RP uses a modified version of the Unisystem to play but you don't really need to know that because believe it or not, the hardest part of the RP begins RIGHT NOW:
Character Creation
Spoiler for START HERE:
I. Attributes
You have 14 pts/ to distribute to the following stats. Don't be afraid if you think the stat is too low. To put into perspective: 1 is frail and sickly, 2 is the Average Joe score, 3 is Above Average (trained), 4 is Top of the Class (best of the trained), and 5 is Olympic Level (world-class).
Strength (STR) - Actual Physical Strength and Carrying Capacity.
Dexterity (DEX) - Coordination, Agility, Gracefulness, and General Accuracy
Constitution (CON) - Physical Body Resistance. Also affects fatigue and your Health.
Intelligence (INT) - Your Smarts. Ability to take in information or easily improve/learn skills.
Perception (PER) - Intuition and Alertness. This stat is usually rolled to Notice things.
Willpower (WIL) - Mind Resistance. The closest thing to a Sanity stat in this game.
Also, in case you're wondering, the following Secondary Stats are affected by the following Primary Stats:
Life Points - STR and CON; Your health points. In the actual game this number is hidden to provide a sense of horror.
Endurance - STR, CON, and WIL; When this stat becomes 0, your character becomes exhausted. Endurance is also expended when a character is forced to adrenalize.
Running Speed - CON and DEX; Your average speed in terms of kph.
II. Qualities
Now to shape your character's habits and personalities. Qualities generally give you benefits like increased chances in certain skill checks. For example, the Acute Eyesight Quality gives you a bonus to PER checks that require eyesight. Note that not all Qualities can guarantee to be good for you as a player. Attractiveness for example, could make you stand out in a crowd.
You have 5 Quality pts to spend at your own leisure.
Below is a list of all purchasable Qualities. For the sake of this scenario, not every Quality will be available and I will be providing only a brief description of each and will be excluding the values involved. I will still mention the stat closest to it however. This is to hopefully lessen any attempts at min/maxing and bring more focus to the RP/Storytelling aspect of things:
Spoiler for Qualities:
Quality Name | Cost | Closest Related/Affected Stat
- Description of the Q/D is written down here.
- Clarifications too.
Acute Senses | 2 pts per Sense (of the 5) | PER
- Gives bonus when particular Sense involved is used in a PER check
- Costs 2 pts per Sense. Meaning, 2 for Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, and Touch individually.
- Cannot buy Impaired version of the Sense at the same time.
Attractiveness (Positive) | 1 per level up to 5 levels
- Gives bonuses during NPC-related tasks by making a deeper physical impression on people.
- Increasing levels make your character stand out more. Make of that what you will.
- More points = More beautiful/attractive.
Charisma (Positive) | 1 per level up to 5 levels
- Bonuses increase chance to influence NPCs
- Also affects Persuasion tasks.
- Difference with Attractiveness is that it affects universal magnetism. Attractiveness is just a physical bonus.
Fast Reaction Time | 2 pts | Initiative and WIL
- Gives you the ability to act first in close combat situations no matter what your original Initiative/Speed score was
- Also gives a bonus to avoiding Fear
Badass Toughness | 1 per level up to 5 levels | Health
- Increases chance of surviving when severely wounded or in a dying state.
- Increases Life Points with each level
Nerves of Steel | 3 pts | WIL
- Makes your character not afraid of anything. This makes him less likely to go insane.
- Gains a bonus in Fear checks only when encountering utterly strange shit
Photographic Memory | 2 pts | Knowledge Skills
- Grants bonuses to tasks that require memorization
- Great for situations where you need something learned but do not have the equipment or skill for it.
Resistance (Various) | 1 pt per Resistance Type (out of the 4) | CON and/or WIL
- There are 4 Resistance Types. This quality grants a bonus for events that decrease/affect that specific stat.
- Resistance (Diesease) staves off your chance to be infected by a viral element.
- Resistance (Poison) decreases the damage you sustain per turn if you are ever poisoned.
- Resistance (Fatigue) reduces Endurance loss
- Resistance (Pain) reduces penalties when wounded and decreases the chance of being stunned.
- 1 Pt only. Resistances do not have levels.
Situational Awareness | 2 pts | PER
- Grants bonus to sensing trouble, possibly pre-empting it
- Makes you harder to be surprised or snuck up on
III. Drawbacks
Drawbacks on the other hand give you weaknesses or debilitations that hinder you physically, mentally, or socially. Why would I want them, you may ask. Well, in exchange for giving yourself Weaknesses, you will get a certain number of Character Points in return. These CPs can be used to increase your Attributes, Qualities, and Skills as you see fit. For example, the Impaired Eyesight Drawback reduces your chance to see anything in Sight-related PER checks however it grants you 2 Pts which you promptly use to increase your STR or get another Quality or Skill.
Most Drawbacks are also emotional and mental quirks. While they mostly do nothing to stats per se, you MUST roleplay to that quirk if you are picking it. Failing to show your stuff will merit less Personality Point Bonuses (see below). For example, if I picked Cowardly, I have to roleplay a character who is constantly looking out for number 1.
You have up to 10 Drawback pts to spend at your own leisure. Note that you do not need to spend all 10 points for Drawbacks if you really don't want to risk it. And personally, if you are taking the risk, I would advise that you use the extra CPs to have more Skills instead of focusing on Attributes. List of Drawbacks are as follows:
Spoiler for Drawbacks:
Drawback Name | Cost and CPs Rewarded | Closest Related/Affected Stat
- CPs rewarded is generally the Cost itself. I will specify if otherwise.
- Description of the Q/D is written down here. Clarifications too.
- Most Drawbacks are emotional/mental quirks. Choosing them requires the Player to RP these qualities to the best of their ability.
Impaired Senses | 2 pts per Sense (of the 5) | PER
- Gives negative bonus when particular Sense involved is used in a PER check
- Costs 2 pts per Sense. Meaning, 2 for Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, and Touch individually.
- Cannot buy Impaired version of the Sense at the same time.
- If character is wearing an aid like Glasses, the negative bonus lessens (until the aid is lost or broken)
Addiction | 1 to 6 Depending on Vice | Mental Tasks and WIL
- Gives the character a craving for a certain vice. Levels determine the severity of this addiction.
- Range of Vices in order are as follows: Smoking and Drinking, Marijuana, LSD, Depressants, Coke, Heroin. Talk to me about the kind of addiction you want (only from the list please) and I will assign a value for it.
- Requires a timely "fix" for his/her vice of choice. If craving is not sustained, character suffers negative bonuses to Mental Tasks
- Possible but very difficult to cure. Requires checks made everyday that must succeed continuously for long periods of time.
Adversary | 1 to 5 Depending on the Rival's Strength
- Character will earn the ire of a certain individual or organization that the GM can use against the party if mentioned
- That individual/organization will want nothing more than to utterly destroy the Character
- To use, describe the Adversary to me and I will assign a Pt Value for it.
Attractiveness (Negative) | 1 per level up to 5 levels
- Gives negative bonuses during NPC-related tasks by appearing more scarred, ugly, and undesirable to people.
- HOWEVER, when used with the Intimidation Skill, allows you to be more threatening in those situations.
- Increasing negative levels make your character stand out more. Make of that what you will.
- More points = More Physically Undesirable.
Charisma (Negative) | 1 per level up to 5 levels
- Bonuses decrease chance to influence NPCs. In fact they'll probably try to avoid you outright.
- Also affects Persuasion tasks.
- Difference with Attractiveness is that it affects universal magnetism. Attractiveness is just a physical bonus.
Clown | 1 pt.
- Characters do not (or have a hard time to) take you seriously.
- Must be required to make wisecracks and jokes in every situation, even if its inappropriate.
Covetous | 1-3 pts depending on Severity | WIL
- Character is haunted to crave certain things that he/she MUST have.
- In checks that have their objects of desire involved, Character might recieve negative bonuses in order to betray party members or ignore ethical issues in order to satiate his desires
- The higher the level, the more negative the bonuses are
Cowardly | 1-3 pts. depending on Severity | WIL
- Character requires an innate Mental Check before attempting to do anything risky or avoid fleeing from enemies.
- Heroic tasks are impossible to do
- The higher the level, the harder it will be to control these emotions
Mental Problems | Various depending on Illness
Below is a list of Mental Issues your character can have. They come with their own quirks and points. Unlike other Drawbacks, these Problems can be eliminated if they are dramatically overcome in the course of the adventure (which may or may not happen).
Spoiler for Mentalities:
Delusions of Grandeur | 1-3 depending on Severity
- the belief that you are stronger and wiser than you think.
- higher levels suggest feelings of invincibility or basically LEEROY JENKINS syndrome
- Note that there is a difference between "doing before thinking" and "doing stupid things". The latter just makes you an idiot and is not what this illness is about.
Phobia (Please Specify) | 1-3 depending on Severity
- irrational fear of something. that something must be clarified with the GM
- Phobia cannot be suspiciously specific.
- higher levels induce panic attacks if encountered.
Fear of Rejection | 1 pt.
- Character is afraid to form bonds
- when betrayed or when he thinks he's being betrayed or rejected, will fly into a temporary but irrational rage
Depression | 2 pts.
- Character is unmotivated to do absolutely anything.
- Cause of depression must be identified with the GM.
- Negative Bonus to almost every task check for as long as this is active.
Dependency | 1 pt.
- Character will personally and emotionally cling to another character of his/her choice.
- When that happens, they become excessively needy and annoy everyone else around them.
Honor Before Reason | 1-3 depending on Severity
- Character is bound by a promise or tenet that he/she abides by no matter what
- Character is also unable or has extreme difficulty with performing heinous or deceitful deeds
- For specifics on what exactly the character follows, confer with the GM. But generally these are basic laws like "Will not hurt friends" or "Will not lie, cheat and steal"
Lazy | 2 pts. | Various Skills
- Character must shirk duties that require work and will often opt for the easiest task
- In addition, character cannot have skill levels higher than the related stat. He/she can, but it will cost DOUBLE the amount.
Paranoid | 2 pts.
- Sees patterns where there are none. Information divulged specifically to a character with this trait will either be ridiculously true or ridiculously false. There will be no way to tell.
- But if it turns out to be true, no other NPC believes you no matter what.
- In addition, buying this Drawback instantly grants at least one random Mental Problem. (you get the CP for it without incurring the cost).
- You can justify the Mental Problem yourself to manually pick one of your choice.
Physical Disability | 2 Pts per Appendage | Physical Tasks
- You lose a respective arm or leg, or both, or all (paraplegic basically) and suffer all the problems associated with that
- Obviously, you'll get negative bonuses to task requiring arms or legs
- If missing 2 arms or legs, the character begin in a wheelchair or one of those electric ones Stephen Hawking rides on
Dark Secret | 1-3 Pts depending on Severity
- The character harbors a secret so precious it could harm their well-being if divulged
- Talk to GM regarding the secret if you choose to purchase. This secret will be revealed to all in the OOC
- Levels determine the consequence. 1 is reputation only, 2 is far more severe like expulsion or ostracization, and 3 is death
IV. Skills
Next we have stuff that your character inherently knows or has learned throughought his/her life. Every Skill can be taken at a number of levels and the higher it is the more proficient a character is with that skill. Like Attributes, 2 or 3 is the "Average Joe" here while 1 is Amateur Hour and 4 or 5 are the Mastery levels. Levels higher than 5 exist, but they tend to cost more points and represent extreme Mastery of the craft.
You have 25 Skill Pts to distribute. There are two kinds of Skills: Regular and Special. Regulars require 1 pt to increase and 3 if it's beyond level 5. Specials are skills that are harder to learn in hindsight and thus require 2 pts to increase and 5 if it's beyond level 5. Some skills are also broad generalizations of specific ones such as Guns is to Rifles, Revolvers, and Shotguns.
It is reccommended that you spread out your skillset instead of specializing in just a few. (But who am I to stop you hahahah). Skill Checks are determined by a combination of Attributes and Skills anyway so you don't need a skill that's over 5 for any average task. If you were to perform a task that doesn't have a skill though, then that's an entirely different story.
Once again I've culled some skills to fit in the scenario. Note that like any RPG game, there will be "useless skills". It is your choice whether or not to take them or make them useful to you. Or you can just play it safe and get the ones you really need. Whatever you like :D
List of Skills here:
Spoiler for Skills:
Skill Name | Special Type is specified | Closest Related/Affected Stat
- Description of the Skill goes here
Acrobatics | Special | DEX
- Basically the skill that allows performers, martial artists, dancers, and atheletes to perform tumbles and somersaults without getting hurt.
- Can easily substitute for the Dodge Skill
Acting | INT when doing, PER when spotting
- Recreate any emotion, behavior, or trait with the intent to convince or decieve people
Beautician | INT when doing, PER when spotting
- Ability to purposely increase or decrease a character's attractiveness.
- Ability can also increase or improve the Disguise Skill, or substitute it altogether
- Note that beautification requires equipment or materials for the job. Improvising will penalize this skill
Brawling | DEX for hits, STR for grapples
- Any form of hand-to-hand combat outlines this skill
Climbing | DEX, STR, or CON (depending on the situation)
- Any form of attempting to get to a certain high spot, using the surfaces within the vicinity
Computer Hacking | INT when doing, PER when spotting
- Basically everything you've ever seen done in Hollywood: Clacking random keyboard keys to cause mayhem or produce information you need
- Note that this requires an existing Computer System to hack into
Computer Programming | INT when doing, PER when spotting
- The difference with Hacking is that this is literally writing something from scratch.
- It's leaning towards the creation of programs than manipulating an existing one.
- Note that you will need the proper equipment for this to work well.
Craft | INT to create, PER to appraise and improve, and DEX to test it
- the ability to make something out of materials.
- Note that this task can be time-consuming when making a specific item. It would be much easier to just give a vague description of what you are going for.
- Example: Using "Craft from Inventory" when you just happen to have an Aerosol Can and Lighter can make Flamethrowers. But if you say "Craft Flamethrower" specifically, not only will it take longer, it might just fail outright for being impossible (because not all Flamethrowers are Aerosol/Lighters).
Disguise | INT to use, PER to spot
- Ability to appear as another person given the proper materials
- Note that you still need the proper Gear to disguise yourself.
Dodge | DEX
- This involves all manner of evasion, including "ducking for cover"
- This does not give you the ability to pre-empt oncoming attacks, but immediately react to them.
Driving | DEX
- You never know when a vehicle proficiency might come in handy
Escapism | DEX and INT (for harder ones)
- In the event that you find yourself literally in a bind, this skill can help you get away
- Note that this only pertains to escaping from restraints. Deathtraps are beyond the scope.
First Aid | INT for healing (eq required), PER for diagnosis, and DEX for applying manuevers like CPR
- Bare minimum, this skill lets you treat basic injuries and wounds.
- Note that a First Aid kit must exist in order to use this skill.
Guns | DEX to fire, PER to aim (for aiming at specific places)
- You can choose to specify exactly what KIND of gun this skill pertains to. You will get a bonus for using that kind of gun, but a penalty to everything else
- Gun types: Rifle, Handguns, Shotguns, SMGs, Assault Rifles
- You can choose more than 1 Gun Type
- Remember, specifying is optional. If you don't do it, this'll just mean Guns in general.
Hand Weapons | STR or DEX depending
- Unlike Guns which require training to wield, this Skill pertains to general proficiency of non-training weapons
- You MUST choose a Weapon type when taking this skill. You can have more than 1 Weapon type
- Weapon Types: Blunt (clubs or bats), Sharp (spears and rapiers), Bladed (axes or knives), Projectile (crossbows, bows, or slingshots)
Intimidation | WIL for real, INT to bluff
- Used in hand with a Negative Attractiveness Drawback to increase its chances of succeeding
- Skill basically makes people afraid of you. When used with INT allows you to bluff them into putting up a tough front instead
Lock Picking | DEX for normal locks, PER and INT for electronic ones
- You never know when you might encounter a door or container you can't crack
- Like anything, the proper equipment is necessary to use this skill. But bare minimum, a bent wire is usually enough for simple locks.
- Attempting a lock pick without proper eq causes negative penalties.
Martial Arts | Special | DEX for hits, STR for grapples
- A more advanced version of the Brawling Skill
- This skill guarantees increased damage for hand-to-hand moves
Medicine | Special | PER for diagnosis, INT for treatment, and DEX for manuevers like surgery
- A more advanced version of the First Aid skill
- Skill is able to treat severe wounds that normal First Aid could never do such as the extraction of shards from a body
- A kit and some eq in some cases is still required.
Notice | PER to observe, INT to remember
- Allows the user a chance to detect Stealthy characters
- Basically automatically rolled whenever entering a new location; used to see what is happening around him
Pick Pocket | DEX to do, PER to resist
- You never know when a guard might be carrying some lewt
Running | CON
- This skill increases Endurance by 1 for every level taken
- Each time the skill is used, it has a chance to increas default Running Speed
- Skill does not improve existing Running Speed, but helps it improve through use.
Seduction | INT (with Charisma/Attractiveness considered)
- You never know when you might need to persuade someone who swings that way
Lying | INT
- You never know when you need to bluff your way through a fight
Sports | INT, PER, DEX, STR depending on the sport
- Like Weapons, you MUST specify what Sport this skill pertains to
- When using this skill, you must specify what aspect of the sport you are mimicking
- Swimming is not a Sport as it is a Skill on its own
Stealth | DEX to use, PER to hide
- You never know when you need to sneak up on somebody or go somewhere quietly
Swimming | CON
- You never know when you need to go through some disgusting sewer
Throwing | STR
- You MUST choose one of three throwing types to have this skill
- Throwing types: Small (knives or small bladed stuff), Medium (axes or medium bladed stuff), Round (rocks, grenades, balls)
- Despite its dependent stat, this skill pertains to accuracy as well
Tracking | PER to trace, INT to hide
- You never know when you need to find something using only a little clue.
- Also works with hiding your own tracks to avoid being detected.
Weight Lifting | STR
- In the event that you ever become encumbered, this Skill increases your maximum base load
- It just increases the limit though, so don't push it
V. Everything Else
And of course, no RP will be complete without the General Information:
Name
Appearance (brief description with what you're wearing will suffice)
Age (18 to 30 pls)
Inventory (you generally start with nothing, but feel free to suggest 2-5 things you can carry. I will have the final say on those objects.)
Of course if and when you post your actual character sheet, please put this last part on top. And when displaying skills and qualities with levels, put a number beside it in parenthesis. Like so:
Spoiler for Example Sheet:
Donnie Jones
Appearance: A retired baseball superstar, now down on his luck and busking professionally. He dresses in his old jersey which is said to give him good luck. Hasn't bathed in months.
Age: 28
Inventory: Old Baseball Cards of himself, Baseball Bat, Chewing Gum
Qualities:
Fast Reaction Time
Nerves of Steel
Drawbacks:
Impaired Hearing
Cowardly
Claustrophobia (2)
Skills:
Tracking (2)
Martial Arts (1)
Throwing (1)
Sports - Baseball (1)
*I could add more skills here but you get the point.
Now I know what you're thinking: Yes, technically you can make an armless, legless, wheelchair-bound genius asshole with maximum INT with a very selfish streak and absolute trolling behavior. Good luck getting me to approve that though (as hilarious as that character may be). I want characters that make sense in the setting that I have proposed. Don't make this anymore difficult than it already is.
That's right. Will our 8 players please create a character right now and post their sheets for approval. Everything else such as how this RP will go and what differs from other RPs will be explained soon (but if you signed up because of that post I made in the Chat Thread, then you already have a general idea of how things will work). All you need to know is that you will be playing as everyday citizens in the sprawling complex known as The Monolith. As citizens, you have regular jobs like anyone. Just think of the setting as a normal Office and work from there.
Please try to make your characters as balanced and human as possible. Go ahead and make a combat-oriented one if you feel like it but honestly it is not really necessary. I wish to emphasize the RP aspect of this RPG so any kind of character (as long as its not purposedly stupid) you want.
My next post will talk about the mechanics and how this thing will work. Trust me, you do not need to do anything else with your sheet in the course of this game aside from the actual creation of it. It's really simple I swear!
Finally feel free to use this thread as a Pre-Game discussion thread. I know ya'll has some questions as well so just lay it all out so we can get this matter sorted.
Oh and if anyone else is wondering: Signups are CLOSED. This was a closed invite, and only those that responded to my original Chat Thread post have the privilege of participating.