| From: | Ereskanti@***.com Ereskanti@***.com |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Power (Re: tattoo magic/cyber zombie) |
| Date: | Fri, 23 Jul 1999 17:36:41 EDT |
In a message dated 7/18/1999 12:58:01 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
mlfrankl@*****.msn.com writes:
> >Gurth, I think you hit the nail pretty squarely on this one. For some
> >reason, whenever someone thinks/hears/reads the term "Cyberzombie" (or
even
> >Cybermancy), they often times think "Combat Monster" or
"Powergamer" (or
> >worse ;). However, there are a LOT of cybernetic implants that could be
> done
> >which have absolutely NOTHING to do with direct, melee style, combat.
>
> I just never seemed to have met one yet. I would enjoy having someone play
> that angle, but it just seems I've run into too many essence pushers for
> combat. Fortunately, my group is pretty steady headed right now. Of course
> as I grow older my tolerance for munchkinism wanes.
Actually, we had *one* of these, and a really particular time, he chose to
have the character "fade away".
"Steve" was a cybermantically modified individual who had apparently been
working with either Ares or the UCAS Military. Apparently, at some point in
the past, several regions of his cognitive mind were damaged, as well as his
neural pathways leading below the cerebellum. He had been a tactician at
some point, and already possessed tactical and ASIST type stuff (cranial
deck, a VCR, and a BTAC). He had MBW added afterwards.
Well, as the story goes, the entire group is tricked into crossing the
Aztlan/CAS border near the Pueblo Corporate southeastern corner. This is
happening along the same time as an Aztlan/CAS conflict (war, police action,
who cares..) and PCC had already specifically stated it was entering into a
"non-interaction" mode with regards to both nations, in order to stay out of
the activity. PCC was also actively turning back BOTH groups that were
trying to smuggle their way back and forth across their border for surprise
attacks.
Anyway, the group gets a call via short-wave from a mechanic buddy of theirs.
He had been enlisted with the CAS military, had gotten caught with his unit
behind enemy lines, and when the unit called for assistance, their commanders
couldn't offer any to them. He remembers his friends with the T-Bird, and
gets in touch with them instead. They agree of course (what are friends and
contact building for if not for salvation once in a while?).
They sneak their own way past the border, using the Rio Grande and some great
form Desert AND River spirits to slip into an area the military was calling
"the Noose". When the group gets there, they don't find anything at all
except for remnants of a *somebodies* temporary encampment. What they did
wind up in was a net. Literally. Two Aztlan Lobo-Grandes' (T-Birds with
attitude) were hidden beneath Masked Desert Spirits using Concealment on
Camo-Netting in depressions (yep, they were hidden). A massive cable-based
net was launched via rockets and landed across "Beauty". (the teams TBird)
Big, nasty, firefight ensues ... end score, Aztlan units beaten back/killed,
party's craft damaged beyond flight ability. Who came to help them?
A real CAS team that had been caught behind lines using Mortar-type
ammunition with Laser-guidance. Their problem was they lacked real mobility.
Steve helped in the tactical coordination, and even to the point of capturing
one of the two Aztlan LAV's (which had been downed, but not totally wiped),
and using its' parts (along with a LOT of Fix spells and B/R die rolls), were
able to get Beauty up and running again. The remaining members of the CAS
team either crammed into the storage space, or literally used the netting to
hang-on to the outside of Beauty. The group then began the tedious task of
recrossing the distance, heading for Austin as best they could (in our games,
since the maps were vague at the time, we decided Austin was a disputed
territory). It was a painful, even frightening, session getting back across
the border, knowing that a trio of Aguilars and two more Lobo-Grande's were
now dispatched onto their trail. In the end, the group made it. Only one or
two of the CAS team were lost en-route, and overall it was played out very
well.
The CAS government was very glad to have their men back, made a big media
issue out of it (raise Morale anyway you can), and even awarded the PC's with
stuff (you know, access to B/R facilities, neutral agreements on occasion,
mercenary contract potential).
But, as Binder (now Padre) was returning to Beauty, where Steve had been
performing a final shutdown and post-flight check ... he found their
tactician asleep, now forever, in the seat. Within the navcomp of the
machine, Beasts' turret actually ("Beast" is the name given to the primary
railgun/turret's secondary tactical system), Binder found a message that goes
more or less like this ...
"...it felt good again, knowing that I had helped save this team who were
fighting for what they believed, when I had failed to save the team I was
once a part of. It has been a real pleasure working with all of you, and am
glad knowing that I have been a member of the Crew. Good Luck Always, your
friend ... Lt. Colonel Steve (*last name I have forgotten*); signing off...."
<end story mode>
So, as a notice to anyone that thinks Cybermantic characters always have to
be real "combat monsters", I would suggest that you all think again about
it....
-K (yes, this is from where the group of PC's got their team name as well)
