Session 0: Character Creation

[Enoch]

Yep, if you add the base Nature of 3 to your logic, everything works out fine. If anyone's interested, the mechanical results of the Nature questions are in the PDF, but like I said there'll be an opportunity to change them if you're unhappy with the results.

[Rusty Tincanne]

When you are off-duty, do you party and live it up because life is short or do you train and prepare for your next mission?
The resons for becoming an addict still lie deep in his psyche. While eh does not "live it up," he does find ways to escape: video games, comic books, lots of caffeine... (+1 Nature)

When your mission gets into some real pretty s***, do you complete the mission no matter the cost or do you bug the f*** out of there?
He doesn't have a lot to live for, but it sure beats the alternative, even if it means a court martial and life on a penal colony. There is no shame in staying alive. (+1 Nature)

Do you let everyone around you know what you think of this chickenshit outfit or do you button up and take it all as it comes?
He could complain, but nobody listens. Even if they did, it wouldn't make it better. Better to suffer in silence and sneak something to make the horrors disappear. (take the Motivated trait, though I cannot see how that fits him...)

[Enoch]

"Motivated" is a pretty broad term. It doesn't necessarily need to mean "motivated to Be All That He Can Be (tm)". "Motivated to stay alive" is perfectly acceptable; and what it means can vary from moment to moment.

[Enoch]

Nature Questions:

1. When you are off-duty, do you party and live it up because life is short or do you train and prepare for your next mission?
   • Train and prepare: +1 Nature
   • Party it up: Dedicated trait
2. When your mission gets into some real pretty s***, do you complete the mission no matter the cost or do you bug the f*** out of there?
   • Complete the mission: Best Job in the World trait
   • Bug out: +1 Nature
3. Do you let everyone around you know what you think of this chickens*** outfit or do you button up and take it all as it comes?
   • Let everyone know what you think: +1 Nature
   • Button up: Motivated trait

If you already have a given Trait, you increase the Trait value to 2. Please note that you can have a max of 4 Traits. If you ever gain a trait in excess of that, you will replace one of your existing traits.

[Enoch]

Step 4: Personal Item

Select one personal item to add to your standard kit. It must be a small item easily stowed in your webbing or IMP. For example, Corporal Hicks’ personal item is an Ithaca M37 shotgun, but PFC SgO Yuri always carries a roll of duct tape.

Most personal weapons are acceptable, but some are simply too large to be carried in addition to your primary weapon (M240 Flame Unit, M42A Scope Rifle, M56A2 Smart Gun, UA 571-C Sentry Gun). This includes all of the anti-vehicular weapons.

[Antman9]

My Schtuff so far:

Step 2: Backgrounds
Orbital (Com Tech: Technician skill ???)
Most of his time was spent living and working in a space colony in an outer star system.
Traits: Adventurous
Wises: Life support-wise

Step 3: Nature
1) Live it up: Nature +1
2) Complete the mission: “Best Job in the World” trait
3) Button up: “Motivated” trait

Step 4: Personal Items
Multi-Tool ???


Wises
Life support-wise

Traits
Adventurous
Best Job in the World
Motivated

[Enoch]

You can absolutely take a multi-tool if you like. I don't see one anywhere on the equipment list, but we can gin one up. Generally a tool provides a capability you don't otherwise have, or provides +1 to a relatively specific check if you would normally have tools. As an example, it might provide a +1 to repair electronics. As an example of extending a capability, a field radio gives units the ability to communicate at long range with the Technician skill (Com-Techs already have this as part of their loadout; others with Technician skill probably just have a basic repair kit.)

Also, it's generally assumed that if you have a skill you have the basic tools to do that job (and conversely, if you don't, you don't). So, for example, if nobody has the Medicine skill, nobody has a basic medkit unless they take one as their personal equipment (the Marines don't waste equipment giving it to soldiers that can't use it). Thus you'll face a double-whammy: a penalty for attempting a check you don't have the skill for, and a penalty for not having proper equipment.

Just to add one more wrinkle (this one in your favor), remember that everyone who starts out at PFC rank or above gets at least one skill advance, which can be used to improve an existing skill by one rank or to open a new skill at rank 2. This is a great way to either specialize in something important or round yourselves out with important skills (and equipment) you're otherwise lacking.

[Enoch]

Step 5 (Last Step): Name, Gender, Rank, Age, Species, Flash

• Note your Marine’s name, gender, rank and age (18-35) on your record form.
• Your species is human, in case you weren’t clear.
• Flash is a patch, a piece of clothing or swatch of grafitti that you wear on your uniform. Put it on your record
  sheet. For example, PFC SgO Drake’s flash is a feather earring he wears while PFC SgO Vasquez sports a red
  bandana.

Once you've got your stuff, grab a copy of the character sheet and update the Personnel Files thread with your sheet.

[MonkeyWrench]

Step 4: Personal Item

Select one personal item to add to your standard kit. It must be a small item easily stowed in your webbing or IMP. For example, Corporal Hicks’ personal item is an Ithaca M37 shotgun, but PFC SgO Yuri always carries a roll of duct tape.

Most personal weapons are acceptable, but some are simply too large to be carried in addition to your primary weapon (M240 Flame Unit, M42A Scope Rifle, M56A2 Smart Gun, UA 571-C Sentry Gun). This includes all of the anti-vehicular weapons.

I think I'll go with an entrenching tool for my marines personal item.

[Enoch]

Always useful. Heck, back in the 20th century the Spetznaz were trained to use it to kill.

[Marullus]

FYI... All the gear load-outs include an entrenching tool as standard kit. Most also include a personal first aid kit, too, to provide tools for Medical in emergency.

Enoch - do we have a way to calculate circles? From the civilian packet, maybe? Or do Marines not use the stat?

If a PFC, we post our MOS and additional skill pick here, too?

Any player objection to her being the unit's corporal? (Character objection is totally cool. )

For Elizabeth Resen:
Personal Gear
I was considering either a forearm mounted retractable shield (+2D to defense actions per torchbearer), or a grapple gun (use able as grappling hook and rope from torchbearer). As logistics gets the gear, I imagined her cool gear being important to her. Is either acceptable?

Name: Elizabeth Resen
Gender: Female
Age: 22
Flash: fluorescent hair scrunches, ponytail, and lip gloss

[Enoch]

Sorry, there really aren't shields that are particularly effective against modern, high-power weaponry, at least not in common usage. A couple of the loadouts do contain a medkit, yes, but not the basic rifleman. A grapple gun is fine--if you want I'll let it be a module that is fired from your underslung grenade launcher. Either way, it will basically provide +1D to any checks made to climb where it would be useful.

Thanks, I forgot about Circles, as it's not mentioned in the USCMC PDF.

Starting Resources
Privates 0
PFC 1
Corporal 2

Starting Circles
Privates 1
PFC 2
Corporal 3

[Rusty Tincanne]

Resources: 1
Circles: 2

Flash: medic patch sewed to vest/jacket. The old mercury symbol.

Personal gear: not sure. I was thinking a roll of duct tape, which can be functional medically or otherwise... Anyone have a better suggestion?

[Enoch]

According to the PDF, duct tape "Acts as supplies for anything once. Anything." Yes, you can MacGyver a radio out of it, even. Also, it's been pointed out to me that I was incorrect about the medkits--every loadout does have a single-use medkit.

[Rusty Tincanne]

In my mis-spent youth, I knew a guy that smoked electrical tape for a high. So don't count on the duct tape lasting too long, folks.

[Enoch]

I've used it as Tools for a Medical check before.

[Rusty Tincanne]

I think my character sheet is up-to-date. I've gone ahead and put in a belief and instinct, though neither are set in stone. They seem rather generic to the role right now.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Dang iPod. I posted in the wrong thread!

[Marullus]

Sheet posted as PFC since no comments on corporal. Took grapple gun. Free skill pick went for Soldier 4.

How do you want us to do Beliefs, Goals, and Instincts?

[Rusty Tincanne]

Oh dang! Sorry Marullus. Feel free to take Corporal! I think that is a great idea. Quick, go change your sheet!

And what is this about a free skill pick? I missed that - in this thread and the rules!