You are a member of the ICSS in the year 1970, over 43 years since the incident in Rockbay City. You answer to the Director of the ICSS, Ezra Eiges, better known as The Shadow Operative. His many decades of experience, both as a superhero and a soldier, have made him into a legend. Though most of his colleagues are either dead or in retirement homes, replaced by new generations of SORA members, he still pushes on, holding all ICSS agents to the standards and values he has fought for all his life. For this reason, many ICSS members jokingly refer the organization “The Sense of Right Alliance 2”.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be detailed in a future post.
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Background Info:
- Story So Far
- Quick Rundown on the Three Kingdoms
- SORAverse Russian History
- SORAverse Timeline
- Previous RPG: Weird Games: A SORAverse Story
Rules:
1. No god-modding.
2. Resolve all disputes cordially.
3. Keep it tasteful. If for some reason your character has objectionable views or experiences, we do not need a thorough exploration of them in a way that will offend your friends. That said, don't be afraid to explore the issues of the era.
4. Any posting style goes.
5. No character limits (tentative).
6. The plots will be less serious than most RPGs, but there will be some realistic consequences in this RPG. NPC reactions will follow this maxim. Sharing any intel that you may receive either between your characters, or with characters owned by other Users, will cause problems.
7. Typical BZPB warning/tempban/permaban system applies.
8. No spamming.
9. No flaming.
10. No extensive controlling of other people’s characters, otherwise known as “bunnying”, without consent (unless you are GM).
11. All out of character posts must be signaled as OOC or OOS.
12. If you are unable to post for whatever reason, please notify the other players beforehand.
13. Each of the plots, presented as “missions” will follow a ‘Monster of the Week’ format, with loose connections (if any) to one another (think James Bond). Thus, there won’t really be any arc villains at first (but there may be recurring villains), as each threat will be dealt with in its own plot, and the characters will move on to the next one. The mission begins with a briefing, and ends with the characters destroying the threat. Fresh starts all around.
14. GMs of particular plots will be in charge of developing the setting as well as the antagonists. Each GM will be chosen randomly after the first mission, which will be led by yours truly. Everyone gets a shot at “directing” their own spy story. If you are unable to be GM, please inform everyone and assign someone else to act as GM in your place.
15. The RPG is set in an alternate version of the 1970s. Use of 60s and 70s tropes is encouraged, as well as references to historical events.
16. Due to the nature of the SORAverse, technology will be significantly more advanced in this era compared to how it was in our timeline. No smartphones or internet, but the tech is much like what would have been available in the 1980s.
17. Characters should act appropriate to the time period. However, clashes between Golden Age, Silver Age, and Bronze Age types of characters are encouraged.
18. Agents can possess all kinds of superpowers as long as a) they don’t start off as being too OP (no agents with abilities that heavily alter reality, or anything that seems god-like), b) they are somehow tied to Kø.
- The above rule does not apply to villains or independents (we could foreseeably have a plot similar to Infinity War, for example), but enemies are encouraged to be killable. However, your characters will be given the chance to “Level Up.” They will be able to either Enhance a Power, Gain a new Power (within reason), or Sharpen a Spy Skill After 3 level ups, your character will move up in their ICSS rank. With enough level ups, your character might become insanely powerful. Should you have a character idea that you feel may violate one of these rules, please let me know.
19. Subplots allowed, of course!
20. Have fun! This is a new, more experimental take on BZPB and the SORAverse.
Factions: Characters can fit in any of these!
ICSS: See background for story. Each member is either a “Novice”, an “Agent,” a “Special Agent” (often the most powerful aside from their handlers), or “Analyst”. All members answer to The Shadow Operative. The ICSS base is in an island in the Pacific Ocean.
Other Intelligence Agencies: Operatives from agencies such as (but not limited to) the KGB, the CIA, MI6, DGSE, and MSS will occasionally work alongside and/or against the ICSS. The cloak and dagger world of espionage is full of clashing interests. Revealing your secret identity or any agency secrets could compromise the mission and put lives at risk. Choose your allies and enemies wisely. Note: Fictional spy agencies are encouraged, but their goals must be realistic, and they have to fit the time period.
Wisemen: The Wisemen were once a unit within the United States Department of Justice. However, after the Rockbay Incident, their questionable tactics and nigh treasonous motives were subject to Congressional inquiry. The group's very existence was found to be in violation of the Posse Commitatus Act, and as such the organization was disbanded. However, Hans "Domino" Badouin, war hero and former leader of the group, led its remnants to Germany, where they formed a centrist militia that opposed both the Spartacists and the Freikorps in the wake of the Kaiser's abdication. After WWII, a conflict that Domino was instrumental in ending after his assassination of Hitler in the July 20 plot, the Wisemen were offered the chance to work for the US again. However, Domino refused. Still, Domino was considered for the leadership of the ICSS before the UNSC settled on the Shadow Operative, and the Wisemen worked alongside the organization in its earlier years. However, due to the many clashes and disagreements between Domino and the Shadow Operative, the two parted ways. Domino continues leading the Wisemen, despite his age. Players may find this faction working with them, against them, or neither.
Villainous organizations (will be updated each plot):
- The Shadow Proclamation: A mysterious organization led by the super ex-mercenary Hercules Splendor. Many of its members are supers, and they are considered extremely dangerous, given that they have killed an intelligence operative in the past. They were behind the kidnapping of Melchett Apolion, CEO of Apolion Industries.
Independent: Individuals who are ultimately loyal only to themselves and their ideals. They might be mercenaries, black market dealers, or some other type of freelancer. Regardless of their profession, they are connected to the world of supers and spies, and may act as assets or enemies to ICSS agents.
Civilians: The ICSS work in the shadows to protect and serve them. Given the clandestine nature of the RPG, no civilian characters are allowed to know about the inner workings of the organization. They don’t even know the ICSS exists.
Last edited by Klak on Thu Jul 27, 2017 9:00 pm; edited 2 times in total