RPG Thursday – A Little History (Space: 1889 Red Sands)

21ST LANCERS. LANCER IN SUDAN KIT Original watercolor signed by C.Y. (after Caton Woodville), reproduced in The Illustrated London News, Sept. 3, 1898; mounted lancer in campaign dress,

A while back I was working on a RPG setting I called Savage Aeronef, which was a matchup of the Savage Worlds RPG and Wessex Games Aeronef seting. In the course of developing the setting, I created a character named ‘Ace’ Woodley who had a burning desire to get to Mars where his explorer Uncle died. His only connection; his Uncle’s Radium Gun.

More recently, I got a copy of the RPG Space 1889: Red Sands. This fits well with my Savage Aeronef setting and actually requires little change to use. So when I decided to draw up a Space: 1889 character it was logical that I would draw up Ace’s dead uncle.

In Space: 1889 you start character generation with a concept. In this case, I had a (now) dead uncle that died on Mars. Looking over the book and chargen tables, I decided that “Uncle Martin” had been an Army Cavalryman who ended up on Mars and eventually invented his own Radium Gun. In game terms he can be described as a Veteran-level character:

Attributes:
Agility – d8/Smarts – d10/Strength – d6/Spirit – d6/Vigor – d4
Skills:
Fighting – d8/Knowledge (Battle) – d6/Notice – d8/Persuasion – d6/Repairs – d6/Riding – d8/Shooting – d8/Survival – d6/Tracking – d8/Weird Science – d6
Hindrances:
Airsickness (Major)/Disowned (Minor)/Enemy (Minor)
Edges:
Army Cavalryman/Arcane Science

Space: 1889 also introduces the concept of “status” which roughly equates to social class.  Given that Uncle Martin has the “disowned” hindrance, this reduced his social status to 1, or the underling class.

Looking to flesh out his life history a bit, I went looking for some background information. As one of his languages was Russian I at first imagined that he may have been involved in the Crimean War and the “Charge of the Light Brigade”. This event took place in 1854, or 48 years before ‘Ace’ and seemed to me to be a bit of a stretch. So I kept looking for something else.

One of the books I looked at for the “Charge of the Light Brigade” was Men of War which was edited by Ernest Hemingway. This book is a collection of short stories. One story that jumped out immediately was “The Cavalry Charge at Omdurman” by Winston Churchill.

The Battle of Omdurman took place on 2 September 1898. The key event of the battle was the charge of the 21st Lancers which included a young Winston Churchill. In Churchill’s account, the battle was exciting, but other accounts point to the slaughter of helpless Dervish troops. Churchill wrote to his mother, “I shall merely say that the victory at Omdurman was disgraced by the inhuman slaughter of the wounded and that Kitchener was responsible for this.” (Cited in Farwell, Bryan; The Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Land Warfare: An Illustrated World View; W.W. Norton Company, New York; 2001; pp 613-614.)

So what could have turned Uncle Martin into the wild Martian explorer? Maybe he was repulsed by the slaughter at Omdurman and left the service in disgust. This could account for his minor enemy (Winston Churchill?) and being disowned – or in this case turning his back on society. Eventually he ended up on Mars, “invented” his Radium Gun, and then met his death. Two or three years for all that to happen is a bit tight but not unrealistic. It also explains how ‘Ace’ and his uncle were close.

In the end, creating Uncle Martin turned into a bit of historical exploration that helped flesh out a character. If one had to play Uncle Martin in the time after the Battle of Omdurman and before his death, the little bit of history creates several interesting hooks. Is Churchill his enemy? What does he do on Mars? Does he join the opposition to the British? How did he invent his Radium Gun? Looks like Space: 1889 and Savage Aeronef are a good match!

‘Ace’ Woodley – RNAS Pilot (Savage Worlds/Aeronef)

The background of Aeronef and the pulp-feel of the Savage Worlds RPG system just seem to go too well together.  Presented here is my first “Savage Aeronef” concept character:

Flight Lieutenant James ‘Ace’ Woodley, Royal Navy Aeronef Service (RNAS), Gunnery Officer, HMS Achilles (Achilles-class Aeronef Gunboat) [Seasoned Character=25XP]

Attributes:

• Agility – d10/Smarts – d6/Strength – d6/Spirit – d6/Vigor – d6

Skills:

• Driving – d8/Fighting – d8/Persuasion – d6/Piloting – d10/Repair – d6/Shooting – d10/Weird Science – d6

Hinderences:

• Heroic (Major)/Doubting Thomas (Minor)/Enemy (Minor)

Edges:

• Ace/Arcane Science/Command

Equipment:

• Leather Flight Jacket
• Radium Gun
• Rapier

‘Ace’ Woodley started out flying aerofighters for the Royal Navy Air Corps.  He proved himself a capable pilot over the course of several campaigns and battles.  His burning desire is to get to Mars where his explorer Uncle died at the hands of natives under mysterious circumstances.  The only connection Ace still has to his uncle is his uncle’s Radium Gun which Ace was able to keep after his Uncle’s possessions were returned to Earth.  However, the RNAS is not keen on this aeroplane pilot intruding upon their service and has assigned Flight Lieutenant  Woodley to HMS Achilles, a small gunboat to “gain experience” while the Aeronef Service evaluates the junior officer.  It is an open secret that Achilles’ First Lieutenant, one Oliver Card, intensely dislikes the upstart ‘Ace’ who is very popular with the deck hands  [Lt Card is treated as Hostile in all interactions with Ace].

It is now 1902 and BBC Radio is playing a funeral dirge for the death of Queen Victoria….

LT Delvi – Thousand Suns RPG Character

 

Space Fighter Pilot (Courtesy of Sal2009)

 

Delvi

Myrmidon Male

Homeworld (Marches/High-Population)

Navy Lieutenant (Fighter Pilot – Callsign: Devil)

Careers: Athlete (Novice), Navy (Experienced)

BACKGROUND

Lieutenant Delvi started out with a promising career as an amateur athlete (cross-country & rifle shooting) but ended up being ousted by his homeworld’s sports federation when he refused to allow a more politically influential family to predetermine the outcome of a major sporting event. He joined the Navy and quickly rose through the ranks becoming a fighter pilot. Delvi realized that there is more to space combat than “just being a good stick” and has worked on his Tactics knowledge and Sensor skills. Mid-way through his naval career his past came back to haunt him and he was exiled from his planet. He now works at the edges of Wildspace, passing himself off as a Terran mercenary pilot. If he ever was subject to a real physical examination his Myrmidon-physiology would become known but in the meantime there are many planets that need an experienced fighter jock – regardless of his past.

ABILITIES

Body: 8            Dexterity: 9            Perception: 8          Presence: 5           Will: 6

Ultra Immune System

Vitality: 35 [0000000000|0000000000|0000000000|00000]

Resolve: 35 [0000000000|0000000000|0000000000|00000]

Action Points: 5 [00000]

SKILLS (Skill (Type)/Specialization – Rank (Ability) > TN

• Acrobatics – 3 (Dexterity) > 12
• Athletics/Climbing – 2/4 (Body) > 10/12
• Athletics/Jumping – 2/4 (Body) > 10/12
• Bureaucracy – 3 (Perception) > 11
• Computers/Hacking – 2/4 (Perception) > 10/12
• Computers/Programming - 2/4 (Perception) > 10/12
• Defend – 3 (Body) > 11
• Diplomacy – 2 (Presence) > 7
• Dodge – 5 (Dexterity) > 14
• Gunnery – 4 (Perception) > 12
• Language (Czanik) – 2 (Perception) > 10
• Language (Lingua Terra) - 2 (Perception) > 10
• Medical Science – 4 (Perception) > 12
• Melee – 2 (Dexterity) > 11
• Piloting/Ultralight – 2/5 (Dexterity) > 11/14
• Profession (Athletics) – 2 (Perception) > 10
• Profession (Navy) – 4 (Perception) > 12
• Shoot/Energy – 2/4 (Dexterity) > 11/13
• Shoot/Rifleman – 2/5 (Dexterity) > 11/14
• Socialize – 2 (Presence) > 7
• Tactics/Starship – 2/5 (Perception) > 10/13
• Tech Sci/Sensors – 2/7 (Perception) > 10/15
• Unarmed Cbt/Martial Arts – 2/6 (Dexterity) > 11/15

HOOKS

1. (Species) – Extreme Loyalty
2. (Homeworld) – Exiled
3. (Career) – Amateur Athlete 
4. (Career) – Cool Under Fire
5. (Career) – Rank of Lieutenant

EQUIPMENT (Wealth 13,190$)

• Flight Suit
• Laser Pistol
• Karto
• Unicom

Delvi

Myrmidon Male

Homeworld (Marches/High-Population)

Navy Lieutenant (Fighter Pilot – Callsign: Devil)

 

BACKGROUND

Lieutenant Delvi started out with a promising career as an amateur athlete (cross-country & rifle shooting) but ended up being ousted by his homeworld’s sports federation when he refused to allow a more politically influential family to predetermine the outcome of a major sporting event. He joined the Navy and quickly rose through the ranks becoming a fighter pilot. Delvi realized that there is more to space combat than “just being a good stick” and has worked on his Tactics knowledge and Sensor skills. Mid-way through his naval career his past came back to haunt him and he was exiled from his planet. He now works at the edges of Wildspace, passing himself off as a Terran mercenary pilot. If he ever was subject to a real physical examination his Myrmidon-physiology would become known but in the meantime there are many planets that need an experienced fighter jock – regardless of his past.

 

ABILITIES

Body: 8 Dexterity: 9 Perception: 8

Presence: 5 Will: 6

Ultra Immune System

 

Vitality: 35 0000000000 Resolve: 35 0000000000 Action Points: 5

0000000000 0000000000 00000

0000000000 0000000000

00000 0000

SKILL RANK ABILITY TN

Acrobatics 3 Dexterity 12

Athletics/Climbing 2/4 Body 10/12

Athletics/Jumping 2/4 Body 10/12

Bureaucracy 3 Perception 11

Computers/Hacking 2/4 Perception 10/12

Computers/Programming 2/4 Perception 10/12

Defend 3 Body 11

Diplomacy 2 Presence 7

Dodge 5 Dexterity 14

Gunnery 4 Perception 12

Language (Czanik) 2 Perception 10

Language (Lingua Terra) 2 Perception 10

Medical Science 4 Perception 12

Melee 2 Dexterity 11

Piloting/Ultralight 2/5 Dexterity 11/14

Profession (Athletics) 2 Perception 10

Profession (Navy) 4 Perception 12

Shoot/Energy 2/4 Dexterity 11/13

Shoot/Rifleman 2/5 Dexterity 11/14

Socialize 2 Presence 7

Tactics/Starship 2/5 Perception 10/13

Tech Sci/Sensors 2/7 Perception 10/15

Unarmed Cbt/Martial Arts 2/6 Dexterity 11/15

 

HOOKS WEALTH

(Species) – Extreme Loyalty 13,590$

(Homeworld) – Exiled

(Career) – Amateur Athlete EXPEREINCE POINTS

(Career) – Cool Under Fire

(Career) – Rank of Lieutenant

 

EQUIPMENT

Flight Suit

Laser Pistol

Karto

Unicom