[K5pbem] Some comments from the GM

[Michael Surbrook]

Greetings everyone.

I have started to post material on the PCs involved in the game.  
First up is Vivian Lau, who can be found here:

http://k5pbem.devermore.net/characters/k52039/vivian.html

This format is what I want to see for all the PCs involved. This is  
the public consumption character sheet for all active PCs, and I hope  
to have one from each player by the time Turn 1 is due to be posted  
in mid-February.

For those of you who don't know the HERO System, or who are sort of  
stuck on your character sheet -- I'll accept a profile like this.  
Although I'd like HERO System character sheets (it allows me to edit  
out what I feel are unreasonable  elements and questionable designs,  
I also realize this is not a face-to-face game with combats run-out  
in Phases or with experience given in exact quantities. So I will be  
lenient on the need for a character sheet.

Now, speaking of characters, I'm going to make a request -- which at  
the moment is only a request, later I may simply out-and-out state.  
Basically, I'm going to ask that people take a breath, step back from  
some of their PC concepts, and decide "Do I really need to be all  
that?" What I mean, is, I am seeing what seems to be  trend to create  
"Gord, Mutant Alien Son-of-the-Gods" in which PCs seem to have things  
piled on them left and right. It smacks of what is called in fanfic  
"Mary Sueism" in which characters can do anything and everything,  
usually better than the canon characters. In Kazei 5, it seems people  
seem to feel the need to be uber-leet walking death machines who can  
trounce anything and everything, and also who are rich, handsome,  
epsers, with state-of-the-art gear no one else has ever heard of.

Let's not play that game, shall we? This is not a contest, where last  
man standing wins. This is also not a PBEM where failure to purchase  
some obscure power, skill, or gadget means your character will die  
horribly at the hands of, well, anything. This is supposed to be a  
somewhat realistic world -- albeit one with replicated humans,  
epsers, and cyborgs. Don't be afraid to scale back your PC concept,  
to actually have a weakness (or, an area you're not competent in), to  
have human feelings, emotions, and failings. This is not RIFTS,  
people, and Hong Kong is not brimming with monstered-out cyberjunkies  
waiting to whack the hapless PC.

Anyway, I've said my piece. Anyone have any questions or comments?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Surbrook
susano at guisarme . net http://surbrook.devermore.net/index/index.html

"Never disillusion someone who's carrying a laser gun..."

Millicent Mehitabel Mudd
Ozy & Millie