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[10ebbor10]

The Swarm: A tactical futuristic RTD

The second century was a golden age for humanity, as it left it's cradle and spread between the stars. Giant starships, powered by fusion, carrying millions to their new homes on distant planets. Life was harsh on these barren rocks, but slowly but surely each one was reshaped into it's own paradise amongst the stars. On Earth, Artificial Intelligences and other advanced technologies, replaced institutes of old times, resulting in an United planet early in the century.

Sadly, like all things, it was not meant to last. It's origin is still uncertain, but somewhere amongst the stars a terrible thing was found, the Swarm. A rapidly changing Xenobiological life form, capable of surviving the worst humanity has thrown at it, and rapidly spreading between star systems. Billions died before the quarantines could be effected and the Swarm was stopped, but still Guards stand watch, wary for any sign of the living apocalypse that is the Swarm.

A star ship has not been responding to hails, and automated systems have reported Xenomorph infestation. As a member of the Xenomorph Extermination, Neutralization and Obliteration squad, your mission is to board the ship, change it's direction, and verify the existence of Xenobiological entities on board.

Spoiler: Premise and Rules (click to show/hide)

Actually, I lied. You're not going to board the ship. You're going to sit safely in another nearby ship, and guide the actual boarders through. Can't waste our best tactical talent on these routine missions.

So yes, you're mission control.

Basic rules:
Every turn, each of the 4 players is assigned 4 dice. Each of these dices can be used to do an action. Which action this is, and which character executes this do not matter. You can each control all 4 characters. Some will, of course be better in some things than other things, so delegating is important. After all, one character can't do everything at once.

Additionally you can decide to assign a die to a character. This die will then be rolled whenever the character fails a roll, that would result in his death. Up to 3 dices can be assigned this way per character. (You can go over this limit, but at the beginning of the next turn excess dices are removed).

Other rules will be explained as I go along.

Spoiler: Sign up sheet (click to show/hide)

Mission Control
   - Name:
   - Allegiance: (Scientific/Quarantine/Economical/Survival) This gives you secret missions and opportunities. Note, no 2 players can have the same allegiance.
   - Additional information:

Boarder (each of you gets to provide one boarder)
   - Name:
   - Primary weapon : Flamethrower, Machine gun, Grenade launcher, ... Heavy weaponry is needed to battle the Swarm. Aoe is preferred, as the Swarm comes in numbers, as it's name suggests.
   - Secondary weapon : Default is a pistol, but some people want to be fancy and chose some other, light weaponry.
   - Item : A one time use item, that might save your life. Or not.
   - Additional information:

Note: This is a mini-RTD, and a sort of proof of concept for a perhaps larger one. A such, there's only a limited amount of players, and the game might be relatively short. (20 turns+-)
This is NOT a minimalist RTD.

[mastahcheese]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Mission Control
   - Name: Cromwell Jackson
   - Allegiance: Quarantine
   - Additional information: Jackson lived on a planet that was overrun by the Swarm years ago, since then, he's been determined not to let a single one live once his eyes are set on it. He was top of his class at the academy.

Boarder
   - Name: Jaeger Vaulk
   - Primary weapon : Flamer Thrower
   - Secondary weapon : Sawed-off Shotgun
   - Item : Bio-chemical Grenade, containing an airborne toxin deadly to the Swarm, but only mildly harmful to Humans.
   - Additional information: Jaeger has never seen the Swarm in person, up until now, but he comes from a long line of military veterans.

[darkpaladin109]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Mission Control
   - Name: Thomas Light
   - Allegiance: Scientific
   - Additional information: Thomas used to live on a planet where science is at it's peak, himself being an important scientist specializing in robotics. He was chosen for the mission primarily because of his knowledge of the swarm, despite never encountering it in person.

Boarder (each of you gets to provide one boarder)
   - Name: Rick Prowler
   - Primary weapon : Plasma Chaingun: A chaingun converted to shoot plasma instead of bullets, making it more powerful than regular chainguns, but as a result, it also has to recharge it's ammunition after prolonged fire.
   - Secondary weapon : Revolver
   - Item : Power Pack: A small reactor strapped to the back that can be hoked up to provide power to weapons. Can be activated once every 10 turns to reduce cooldown on weapons.
   - Additional information: Rick comes from a long line of military personel, his father being an important starship captain. When his father died in an attack by the swarm, Rick decided to get revenge by enlisting himself for the mission.

[Playergamer]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Mission Control
 -Name: Steven Rolh
 - Allegiance: Survival
 - Additional information: A retired squad leader, Steven is determined to keep his men alive.

Boarder
 - Name: Slan Scofski
 - Primary: Machinegun
 - Secondary: Pistol
 - Item : Stun Gloves, capable of stunning a single enemy at close range per turn.
 - Additional Information: *CLASSIFIED*

[werty892]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Mission Control
   - Name:Jackson Star
   - Allegiance: Economical
   - Additional information:A middling captain most of his life, he won fame and recognition after pioneering some tactics used to great effect against the swarm.

Boarder (each of you gets to provide one boarder)
   - Name: Malachi Kelly
   - Primary weapon: Military grade cutting laser(Just basically imagine a giant laser that can slice through enemies, walls, etc. If that's overpowered or does not fit the universe, a automatic shotgun with explosive rounds.
   - Secondary weapon: Dual uzi's
   - Item : High Explosive Mine, plant, run away, bad guy steps on it, bad guy explodes.
   - Additional information: He was a deep space miner before he got picked up by the wars to fight the swarm, and he kept some of his former strategies.

[Parsely]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Mission Control
   - Name: Merri Tybest
   - Allegiance: Quarantine
   - Additional information: Determined.

Boarder
   - Name: Umil Proctor
   - Primary Weapon: Quad Cannon - Four-barreled repeater rifle, which fires one high explosive round per pull, with only one barrel firing at a time. When a barrel fires it alternates to the next in a clockwise manner. The barrels do not rotate, they are fixed, which requires two ejection ports on either side, making the gun a bit awkward to handle safely. Meant to be fired slowly, due to the size and power of the weapon.
   - Secondary Weapon: Bead Pistol - A small caliber, high-precision pistol with low ammo capacity and stopping power, but awesome range, penetrating ability and insane accuracy.
   - Item: Sonic Pulse Pylon - A rodlike device that when deployed and active sends out several powerful sonic pings. It then compiles, uploads and sends this information to mission control for interpretation. Useful for finding enemies and mapping routes.

[GreatWyrmGold]

The second century was a golden age for humanity, as it left it's cradle and spread between the stars.

1. Its its, not it's.
2. Do you mean millenium, or did the calendar change?

Spoiler: MC (click to show/hide)

   - Name : Alexandria Caprathia
   - Allegiance: Scientific
   - Additional information : Interested in learning about the Swarm. Will put tomorrow's power over today's mission.

Spoiler: Boarder (click to show/hide)

   - Name: Carl Anderson
   - Primary weapon : Grenade Launcher
   - Secondary weapon : Electrolaser Pistol (No ammunition worries, and good at stunning, but not very lethal)
   - Item : Barricade Kit (Good for fixing breaches, or creating cover)
   - Additional information : A bit on the overly cautious side. Good with technology.

[hops]

1. Its its, not it's.

1. It's it's its, not it's, not its its, not it's.
(Translation: The first word is supposed to be "It's" so next time you want to be pedantic, try not to slip yourself.)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Mission Control
   - Name: Daniel Jaeger
   - Allegiance: Quarantine
   - Additional information: A relatively young officer with slight sociopathic tendencies who doesn't take anything seriously.

Boarder
   - Name: Kimberly Cross
   - Primary weapon : Laser SMG - Less firepower, but more easier to lug around. Set things on fire.
   - Secondary weapon : Pistol
   - Item : Swarm Attractor - A small cubic machine that emit loud soundwaves beyond human hearing that attract the Swarm to it. Can be remotely triggered.
   - Additional information: Very brash and reckless, but is resourceful enough to survive her service on board.

[10ebbor10]

The Olympus: Main airlock

Slowly, your small shuttle flies into the massive airlock of the Olympus. A ship proclaimed to be invincible to the Swarm, and when you see the triple layered airlock and thick walls, it's not hard to imagine why it got this reputation. Sadly, it appears that the Swarm has found it's way even into this massive bunker. The autopilot lands the ship in the airlock, and you carefully. No sign of the Swarm here, but no doubt the ship inside has been overrun. Now it's time to come up with a plan.

Your ultimate goal is to reach the bridge, and change the ship's course away from it's intended destination, a lush and happy human colony.

Spoiler: Crew (click to show/hide)

   - Name: Carl Anderson
   - Health: Fine
   - Defensive dice: 3/3
   - Primary weapon : Grenade Launcher     [8/8 Ammo. Kills d6 enemies per shot.]
   - Secondary weapon : Electrolaser Pistol  [Infinite Ammo. Only kills on a 6, stuns of 5,4, 3. Max 4 shots/turn.]
   - Item : Barricade Kit                             [Can be used to create cover, or block a doorway or something.]
   - Additional information : A bit on the overly cautious side. Good with technology.

   - Name: Malachi Kelly
   - Health: Fine
   - Defensive dice: 3/3
   - Primary weapon: Military grade cutting laser  [8/8 Ammo. Standard Combat Rules. Always attacks 25% of all available enemies at once]
   - Secondary weapon: Dual uzi's                      [12/12 Ammo. Standard Combat rules. Can spray and pray to attack 2 enemies at once, at a -1 penalty.]
   - Item : High Explosive Mine                           [One time Use. Do not stand near when using]
   - Additional information: He was a deep space miner before he got picked up by the wars to fight the swarm, and he kept some of his former strategies.

   - Name: Slan Scofski
   - Health: Fine
   - Defensive dice: 3/3
   - Primary: Machinegun [24/24 Ammo. Standard combat rules]
   - Secondary: Pistol [16/16 Ammo. Standard Combat rules]
   - Item : Stun Gloves [Can stun a single enemy each turn. Automatically used for defense if needed ]
   - Additional Information: *CLASSIFIED*

   - Name: Jaeger Vaulk
   - Health: Fine
   - Defensive dice: 3/3
   - Primary weapon : Flamer Thrower          [8/8 Ammo. Kills d6-2 enemies per shot. Prevents an equal amount of enemies from attacking this turn]
   - Secondary weapon : Sawed-off Shotgun [12/12 Ammo. Standard Combat rules. +1 when used in self defense]
   - Item : Bio-chemical Grenade, containing an airborne toxin deadly to the Swarm, but only mildly harmful to Humans. [Kills all Swarm Specimen in the current room. One time use. Side effects unknown.]
   - Additional information: Jaeger has never seen the Swarm in person, up until now, but he comes from a long line of military veterans.

Spoiler: Image of the ship (click to show/hide)

Location: Docking Area

Spoiler: Mission Control (click to show/hide)

   - Name : Alexandria Caprathia (GreatWyrmGold)
   - Allegiance: Scientific
   - Additional information : Interested in learning about the Swarm. Will put tomorrow's power over today's mission.

   - Name:Jackson Star (werty892 )
   - Allegiance: Economical
   - Additional information: A middling captain most of his life, he won fame and recognition after pioneering some tactics used to great effect against the swarm.

   -Name: Steven Rolh (Playergamer)
   - Allegiance: Survival
   - Additional information: A retired squad leader, Steven is determined to keep his men alive.

   - Name: Cromwell Jackson (MastahCheese)
   - Allegiance: Quarantine
   - Additional information: Jackson lived on a planet that was overrun by the Swarm years ago, since then, he's been determined not to let a single one live once his eyes are set on it. He was top of his class at the academy.

[Samarkand]

1. It's it's its, not it's, not its its, not it's.

Simply amazing 

[RangerCado]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 - Name: Telorin Tech.
   - Allegiance: Survival
   - Additional information: Manufactures life support systems and on board food protection.

 - Name: Marks
   - Primary weapon : Semi-Auto Shotgun. (Incendiary or explosive rounds preferred)
   - Secondary weapon : Machine-Pistol. (Low calibre but high clip and fast)
   - Item : Incendiary Grenade
   - Additional information: Volunteered to help combat the swarm to save his family from the inevitable.

[10ebbor10]

Anyway, update's started. Probably should have dumped it in a separate post instead.

[Coolrune206]

Mission Control
   - Name: Rune
   - Allegiance: Survival
   - Additional information: Rune has seen war with the Swam before. He's seen many thousands of men die, and never wants to view such horrors again- therefore, he tells his men to worry less about the end-point of the mission, and more about keeping themselves intact to actually complete the mission.

Boarder (each of you gets to provide one boarder)
   - Name: Paul Silver
   - Primary weapon : Chain-Lightning Weapon. It has been modified to only effect the type of organism as the swarm, and has even been modified to shoot small amounts of water to make the opponents even more likely to be electrocuted.
   - Secondary weapon : High-Voltage Electro-Pistol. Effectively, an old-fashioned taser that has been modified to be able to transfer energy in a bolt, and has had the power turned up seriously.
   - Item : Massive battery- Effectively, a backpack that is just a giant battery, ready to recharge either of his electricity based weapons.
   - Additional information: Paul Silver used to work in a massive Power-Plant on a huge trade planet, until the swarm hit. He managed to survive barely by re-purposing one of his tools into a chain lightning weapon, and it has been one of the only weapons he has used since. He has a large beard, and is rarely seen without a hard-hat, except when in his combat suit. He once fought off a small group of "The Swarm" with nothing but his High-Voltage Electro-Pistol, and since then has also added that to his list of weapons he will never go into combat without.

[GreatWyrmGold]

1. Its its, not it's.

1. It's it's its, not it's, not its its, not it's.
(Translation: The first word is supposed to be "It's" so next time you want to be pedantic, try not to slip yourself.)

It was intentional?
(Also, you don't have to copy the image, you can just press the button. Or just type ":" then "P".)


The comms crackle. "You don't want more Swarm coming up behind you. Head through two cryo chambers, then seal or block the door between the reactor and the crew chambers before clearing out the other two chambers. Then...we'll see where we are."

((1. I'll post an action for Carl once the other MC folks speak up.
2. Where are the side sections connected?
3. Actually...could we just get a map key?))

[mastahcheese]

"Indeed, you guys need to try to clear out as many of them as possible, the less of them there are, the better."