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15:43, 6th May 2024 (GMT+0)

OOC.

Posted by ControlFor group 0
Gin Hart
player, 13 posts
Tue 27 Apr 2021
at 12:48
  • msg #77

Re: OOC

Hey everybody, meet Gin.  :)

quote:
Ginevra Catherine Hart is a notably small young woman, 5'1" and slender, with a small high voice and small timid mannerisms, conventionally quite pretty yet without any singularly remarkable features that would make her face striking or memorable: dark brown hair kept just long enough to mostly hide her face behind, alert green eyes, and a subtle spangling of freckles on her cheekbones and the bridge of her nose that’s typically only visible when she blushes, which is often.  She moves with easy natural grace and precision, with nimble hands and long slender fingers that make short work of feats of manual dexterity.  Her instinctive approach to interacting with others seems to be to keep her eyes open and her mouth shut and as much as possible to never ever be noticed by anyone for any reason, and she bolsters the shrinking-violet aura with a conservative slacks-and-sweaters wardrobe mostly in cloud gray and mouse brown and quiet pastels.  She is never the face or the voice of any group, and unless she’s extremely comfortable with the people around her she doesn’t usually speak unless spoken to.  When she does, her high soprano voice is quiet and breathy and just as timid as the rest of her, and her conversational accent is a very posh Surrey lilt, though in moments of stress a sharp ear might catch a more natural grotty Inner London street brogue hiding beneath.

Gideon Drake
player, 11 posts
Codename: Rose
Medic Scientist
Tue 27 Apr 2021
at 13:14
  • msg #78

Re: OOC

Awesome description!

So, she's English. In Chicago. I wouldn't know a Surrey lilt from London brogue if it jumped up and bit me!
This message was last edited by the player at 13:16, Tue 27 Apr 2021.
Gin Hart
player, 14 posts
Tue 27 Apr 2021
at 13:17
  • msg #79

Re: OOC

Thx much!  :)

Also - not sure if we know each other by our given names or codenames?  But Gin's codename will be Agent Wren.

A posh Surrey accent would be the sort of very proper British English that you'd hear on the BBC or probably imagine Shakespeare being performed in.  Very Downton Abbey.  Inner London street brogue would be your stereotypical low-class Cockney that you hear criminals use in movies.  :)
This message was last edited by the player at 13:21, Tue 27 Apr 2021.
Clifford Rowland
player, 12 posts
Tue 27 Apr 2021
at 21:27
  • msg #80

Re: OOC

In reply to The Director (msg # 76):

No worries, take your time. Beauty of PBP.
The Director
GM, 38 posts
Wed 28 Apr 2021
at 07:02
  • msg #81

Re: OOC

Aaaand it's midnight.  :|

So, today, I guess.  Hopefully.
The Director
GM, 39 posts
Thu 29 Apr 2021
at 23:17
  • msg #82

Re: OOC

Alright!  I've reviewed character sheets.  In doing so I realized that chargen gets wonky with purchasing ability points.  They want you to purchase ability points after picking a background.  So how does point buy work if an ability starts at 11 or 12 rather than 10?  They don't say, so I'm making the decision that you apply your background ability bumps after you spend your ability points.  Feel free to rearrange those points if you wish.

To the one two of you who applied your background bumps after spending points, you must be able to see the future.  Or you thought I wouldn't notice.  :P

-----

Thanks for your patience everyone.  It's very much appreciated.  It's a busy week so, while I'll try to get the post up tomorrow, it's likely to be Saturday.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:40, Thu 29 Apr 2021.
Gin Hart
player, 15 posts
Codename: Wren
Fri 30 Apr 2021
at 09:02
  • msg #83

Re: OOC

Looking forward to getting started!  :)

So, rules clarification question -

If I'm making a check against a skill I'm proficient with, using tools that I'm proficient with, do I get the proficiency bonus twice?

Like for example, picking a lock with thieves' tools would be 1d20 + DEX mod +3 + skill prof +2 + tool prof +2 = 1d20+7?
Gideon Drake
player, 12 posts
Codename: Rose
Medic Scientist
Fri 30 Apr 2021
at 13:14
  • msg #84

Re: OOC

No, you can only ever add your Proficiency bonus once per die roll, no matter how many ways it might apply. That's the General Rule.

On the other hand, and it just may be me, but I don't see how you could be proficient with a set of tools without also being proficient in the skill that uses them, which seems redundant. If you were proficient with Thieves' Tools, wouldn't that make you proficient at picking locks and disarming traps as well, since how else would you have acquired your proficiency?

So, a Soldier who wants to pick a lock is proficient with Thieves' Tools (how did he get that?) but isn't proficient with the lockpicking skill gets the proficiency bonus.

In any case, one of your cover identities should be Locksmith so that you can claim the Thieves' Tools you are carrying AREN'T in fact Thieves' Tools but 'Locksmith Tools'.

Maybe you went to Locksmith Camp as a kid!
Gin Hart
player, 16 posts
Codename: Wren
Fri 30 Apr 2021
at 13:17
  • msg #85

Re: OOC

What then would ever be the point of being proficient with a set of tools?  Are tool proficiencies only ever useful when you're rolling a skill check with tools you're proficient with but a skill that you're not proficient with?  Does that ever happen?
Virtue Valentine
player, 8 posts
Fri 30 Apr 2021
at 13:33
  • msg #86

Re: OOC

In DND 5e there is no overlap between tools and skills, if you want to pick locks you have the tool proficiency, there is no lock picking skill.  On the character sheet template for this game there is no lock picking skill either, it seems to be the same idea, the tool proficiency covers it.  I don't have the Core book, however, so I could be missing something.
Gin Hart
player, 17 posts
Codename: Wren
Fri 30 Apr 2021
at 13:37
  • msg #87

Re: OOC

The paragraph for the Sleight of Hand skill is pretty explicit that it covers lockpicking:

quote:
Sleight of Hand is the skill for manual trickery and covertly manipulating small items on your person. Use Sleight of Hand to:
  • Pick a lock
  • Conceal small objects
  • Hand off a package to another agent
  • Pickpocket a mark

So if skill proficiency bonuses and tool proficiency bonuses never stack, is there ever any point to being proficient with a type of tools?  Why not just spend that proficiency on the broader skill instead?
Gideon Drake
player, 13 posts
Codename: Rose
Medic Scientist
Fri 30 Apr 2021
at 14:12
  • msg #88

Re: OOC

That's what I was trying to say: what's the point?

If you are proficient with Sleight of Hand skill, what does it matter if you are proficient with the Thieves' Tools?

Alas, I don't have The Spy Game core rule book either, only the fantasy D&D 5e CRB, and I couldn't find anything in there that explains it.
The Director
GM, 40 posts
Sat 1 May 2021
at 01:45
  • msg #89

Re: OOC

The answer is that tools give you abilities you can't otherwise do even with skill proficiency.  You cannot pick a lock with your bare hands, you must have the tools to do so.
Gin Hart
player, 18 posts
Codename: Wren
Sat 1 May 2021
at 08:46
  • msg #90

Re: OOC

Oooh, so it's not meant to be an extra bonus, but an extra requirement?  That makes sense I guess!  Thx  :)
Virtue Valentine
player, 9 posts
Sat 1 May 2021
at 13:32
  • msg #91

Re: OOC

So if you want to McGuyver something there is a penalty for not having the tools?
Gin Hart
player, 19 posts
Codename: Wren
Sat 1 May 2021
at 13:55
  • msg #92

Re: OOC

Or what if you have the tools but not proficiency with them?

So like, if I have proficiency in the Sleight of Hand skill, and I wand to pick a lock, and have the physical Thieves' Tools in my hands but not tool proficiency with them?

Not that that's likely to actually happen, I'm just curious about 5th Ed rules!  I've only ever played 3rd/3.5 editions.
The Director
GM, 41 posts
Sun 2 May 2021
at 07:42
  • msg #93

Re: OOC

The tools let you do things you otherwise can't, so there's no penalty for not having them other than having fewer options.

If you have the tools but are not proficient with them you cannot use the features the tools have.  So, going back to the lock picking example, you can't pick a lock with the tools if you dont know how to use them.

Once again I am failing in sticking to my expected post date.  The short explanation is: life.  The good news is the delay gave me a much better mission idea!  (I hope.)  That mission is starting tomorrow.  No exceptions.  :)
The Director
GM, 43 posts
Mon 3 May 2021
at 06:01
  • msg #94

Re: OOC

Finally!  The mission begins!
Virtue Valentine
player, 10 posts
Tue 4 May 2021
at 02:26
  • msg #95

Re: OOC

OOC questions:  I presume Yugoria is part of the Soviet Bloc; what do we know about Yugoria?  What is the native language?  Is Russian commonly spoken?
The Director
GM, 44 posts
Wed 5 May 2021
at 07:09
  • msg #96

Re: OOC

Yugorian is the official language.  It is a slavic language and uses the cyrillic alphabet.  It is close enough to Russian that it could easily be classified as a dialect.  If you speak Russian, you'll be just fine in Yugoria.

Yugoria borders a bloc nation but is not part of the bloc.  Its relationship with the Soviets is rather cool and has been for some time due to political meddling.  It is not allied with the West, however, and would likely fall right back in line with the Soviets should a foreign power try and push it around.  It's also unwilling to cozy up to the West because of the Soviet military presence nearby, similar culture, extensive business relationships, and familial ties with the Soviets.
The Director
GM, 46 posts
Fri 7 May 2021
at 07:23
  • msg #97

Re: OOC

Update tomorrow.  Sorry for the slowness right now.  I don't think I've ever been this busy except for maybe the first four days after first child was born.  The good news is that while this month is going to be crazy, it will settle down dramatically after that so expect a quicker pace the second half of June.
Gin Hart
player, 22 posts
Codename: Wren
Fri 7 May 2021
at 10:40
  • msg #98

Re: OOC

Have we lost a couple of players already?
Gin Hart
player, 23 posts
Codename: Wren
Thu 13 May 2021
at 09:30
  • msg #99

Re: OOC

Looks like this one has fizzled out?
Virtue Valentine
player, 13 posts
Thu 13 May 2021
at 13:15
  • msg #100

Re: OOC

Still here if we are proceeding.
Gideon Drake
player, 17 posts
Codename: Rose
Medic Scientist
Thu 13 May 2021
at 13:57
  • msg #101

Re: OOC

The GM was on Monday, and I know when you get busy, days can slip by all too easily. If you're tired at night when you usually post, you think, "I'll do it tomorrow." The next thing you know, three days have disappeared on you!

We can sort of plod along a bit longer on our own.
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