Shock:

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The Beowulf Exploration and Mercantile Corporation FAQ

Is it true that everyone serving a BEM ship is a convict? Will I be serving on a ship full of criminals?

It is true that some people get out of prison with the skills necessary to serve on a BEM ship and that one of our founding captains served time. That said, we have plenty of explorers who just got out of military service, university and even a few lately who just got out of cryo-sleep from an antique generation ship!

Our crews are diverse and our mutiny index is far below average in the sector.

20 missions and I get my own ship, that seems like a scam – too good to be true. What gives?

After 20 accredited missions you will get shares in your own ship with a group of freelancers whose skill-sets and emotional intelligence and cultural backgrounds compliment yours. Our algorithm is so good that the Perimeter agencies investigated us to make sure we weren’t using an illegal AI!

When our founders left their jobs as freelance spacers on other people’s ships, they crunched the sociological data and found that most spacers either quit after 5 missions or stay for 20+ with an incredibly high rate of mutiny and dissatisfaction. We wanted to find a way to change spacer culture and the way we’re doing that is by giving our explorers the chance to own ships and hire other freelancers.

What if I just want to serve 5 missions?

That is great. Many of our most valued alumni serve less than 20 missions. Once you serve 5 you are a part of our Beowulf Society with access to a network of spacers, freelancers and starship captains all over the sector.

How long will this take?

Different people take different amounts of time. Our fastest explorer got it done in just 5 years and is now on an Admiral Hayla Muhkerjee, Vice-President of Explorer Resources.

The average is around 7 years, earning freelance rates far above average in the sector. We’ve had a few people earn their shares in their Beowulf ship and with the money they’ve saved purchase a second ship all their own!

NOTE: This led to a G+ Thread and that led to a Play-by-Post Community.

https://shopofjudd.threadless.com/collections/science-fiction
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Story Games asks, “What are you itching to play?”

The thread:

Freemarket.

I have this zany idea for a Lacuna play-by-post game that I might have to try at some point.

I’d like to play Technoir, fall in love enough to write up 9 transmissions for the cyberpunk solar system, vaguely inspired by the Takeshi Kovacs books.

I’d like to play the new Marvel Super Heroes RPG, because FASERIP was my first RPG jam and it’d be neat to play a game if they came out with a Mutant Massacre supplement. The first issue of the Mutant Massacre was my first X-Men comic right about at the time that Rob introduced me to role-playing games via Marvel’s RPG at the time.

I’d like to play Dogs in the Vineyard through 12 towns linked to holidays in the 12 months.

I know a few ladies who I think would really dig In a Wicked Age.

I continue to have the urge to play a nice long arc of Shock: Social Science Fiction and gather those scraps of paper minutae and turn them into a full on World Bible.

I’d like to write and play an Apocalypse World hack.

And you?

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Summer Gaming: And then there was 1

My summer work schedule has taken its toll on my gaming.  This isn’t a bad thing, truth is, the schedule is fantastic and it is the first time I get to work normal 9-5ish hours (most days) and work Monday through Friday.  I am fairly thrilled.

The only game that is left is The Grey Legion, our swords and sorcery Black Company-inspired Jaws of the Six Serpents campaign, in which we are forward agents, hoping to pacify a largely lawless city that is a political powder keg. Noble houses, slavers, merchant-princes, demi-gods and street gangs are all over Storn’s wonderful city of Khend.

There is also a nice banter between me, Aaron and Pete.  Aaron and Pete are people I have gotten to game with as their GM but it is a real pleasure to be able to play.

Pete and I are now living together, so I reckon that we’ll get back to MoBu City at some point and I’m sure that we’ll get our Shock: on when Janaki visits but for now, its nice to have my summer evenings free.

Naturally, as soon as there is a free spot I start filling it in my head with crackpot BW ideas, Blood & Honor or Icons but I’m going to downshift this summer, enjoy the warm evening air a bit.

How is your summer game schedule looking?