This is the In-Character thread for the Ghostbusters RPG game. Only players should post here; visitors can comment in the Out Of Character thread, please.
As in other games, please begin your post with your character’s name, and then describe their actions. Let’s try to keep all the OOC in the other thread; when needed, please use a different color.
The year is 1986; the place, New York City. Not a bad place to live, not a bad time to be alive… at least, for those of us who are alive. For those who aren’t, beware: The Ghostbusters have arrived!
It seems like only last year (it was actually two years ago) that Peter Venkman, Egon Spengler, Ray Stanz, and Winston Zedmore saved the city, and possibly the world, when the evil spirit “Zuul” attempted to open a portal into our world from another dimension. This would have been a very bad thing, in the general opinion of those who call this world home. For the ghosts, spirits of evil, vile denizens of the netherworlds, and various government officials, however, this wasn’t seen as a particularly bad idea. In the end, however, our heroes saved the day and prevented the destruction of life as we know it on this planet.
Unlife as we know it, on the other hand, appears to be thriving in the wake of the aforementioned near-catastrophe.
Previously thought to be myth, superstition, or outright fabrication, beings that can accurately be described as ghosts have become almost commonplace. Restless spirits haunt abandoned buildings, boogeymen take up residence in the closets of impressionable young children, and horrid things of sorts indescribable in their terrible forms lurk in the shadows, skulking horribly in the night.
Their fame fades in time, as do all things, but the Ghostbusters remain vigilant. However, there is only so much four people (and a secretary. And a ghost but the less said about Slimer the better…) can do to protect an entire world. And that’s where you come in.
Stylishly ‘between jobs’, you find yourself once again flipping through the newspaper’s help wanted advertisements as you crunch down your last bowl of “Ghost Toasties: The Scary-Sweet Cereal” and wonder what you’re going to do about the power bill, when you come across an ad that looks promising:
“Ghostbusters wanted for new franchise.
Apply in person: 18465 Wicker Avenue.
No Experience Needed; Will Train.
6:00PM June 15, 1986 Only.”
There is no phone number listed.
You realize that, if you don’t finish your cereal, if you manage to make all the stops, and if the bus isn’t running too late… you can just about get there in time. Grabbing your jacket, you rush out the door.
…and find yourself standing in front of an old medical clinic, which has apparently been shut down since the mid 1950s. However, someone seems to have been doing some remodeling, as the boards are missing from the front doorway and one of the front windows, and the lights are on inside, revealing a waiting area with dusty chairs and an empty receptionists’ desk. Shadows move in the areas beyond, and occasionally a loud crash indicates that something back there is doing something… you can’t tell what.
You look around you, and the only other person nearby who is paying any attention whatsoever is also holding a crumbled newspaper in his hand… perhaps he, too, is here to apply for the job?
Players:
The scene is set. The curtain is up. The musicians have their cues… all that is left is for you to begin!
Please post a little about yourself, if you like, and feel free to converse.
Then let me know what you’re going to do next!
Kristopher Senneca is disappointed that there are no women here to apply for the job. Still, the place is curious and it may pay well. He kind of hopes that there is a lot of cool machines to play with too.
Kris is a young enough guy and kind of looks like the kind of guy that would be in a business like this, assuming this place earns enough money to be called a business. He’s handsome, but not stunningly so.
Kris sees the other guy and decides to strike up a conversation. “So, are you here for the job? Hey, what do you know about this place?”
Kris attempts to make conversation, but in typical New Yorker fashion his potential conversational partner stares blankly into space, wordlessly drooling onto his piano keyboard necktie as his feathered mullet wafts in the gentle breeze.
As the crashing and muttered curses continue to emanate from the ramshackle building, Kris suddenly realizes that this probably isn’t the job he really wanted after all.
Kris goes home and decides to open an electronics shop of his own. By the mid 1990s he is quite successful, and positioned to make a mint as the internet begins to come into his own.
Kris retires in 1998, with several million dollars in various offshore accounts. He enjoys his life immensely until January 1, 2001, when supernatural forces from beyond our reality manage to destroy or enslave mankind, in an apocalyptic takeover unopposed by any kind of professional organisation equipped to stop them.
The End.
Hey, woah. I was out of the house all day. I wasn’t quitting! I was just coming in to post before hitting the sack. 
Dude, give the guy some time.
Sorry… in a pissy mood yesterday, should have waited ten freaking minutes. Story of my life!
Kristopher reels as the vision of one possible future echoes through his mind. What kind of force could do such a thing? Determined not to let that happen, he strides boldly through the front door into the building’s waiting room.
The crashing, banging, and cursing continue to resonate, coming from somewhere out of sight back in the building’s darkened hallways…
Kris ventures to the back to see what is causing the commotion.
Please move your icon on the map to indicate which hallway he takes.
Then, using the die roller in your character sheet, give me a BRAINS roll to see if he can tell what’s going on.
If he wishes to be silent, ALSO make a Moves: SNEAKING roll please.
Thank you.
PS: Remember, any BROWNIE POINTS need to be rolled BEFORE the appropriate action is rolled.
Gerald holds up a finger when Kris tries to strike up a conversation, instead focusing all of his attention on his extremely expensive (and very, very large) mobile phone.
“I know… yeah. Yeah. No. Yeah. What? I can’t-. Hello? Damn!”
He slaps the phone’s antenna down and holsters the thing at his side, watching as Kris moves to the back. He tilts his head, then shrugs and follows after a moment.
Kristopher and Gerald enter the old abandoned medical clinic, passing between the receptionists’ areas towards the back of the building. Neither receptionist’s desk has been used in years, apparently, with a thick layer of dust built up over ancient papers and appointment books. Directly in front of them are two restrooms, doors rusted open. The one on the left, labeled WOMEN, looks about how you’d expect after 40 years; however, some semblance of effort has been made on the right-most restroom. The toilet has been given a cursory cleaning and a new-looking toilet seat lid has been installed. (The seat is up.) A four-pack of cheap toilet tissue sits on the barely-usable sink nearby, with one roll partially used sitting on top of the tissue holder.
To the right and left, the hallway appears to lead to a series of offices, long since ransacked of anything useful, although with a little paint and some new furniture they would be quite nice…
Both hallways appear to lead towards the back of the building, from which the sounds are coming… sometimes a bit more this way, sometimes a bit more that, as if the source of the commotion were moving around quite a bit.
Dice were rolled for Gerald and Kris to make BRAINS checks. Gerald rolled a 9; Kris rolled a 5. Neither one rolled a GHOST.
The GM moved Kris’ icon slightly.
Kris can make out two distinct voices in the back; one is deep and sounds angry, the other one has a higher-pitched, almost unworldly, timbre to it.
Gerald notices that the male voice seems to be doing all the cursing.
Neither can make out any individual words, with the exception of a clearly-articulated four-letter word now and then.
The sounds of items falling, breaking, or clattering continue as they approach.
Note: Please watch for dieroll requests; I intend to let you roll your own dice as often as possible, because that’s more fun. If you make an action that will require a dieroll please do so before midnight, or I will roll them myself.
Remember that your dice are located inside your character sheet (in JOURNALS), under Attributes and Abilities. Please use these dice, and not the generic dieroller!
Gerald peeks down the hallway, then glances sidelong at Kris and makes a polite little “after you!” gesture with one hand.
If Gerald notices the ‘otherwordly’ timbre of the voice, he’ll make a parapsychology roll to see if he can figure anything out about it.
Dice were rolled for Gerald’s PARAPSYCHOLOGY ability: 17, no ghost.
Gerald notes the oddness of the other voice: It’s female, and judging by the sound is some sort of spirit or phantasm, as opposed to a material being such as a human, goblin, or other creature with a physical form.
It’s not possible for either one of you to determine anything more about the sounds from here. Someone will have to move closer.
“Oh, fine, I’ll go.” Kris rolls his eyes.
Kris decides to move slowly towards the left hallway. He appears to be…tiptoeing. I guess he’s trying to be quiet and see what he hears.
[spoiler]
Kris rolls for sneaking and rolls a 28 +4 for 32.[/spoiler]
Kris, having moved and used an action, has completed his turn and should wait to see the results posted at midnight.
Gerald, having only made a mental roll, still has the ability to move if he wishes, and can still make a physical action as well.
[spoiler] To clarify, one movement and one physical action = 1 turn. Anything mental, that does not require time or effort, can also be part of that same turn. For example, running at a ghost and firing your weapon is a turn. Talking to someone is not a turn, nor is thinking about something, or making an observation. Reading a book to find information would be a turn, even though it’s almost completely mental (much like myself!). Careful study of something would also be a turn, because it takes concentrated (heh) effort over a period of time.
It can be a bit fuzzy, making that call, which is why we GMs make the big bucks![/spoiler]
“That voice, the female. I’m pretty sure it’s a phantasm.” says Gerald. “That means that it doesn’t have an actual physical presence… bullets would pass right through it, if we had guns. That’s why the Ghostbusters had to invent special weapons, the Proton Pack, to be able to interact with them. Unfortunately, a lot of phantasms have the power of… Uh, dude? Where’d you go?”
[spoiler] Gerald’s PARAPSYCHOLOGY roll is 17, no ghost was rolled. Gerald has a working knowledge of this type of phantasm; Questions on this particular topic no longer need a roll and are automatically successful.
Edited to add: At the moment, this is classified as a “Class II” Vapor or Mist. If Humanoid identity is confirmed (it seems likely) it will be a Class III. Further study will be needed to determine other possible attributes, such as whether it’s a Full Torso or Partial apparition, if it’s a Repeater or not, or similar particulars.
The GM has moved Gerald’s icon slightly for dramatic effect.
Kristopher’s SNEAK roll is 32, no ghost was rolled. A difficulty rating of 30 is defined as an “Impossible Job”. Kris has done that, and then some. He is effectively invisible until he decides to reveal himself; no roll is needed for this.[/spoiler]
Gerald takes a few steps into the hallway, but it’s no good. Kris has disappeared! Gerald thinks he went to the left, and hesitantly follows. There’s no sign of Kris, but…
*WHIZZZZ…*THUNK!
On the wall directly ahead of Gerald is a hubcap! Gerald’s pretty sure it wasn’t there a moment ago. In fact, it’s still vibrating a little and bits of plaster are falling from the wall in which is imbedded. Had he been a few steps closer, Gerald could have been hit by it!
This is what’s called dramatic foreshadowing, a term I just made up. Kris was in the path of the hubcap, true, but it was never intended to hit anybody anyway; it’s scenery and atmosphere. Had it been intended to harm the characters, Kris would have gotten a (GM rolled) MOVES roll to avoid it.
Kristopher now has an unobstructed view into the back of the abandoned medical clinic. On the left side of the hallway, a series of doors appear to lead to individual offices. The light is on in the last one on the left, at the far end of the hallway. To the right, the first room has what looks like a large medicine cabinet in it, which is empty. The second opening reveals a more traditional wooden-doored cabinet, in 1950’s style. A modern-looking can of coffee and an opened pack of coffee filters can be seen on one shelf.
Straight ahead, however, the hallway ends by opening up into what looks like a large warehouse or workshop. Kris can see a workbench there, with a variety of items heaped upon it in disarray. Beyond that, another set of workbenches, also cluttered. These seem to be new arrivals; they don’t have the layer of dust and sense of age everything else in the building has. It’s difficult to see much further from here.
Much more of the map has been revealed.
Beyond the first workbench, Kris can make out a barely-visible mist, glowing a deep, but dim, red. A slightly more solid, vaguely humanoid, form can be seen within the mist… this must be the phantasm! As Kris approaches, it’s clear to him this is the source of the hubcap: the phantasm moves over the workbench again, and a medium-sized ball-peen hammer rises into the air, surrounded by the same red glow!
“No!” screams the phantasm. “It’s NOT! I Won’t! I WON’T!!!” It (she?) screeches, and the glow around the hammer intensifies with her anger.
“Confoundit, now y’all cut that out, it’s fer yer own good!” bellows the male voice, with the sound of things being knocked off a table accompanying it as punctuation. “Fratz and Zots, woman!” he says, knowing that children might be reading this.
Hmm. Looks like someone’s in trouble back there! Whatcha gonna do?
Remember: think up your idea anywhere, post it here, roll the dice there! All conversation is free, and I’ll try to update non-physical actions at least once each day before midnight!
Gerald peeks around the corner, looking as much for the source of the screaming as for Kris.
“Oh, just perfect,” he mutters. “Perfect.”
Still, someone is confronting the thing directly, and if they work here, they’ve probably got means of keeping the apparation under control.
“I ain’t afraid of no ghosts!” declares Gerald. He straightens up and turns around the corner, walking down the hallway like he owns the damn place (going to roll my “strut” skill).
Kris decides to help out the person in need.
“Hey, I’m coming. If you have any kind of ghost-fighting weapon in there, I’m kind of an expert, so let me know and I can help out!”
“Oh, and the other guy is definitely coming to help as well!” Kris mainly yells this so the other guy will join him.
Kris is shouting all of this while running down the hall towards the ghost.
Kris will immediately help out, especially if he recognizes the ghost busting equipment. I rolled an equipment roll and it came up 13.
Gerald, you still have the opportunity to move your icon. If you don’t, I’ll move it to approximately where Kris’ is now, as that seems reasonable to me.
Kris… generally, it’s not possible to bellow out “I’m right here!” and remain hidden. However… q;}
Yes, he kind of gave up sneaking when he realized what was going on. He’s determined to help the person down there.