Mass Effect RP

[Grug16]

I'm soon going to be running a Mass Effect play by post campaign with some friends, and I could always use more mission/scenario ideas. The players are original characters, working out of a paramilitary organization made of Citadel patriots. It takes place in 2185, one year after Shepard died. They're not specters or super operatives, and we're doing freeform, so most of the cases will take place on the Citadel and involve nowhere near the amount of gunfights that Shepard had. So far I have:

-A small tech-enhanced gang has stolen a prototype to the popular "Biocide Cannon" heavy weapon for reverse engineering. The Company that makes it tells the players that it's already in manufacturing and complies to Council laws about contaminants, but worried the populace might have a negative reaction if one was loose in the wards, so they turn to the players to track it down for them.

-A salarian shopkeeper claims his Elcor competitor is trying to shake him down. The players are sent to deal with the Elcor, when really it's the Salarian sending the armed thugs to make threats.

-A high-level telepresence lawyer is revealed to be a Batarian, and his cases are declared mistrials. Multiple suspects escape or are released in the ensuing legal confusion, and the players are asked to find and recapture or survey the fugitives.

-A small machine cult is threatening locals in Zakera ward. Their hideout needs to be raided, but C-Sec is too busy with the riots. The players go instead, following a lead about mineral deliveries to a residential building.

-Various biological remains are appearing in the canals of Kithoi ward. The locals are spooked and the players investigate. Turns out there's an intact Geth stranded in one of the tunnels, and it kills any keepers that come to remove it.

More ideas are always fun. Share!

[Old_Nemrod]

1.I'm still building my campaign but one idea I had was using Avian Flu on turians. Humans can only catch the flu from birds and since Turians are descendants of birds instead of primates, a Turian scientist from the First Contact War is refitting the virus so turians are only carriers and humans become infected at proximity.

2. The only Krogan Spectre. So much to do with that.

3. Crime families belonging to each of the different citadel platforms war/do business.

[Feriority]

2. The only Krogan Hanar Spectre. So much to do with that.

I can only assume that's what you meant. But yes, a thousand times that.

[Amnestic]

I can only assume that's what you meant. But yes, a thousand times that.

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Oh hells to the yes

[Grug16]

1.I'm still building my campaign but one idea I had was using Avian Flu on turians. Humans can only catch the flu from birds and since Turians are descendants of birds instead of primates, a Turian scientist from the First Contact War is refitting the virus so turians are only carriers and humans become infected at proximity.

2. The only Krogan Spectre. So much to do with that.

3. Crime families belonging to each of the different citadel platforms war/do business.

1 is silly, because Turians don't have bird flu on their home planet. They're only bird-like, not descended from birds because, you know, completely different evolutionary lines and all.

2 I can't use. I want something "Realistic" and we would have heard in Mass Effect 2 if there was a Krogan Spectre. I also don't see how the players get involved with this.

3 I also can't use. What's the hook/arc? Too general.

Let's see some more.

[Suicidal Charge]

1 is silly, because Turians don't have bird flu on their home planet. They're only bird-like, not descended from birds because, you know, completely different evolutionary lines and all.

You can still use the basic concept-disease which doesn't harm the Turians but harms the humans. Doesn't have to be bird flu.

*snip*

Oh hells to the yes

...is that a giant nose?

[RPGuru1331]

If I may ask a question, was there a system you felt worked well for that kind of non-hard Sci Fi action?

[ShellBullet]

There could be some criminal gang warfare in lower wards. Most of big bosses in criminal circles died in reaper attack, so this could cause some fierce fighting between different criminal organizations or even infighting inside in those organizations. What does this mean to other normal citidiel residents? Collateral damage bitches, Pc could work together to minimize said damage or become squad of batmans.

[Callos_DeTerran]

...is that a giant nose?

That is clearly Niftu Cal, the BIOTIC GOD!

[Amnestic]

That is clearly Niftu Cal, the BIOTIC GOD!

Damn right it is alongside Blasto: The Hanar Spectre, Friend-Zone Quarian and...I'm pretty sure it's the cigar chomping Elkor from Omega.

[Grug16]

I'm using a freeform system. At character creation, players can pick from a list of abilities and talents I've made. Examples include "Bartering", "Hacking", "Cryo Blast", and "Close Combat". That will dictate what their characters can do.

Anyways, still looking for more ideas. More like mine, IE short little adventures.

Perhaps I should further explain.

The Trans-species Agency Against Citadel Threats (TAACT) is a privately funded paramilitary group operating out of the Citadel. They are no longer confident in the Council's ability to protect their interests and have decided to take matters into their own hands, rooting out and neutralizing threats before they can do harm. You are a skilled soldier or specialist that has joined the agency to support the cause. This game occurs in the year 2185, a year after the events of Mass Effect.

[Lycan 01]

I'm thinking of running a Mass Effect game using Savage Worlds. Most plots will involve random terror groups, pirates, smugglers, and other generic baddies. Though, Cerberus will probably make an appearance or two, since they make pretty reliable antagonists.

[LibraryOgre]

1.I'm still building my campaign but one idea I had was using Avian Flu on turians. Humans can only catch the flu from birds and since Turians are descendants of birds instead of primates, a Turian scientist from the First Contact War is refitting the virus so turians are only carriers and humans become infected at proximity.

The problem with cross-species biological weapons of this type, especially between the Turians and the humans, is the basic biological incompatibility. Since they're based on dextro-amino acids (compared to most everyone else's levo-amino acids) anything that they could carry would likely die off in a human. Now, you can come up with [tech] reasons this will still work... it might allow for aerial transmission, but die in humans and be somewhat poisonous, for example... but you're going to have a stretch a bit more for it.

[Old_Nemrod]

Sorry. Was just being real basic with my descriptions. I was only giving little ideas, not whole campaign designs. With whatever flaws you find, remember, this is still science fiction. Cerberus brought Shephard back from the dead after he suffocated, burned though atmosphere, and impacted the planet. To think a turian was inspired by a disease that is deadly to humans and has retrofitted it to make turians carriers somehow is not too absurd.

If this is happening just on the citadel after Sovereign is defeated, have some of his parts not recovered. Maybe a couple duct rats find the debris and become indoctrinated? Big moral problem on how to deal with the kids when they are pretty far gone.

[LibraryOgre]

Sorry. Was just being real basic with my descriptions. I was only giving little ideas, not whole campaign designs. With whatever flaws you find, remember, this is still science fiction. Cerberus brought Shephard back from the dead after he suffocated, burned though atmosphere, and impacted the planet. To think a turian was inspired by a disease that is deadly to humans and has retrofitted it to make turians carriers somehow is not too absurd.

I didn't think Shephard fell through the atmosphere. I was under the impression that he was in orbit when found... sort of a Frank Poole scenario from 3001.

[Feriority]

I didn't think Shephard fell through the atmosphere. I was under the impression that he was in orbit when found... sort of a Frank Poole scenario from 3001.

The cut scene seems to show him beginning re-entry right as it pans up away from him, though admittedly it's not 100% clear. Still, unless Cerberus intercepted him partway down, I'm pretty sure he did a full re-entry. The atmosphere might have been a lot thicker, slowing him down more, and he didn't enter at a very high speed, but that's still a lot of damage to a body.

[Amnestic]

What's all this 'he' business? Shepard (not Shepherd!) is clearly a girl. Jeez guys, get your eyes checked

The problem with cross-species biological weapons of this type, especially between the Turians and the humans, is the basic biological incompatibility. Since they're based on dextro-amino acids (compared to most everyone else's levo-amino acids) anything that they could carry would likely die off in a human. Now, you can come up with [tech] reasons this will still work... it might allow for aerial transmission, but die in humans and be somewhat poisonous, for example... but you're going to have a stretch a bit more for it.

Uh, not for nothin' but:

(Mass Effect 2 minor spoilers)

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The Plague on Omega affected every race (in the vicinity) except for the Vorcha and Humans. This included Turians (dextro-amino) and everyone else - krogan, batarian, salarian, what-have-you, so we have clear in-canon cases of such a virus being possible to develop. Granted, it was Collector tech so it'd be damn tough to do without it, but it's definitely possible.

We never saw it affect a Quarian (the only other dextro-amino race we know of), but thanks to their suits they're unlikely to have been at risk. If it could affect them though, their weaker immune systems pretty much guarantee a death.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Damn right it is alongside Blasto: The Hanar Spectre, Friend-Zone Quarian and...I'm pretty sure it's the cigar chomping Elkor from Omega.

Actually, I'm pretty sure it's...

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[LibraryOgre]

What's all this 'he' business? Shepard (not Shepherd!) is clearly a girl. Jeez guys, get your eyes checked

My first Shepard was a girl. My second was a guy. My sentinel play-through is also male. That's just a fun game to pick up and shake every now and again.

(Mass Effect 2 minor spoilers)

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The Plague on Omega affected every race (in the vicinity) except for the Vorcha and Humans. This included Turians (dextro-amino) and everyone else - krogan, batarian, salarian, what-have-you, so we have clear in-canon cases of such a virus being possible to develop. Granted, it was Collector tech so it'd be damn tough to do without it, but it's definitely possible.

Good point; I'd forgotten about the plague. Were Krogan also immune? The Blood Pack seemed to have quite a few of them running around in the area.

[FelixG]

Actually, I'm pretty sure it's...

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That...is made of epic and win...

You get +2 Internets

EDIT:

If I may ask a question, was there a system you felt worked well for that kind of non-hard Sci Fi action?

D6 space works really well for it, and a number of people have done the legwork on a conversion that you can find if you hunt about for it. (Away from links at the moment.)

If it is requested I can post the links here later.

[Amnestic]

Actually, I'm pretty sure it's...

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Awesome. I stand corrected. Cigar Chomping Elkor should be hanging out on the ship though, maybe as the ship's cook.

Good point; I'd forgotten about the plague. Were Krogan also immune? The Blood Pack seemed to have quite a few of them running around in the area.

Aye, but the Blue Suns had some Turians running around too as I recall. If you happen to bring Grunt with you, he does display plague symptoms so it can affect Krogan too, and he's a Super Krogan. I'm willing to bet basic Krogan (except Wrex, obviously ) can be infected.

[Codenpeg]

I recently went looking to see him anyone had homebrewed something for this, my research and google-fu led me to this:
http://www.bozark.com/mass/x/downloads.html

D6, I haven't had a chance to play it yet but they've got a nice selection of races, weapons, and skills. I donno if anyone else has an opinion on it?

[Requiem_Jeer]

I've seen a shadowrun refit of Mass Effect, the rules changes seemed pretty solid. Biotics is magic, and no Technomancers or adepts, but the rest of everything else works out.