Nerv Operations Manual - For Personnel Eyes Only

[Merc]

Background: I felt like running a game. Iddy wanted a mecha game. Zeph wanted an eva game. Together, Nerv was born!
Time: Every other Saturday, 11:00am CST.
Next Session: Saturday April 17th.

House Rules:
Obviously, you guys are playing 14-year olds. So you're not really in charge of anything except piloting and saving the world. Mecha, equipment and the like are property of Nerv, you guys just have the clothes on your back and general knick-knacks that go with your background.

Stat Gen: Go with the 'Concept Character' method, but roll 55+2d10, as opposed to 10d10. A little less random and has a clear constraint of 57-75, with an average 66.

Because we're going with a established setting, lifepaths don't really work very well. Feel free to use them to randomize stuff like family/friends or general ideas for your background if you're making an original character (although you're free to use an existing character as is or tweaked). Obviously, stuff like your parents working for the enemy doesn't quite make sense (or does it? *shifty eyes!* >_>). Likewise, when jotting down skills, stuff like "Resist Torture/Drugs" seems kinda ridiculous for training on a 14-year old. Be reasonable with character creation, but for the most part, I'm not really banning anything.

Also, don't worry about equipment/cash. If you want something and it's reasonable for your background (a musical instrument for shinji, gendo's glasses for Rei, a laptop for Kensuke, school uniforms, etc), just jot it down. I'll probably look to design the evas myself, and as we prod along, you can 'suggest' to Akagi potential upgrades.

Finally, you can grab any of the Rookies template, but all you get out of it is the skill bonuses (since as mentioned, you don't worry about the equipment/cash). Do note that again,  you're 14 year olds. You don't have driving licenses for example. If one of the bonuses is for driving, switch it for something appropriate.

This honestly simplifies chargen tons on your end since you're not doing equipment/mecha, so Zeph, you have no excuse to not be done soon.

[Merc]

Random question, guys. Primarily Iddy since you already started a character sheet (I -know- Zeph hasn't even looked at the mekton book yet). Jon was planning on joining and suggested using BESM 3E. Which system would you guys be most interested in? I don't really care, I originally suggested Mekton because I'd seen it suggested as a good mecha system and wanted to give it a test drive, but as it is, we're already gutting some stuff out of it like lifepaths and such, since it's made more for worlds like Gundam/Robotech than eva.

Both systems have pros/cons, so I'm not entirely picky.

[Jon]

I'm inclined towards BESM 3rd for two reasons: Mekton looks complicated, and its psionics rules (which I was going to use to emulate Kaworu's extranormal powers) are in a splatbook I can't find.

I also think Merc might find Mekton doesn't work well for biological/spiritual mecha like the Evas and Angels, but that's not really my problem.

Edit: Now I got the splatbook. Unfortunately, the psionics rules are all wrong for AT field powers. So if we do go with Mekton, I'll create an original character. Or roll up DJ Croft. He can reasonably have Resist Torture/Drugs.

[Iron Dragoon]

I've never seen BESM at all. I don't really care either way, both are new to me. I guess my vote goes to "Whatever works best for our purposes."

[Merc]

I'll build eva 01 with both systems today and see which one I'm more comfortable with. I'll let you guys know by end of today which one I'll pick.

[Merc]

I think I'm going to stick with mekton. While more complex, I like the different hit points for different mecha parts. It feels more like I can traumatize you by ripping out your arms while you're sync'ed to the evas.

BESM does look like it'd fit a bit more for an anime game and the tone and has a few more options, but overall I like the effect of targetting certain body parts and rules specifically for what happens instead of just saying so-and-so damage has that effect and having it be entirely random based on damage dealt.

[Jon]

Okie doke. DJ Croft it is.

[Merc]

What -is- a DJ Croft, anyhow?

[Jon]

Derek Joshua Croft is the son of Fox Mulder and Lara Croft.

"I knew it!" DJ said, slapping the armrest built into his side's door.  "The whole thing's a scam.  But what the hell d'you need -me- for?" he asked, running a hand over his thick black thatch of hair.  "I mean, granted, I -am- the world's most handsome and sophisticated fourteen-year-old boy, but what good is that to NERV?"

[Zephyrus]

Reporting in:

Will have a character rolled by this weekend or earlier, if time permits.

Playing a spineless wimp like Shinji will be fun. Maybe.

[Jon]

In other news, it turns out I will be on an airplane during the proposed game-time on April 3rd. (Job interview, etc).

Go ahead and start without me if you're ready, though.

[Merc]

Well, it'll certainly be more fitting if you're intro'ed in stages, I guess. Iddy can be the first! Zeph second if he has something by game time.

Edit: Also, updated time for correctness.

[Merc]

[01:14] <Merc> Also, I'm shifting the education thing a notch, so 2 is junior high, 3 is high school, 4 is college, 5 is PhD.

Just lets you get an extra skill point without having to boost intelligence ridiculously to get skill points. Generally, you want a 2-5 there (preferably without the PhD, which is kinda pushing it)

[Iron Dragoon]

Since Merc is too lazy to post his own links..

http://www.mediafire.com/?y2jdkhmwggx

Character sheet, yo. Merc made it do some crazy weird devil-math shit, too.

[Jon]

Aaaand the scheduling fairy bites me in the ass again. I'm going to be traveling again on april 17th, which I think is the next session time?