The Final Mission [PbP Noob DM] Canceled

I'm wanting to try DMing a bit to practice for a tabletop campaign I intend to run this fall at a local college. I'm setting a few somewhat odd rules so be sure to read those.

Synopsis: A top secret agency has discovered that the villainous REDACTED has found a portal to another universe that escaped The Portal Purge many years before. The agency must dispatch a team of agents to destroy the portal and prevent REDACTED destroying and/or taking over the other world. Sadly this will result in losing their best team of agents for good.

Rules/Things to Know:
1 ) You don't get to choose your Race, Gender, or "natural" appearance.
2 ) Appearance changes will be available in any town however no Race or Gender changing services will exist.
3 ) This campaign takes place roughly 50 years after the end of Season 4.
4 ) This campaign will draw some history/lore from "The Best of All Possible Worlds" by McPoodle however it shouldn't be necessary to have read it to understand what's going on.
5 ) No fourth-wall breaking abilities will be allowed. (Unless Grandma Pinkie shows up, then she'll shatter that wall faster than you can call her random.)
6 ) 8 points of abilities will be assigned for you based on your given Race so wait until you know what Race you are before going too crazy.
7 ) Expect to start the campaign looking absolutely ridiculous.
8 ) I'd like to have a party of 4 or 6 players though I can probably make any number from 3 to 6 work.
9 ) ???
0 ) HAVE FUN!!!

To apply please comment with a few character/personality traits your character had while in the agency, what you looked like while in the agency (the agency is in our world so human only here), and [Optionally] requests for preferred Race and/or Gender (You may or may not get what you want).

Players:
* Copper Rose
* Bronymous
* mjh6
* TheCavalry
* Fury of the Tempest
* (Wanted slot)

We'll use these Balanced Special Moves just because I like the Synthesis Special.

That first rule/thing to know... Is a really strong turn off I gotta say. Hope some people feel like joining but I don't get the point of basically having a game where the players get no power over what PCs their controlling.

Actually, I think this sounds kinda fun. So, assuming I understood you correctly and we should describe human characters to start out with, I'm submitting a 23 year old girl with bright orange hair and purple eyes. Unless you know her well, she's usually pretty shy, but that doesn't mean she can't have a short temper (which she does). In her spare time she likes to design dresses, outfits, and clothes in general, but they usually never make it past the sketch pad. She has a fiance outside of the Agency, but he was abusive and she couldn't get away so she took this assignment to leave for good. Sound good?

Xel Unknown wrote:That first rule/thing to know... Is a really strong turn off I gotta say. Hope some people feel like joining but I don't get the point of basically having a game where the players get no power over what PCs their controlling.

It can work for tabletop games because you don't have to wait for people to make their sheets and just start right away. Less preferable for PBP due to the slow nature of the game encouraging roleplaying over speed...

That's a fair point Paper, as somebody who's never had the chance to do on a real tabletop only pbp and over skype. So yeah, that's why I'm very weary of the rule one of this game.

Xel Unknown wrote:That's a fair point Paper, as somebody who's never had the chance to do on a real tabletop only pbp and over skype. So yeah, that's why I'm very weary of the rule one of this game.

Understandably. There's two reasons I bring it up...

1). At the top of the OP, Din said he wants practice for a tabletop game, so it makes sense he enforces this rule here even though it doesn't translate as well into PBP games...

2). At the end of the OP, Din says "To apply please comment with a few character/personality traits your character had while in the agency, what you looked like while in the agency (the agency is in our world so human only here), and [Optionally] requests for preferred Race and/or Gender (You may or may not get what you want)." If I read this right, it means that, technically, your character is human, and you can decide what your human form looks like and what your traits are, but you enter the Pony World and have no control over what you are given. That's why you can't choose your "natural" appearance but can change your appearance at towns; you use things like hairdressers and whatnot...

Copper Rose wrote:Actually, I think this sounds kinda fun. So, assuming I understood you correctly and we should describe human characters to start out with, I'm submitting a 23 year old girl with bright orange hair and purple eyes. Unless you know her well, she's usually pretty shy, but that doesn't mean she can't have a short temper (which she does). In her spare time she likes to design dresses, outfits, and clothes in general, but they usually never make it past the sketch pad. She has a fiance outside of the Agency, but he was abusive and she couldn't get away so she took this assignment to leave for good. Sound good?

Once we get at least 2 more players I'll give one more day for additional players to join up to the cap of 6 but aside from making no guarantees of your character's gender that sounds good.

Control will actually start in the "other world" AKA Equestria. The descriptions of human forms are primarily for me to use in "flashbacks" and to base your ridiculous "natural" appearance.

Paper Shadow wrote:

Xel Unknown wrote:That's a fair point Paper, as somebody who's never had the chance to do on a real tabletop only pbp and over skype. So yeah, that's why I'm very weary of the rule one of this game.

Understandably. There's two reasons I bring it up...

1). At the top of the OP, Din said he wants practice for a tabletop game, so it makes sense he enforces this rule here even though it doesn't translate as well into PBP games...

2). At the end of the OP, Din says "To apply please comment with a few character/personality traits your character had while in the agency, what you looked like while in the agency (the agency is in our world so human only here), and [Optionally] requests for preferred Race and/or Gender (You may or may not get what you want)." If I read this right, it means that, technically, your character is human, and you can decide what your human form looks like and what your traits are, but you enter the Pony World and have no control over what you are given. That's why you can't choose your "natural" appearance but can change your appearance at towns; you use things like hairdressers and whatnot...

Basically you're right. The idea is that just as in our own world you have no control over your Race, Gender, or Natural Appearance but have complete control over your personality and actions.

PCs will be former humans at the start of the campaign. There will be no returning to the human world.

We had started this at my IRL group towards the end of the school year and I set their human form's appearances, personalities, and genders based on their IRL selves. I can't do that online and I have to have some bit of information to start on, thus the ability to influence my decisions must be given to the players.

Hmmm, well now that I've had a chance to read it I might be game for this- not having to make my own character is actually kind of a plus.

Jonas:

And I have a question: Starting the campaign looking absolutely ridiculous: Does that mean silly pony silly mane style ridiculous? Or garbage disposal Pony Creator OC douchebag ridiculous?

Gender is not guaranteed to be what you've got there. (Though at the moment it's highly possible)

Ridiculous as in Lime green coat with RD's tail and Twilight's mane ridiculous. As in color reversed Pinkie Pie ridiculous. (Actual examples from the 1 hour start-up attempt made last semester.)

Garbage disposal it is. I suppose I'll have to deal with it. The gender thing would only be mildly a
wkward to deal with, but looking like an idiot would have to be rectified as soon as possible.

Hey, if this is still looking for players, I'd like to give it a shot. Right now I'm not in the position to give a full description. Cliff notes: Twenty year old woman, dishwasher blonde, light brown eyes. Very serious and focused on the outside, but has a secret love of dramatics. Preference for female Earth pony.

Hey, I forgot this was a thing.

Is this still a thing?

FINALLY a third PC.

I'll add you to the players list and if nobody else asks to join before June 14th 2014 we'll start with just you 3.

This is play by post, right?

If you're still looking for players, I'd be up for it. A little unsure what sort of details you want us to provide though; could you clear that up a little, like with an example or something?

Either way, if you don't mind the handicap, I'd be kibd of interested in playing.
Just as long as there is no Skype involved. Haven't got it, or the cam required.

Nothing except willingness to participate is required to be conveyed in your volunteer post. I'll add you to slot number 4.

On the note of Skype: IF it's used it will only be as an alternative to an OOC thread for text based chat. While I do have a webcam I only use it to vid chat with IRL friends.

Generally cameras aren't used for skype games anyway. I think you have to have a premium (paid) skype account to have conference video calls.

I wouldn't recommend starting a skype OOC if not everyone is going to use it. My game has one, and we have one player who isn't on skype, so he ends up missing a lot of OOC conversation and we have to post summaries for him on here, or go out of our way to come ask him questions and wait for replies. It's just more convenient for everyone if it's all or nothing, either monitoring skype or checking the OOC thread consistently.

Okay, now that I have my computer and not my phone, the full details.

Destiny Kara Reyes:

Hmm, a little anime. Personality works though, she and Jonas gon fight.

Yeah, the hair thing comes from wanting a character who would care less about the whole looking like a clown thing; she likes to stand out. And, yeah, fights on the horizon.

A few questions for GGD:
May we use Sunbeam's Criticals??
When are we going to get our character's assigned race and gender?

Yes on the crits, I'll copy the link into the OP in a moment.

On the appearance, gender, and race: You'll get those when I start the campaign thread either on the 14th or once we hit 6 PCs whichever comes first.

So, should we build our characters except for the 8 points of races? We could at least build the combat stuff... Although speaking of the combat stuff, are we still using the "pick five" system?

I don't think I've put together a sheet for this yet... in which case i second the question, as well as adding:
Are we using Legacy, GE, Abilities, or the Brand new stuff soon to be arriving?

Nevermind, I read. They never officially phased out the pick 5 system, unless they're doing so in the update.

You could go ahead and build your combat section safely. You can also use the 22 non-racial points however be aware that depending on your race assignment you may have to respec a few of them later.

Well, her's what I've got so far. Since i don't know if we get to choose our pony names, here's ??? the ???