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You are Tarren Tanzer. You are telling a story from your youth. To tell that story, you need to know a few things.
As a baby, you were abandoned. New parents were assigned to you by Taurus on the freezing ocean planet of Senryu. There you spent your childhood days in an obscure aquadome, splitting your time between being auto-schooled or working for your parents at the submerged dock.
At the age of eight you operated heavy machinery for their first time under your adoptive father's watchful eyes, manipulating one of the small cranes used to haul the day's catch from the holds of the fishing subs. One day your overheard one of the fishermen telling the story of a creature he glimpsed through the porthole of his living quarters once. A Thunderking, some thirty meters long, a beaked super predator with a mane of wire thin red tentacles that gave it a regal look. The other men called him a liar and turned back to their drinks but when you went home that night you stayed up until your father was finally done with the console so you could look it up and see that it was real, a real monster with black eyes set back in a teardrop head tipped by a black beak that split the sea like a knife.
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>>163312
When you were 13, on a day when the weather was clear, you father let you pilot the ocean skimmer for the first time to retrieve some supplies from a dome far to the south. He programmed the internal computer to one quarter speed and told you to be back in two hours, barely enough time to reach the dome and get back, but it felt like freedom for the first time. As you cruised over the unusually placid surface of the Unending Ocean you spotted a form in the water beneath you, slender and powerful, enormous muscles pumping water through a mantle nearly as large as your jet.
A Thunderking, keeping pace with you.
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>>163318
Four years later, after many weekends spent working overtime for your dad at the docks, you were able to afford a skim jet of your own and, only 3 weeks into your ownership, you and your closest friends organized a race.
Barely off the starting line, hands clammy with nerves, you found yourself thinking back to the tranquil power of the Thunderking as the first turn approached...
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>>163323
Rules: http://pastebin.com/bsW8cXMr
Stats: http://pastebin.com/jTcM2NeN
Race Statistics:
>Current Speed: 380 mph (½ top speed)
>Current position: 2nd
>Stage Progress: 0.5/7
Other Racers:
1st. Jack Lover, Stage Progress: 0.6/7
2nd: You
3rd: Henry Folstone, Stage Progress: 0.3/7
4th: Sara Zhou, Stage Progress: 0/7
You are approaching a turn with a G-Score of 95, and the G-forces exerted on you in the turn will be determined by your current speed divided by that number, meaning at your current velocity you will experience a G force of 4, within your tolerance (5).
Jack is just ahead of you, and traveling at about the same speed but he doesn't seem to be accelerating as the turn approaches. If you pushed yourself here, you might be able to pass him especially if you try and take him on the inside.
>Roll 1d100
>take the turn at current speed and attempt to pass
>take the turn at the current speed and attempt an attack
>accelerate to your limit and attempt to pass
>accelerate past your limit and attempt to pass
>Other (write-in suggestion)
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>>163330
i came
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>>163402
Long time no see, Goo.
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>>163419
>take the turn at current speed and attempt to pass
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>>163545
Just make a roll of 1d100 to go with it.
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Rolled 3 (1d100)
>>163550
>>
Rolled 89 (1d100)
>>163550
uh oh
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Rolled 19 (1d100)
I'll go ahead and make the third roll.
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>>163698
>>163671
>>163663
>>163545
>89+10= 99
You maintain speed and attempt to pass Jack on the inside, cutting the curve as neatly as possible. It's surprisingly easy, despite the uncomfortable increase in G-forces that push your head into the pilot's seat. You can see your friend's exasperated expression as you move past him and feel a distinct satisfaction at finally beating "Lucky" Jack Lover at something for the first time in your life.
The manuever puts you substantially ahead and you gain some speed coming out of the turn.
>Current Speed: 425 mph (top speed is 767)
>Current position: 1st
>Stage Progress: 1.3/7
Other Racers:
2nd. Jack Lover, Stage Progress: 1.1/7
3rd: Henry Folstone, Stage Progress: 0.8/7
4th: Sara Zhou, Stage Progress: 0.5/7
You now have a little time to assess your next move. Up ahead is a gentle curve leading into the ice shelf. It seems probable that Jack will try and regain his position there. However at your current rate of acceleration, you should be able to break Mach 1 before the turn hits.
>Drive aggressively (+ modifier to attacking Jack if he attempts to pass)
>Drive defensively (- modifier to Jack
s roll to pass)
>Calm nerves for breaking the sound barrier and executing a perfect turn (+modifier to executing the turn and potentially building your lead)
>>
We're going to have to take an intermission here. I need to take care of some business.
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>>163783
>Drive defensively (- modifier to Jacks roll to pass)
we are in the lead, now we need to protect it.
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Rolled 52 (1d100)
>>163864
I'll get these out of the way for now.
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Rolled 6 (1d100)
>>164195
roll 2
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Rolled 56 (1d100)
>>164225
roll 3
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>>163783
>>163912
>>164195
>>164225
>>164243
>drive defensively
>52
Staying in the middle of the road and shifting back and forth to block Jack's approach vectors, you do the best you can to stave him off while rocketing towards Mach 1, which both you and Jack achieve just before the turn. The jet seems to rumble and the g-forces pull back the skin on your face a bit.
You clench your teeth and attempt to recover your poise but much to your surprise, Jack speeds past you on the turn, obviously pushing his machine past the recommended limits.
It seems he didn't take your earlier pass very well.
You doubt he can maintain that speed for long but the entrance to the ice tunnel is approaching and passing will be difficult inside. You're going to have to decide if you want to try and catch up to him out here or wait until you're both within the treacherous confines of the tunnel.
>Current Speed: 767 mph (by diverting power from other systems like life support and inertia dampening to the engines, higher speeds can be achieved but not without consequence)
>Current position: 2nd
>Stage Progress: 2.85/7
Other Racers:
2nd. Jack Lover, Stage Progress: 2.9/7
3rd: Henry Folstone, Stage Progress: 1.9/7
4th: Sara Zhou, Stage Progress: 1.7/7
>divert power from life support to the engines
>divert power from inertia dampening to the engines
>leave the systems as they are
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>>164537
Sorry, Jack is in first. That's a typo under "other racers".
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Rolled 61 (1d100)
>>164537
>>divert power from life support to the engines
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>>164571
You divert power from the life support systems of the jet to the engines. The air grows colder and thinner and you have to labor to breathe. Additionally, the light that indicates an activated emergency eject system blinks once and vanishes. If you get into a scrape you better hope you have time to pull the manual eject under your seat.
You reach 810 mph and begin the process of strategically approaching jack to try and get around him before you hit the tunnel. If you're going to pass him here, you best make sure you don't fuck it up.
>Roll two more 1d100s
>attempt to pass
>attempt to attack
>don't pass, wait until you're in the tunnel
>write-in
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Rolled 35 (1d100)
>>164644
>>attempt to attack
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Rolled 13 (1d100)
>>164652
cross your fingers.
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Rolled 96 (1d100)
>>164658
Oh shit, we are boned! I guess 61 isn't terrible.
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>>164571
>>164652
>>164658
Your progress: 3.9
Jack's Progress: 4.0
Henry's Progress: 2.9
Sara's Progress: 2.5
You decide that if Jack is pushing limits, you may as well break some rules. Pushing up behind him and careful to avoid the hot exhaust from his turbs, you give him a little love tap.
Your onboard radio crackles to life.
"What the fuck was that, Tarren?"
"Uh, nothing."
It might as well have been. You and Jack hold roughly the same positions as you enter the tunnel. Your lights come on automatically; ice may be clear but you're under several hundred feet of the stuff. The parameters for success have grown tighter than ever and there's barely room for three jets. Your speed is rattling the icy walls but hopefully that won't be a problem, the way seems clear enough...
>Make 3 rolls of 1d100
>Drive cautiously (lose 1/4th speed but gain a +10 to dodging any obstacles)
>Drive recklessly (maintain speed, gain +5 to your next pass attempt)
>Balance risk and reward (no changes)
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Rolled 47 (1d100)
>>164740
>Balance risk and reward (no changes)
>>
Rolled 18 (1d100)
>>164748
roll 2
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Rolled 29 (1d100)
>>164755
roll 3
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Rolled 94 (1d100)
>>164775
i only roll 90+ after the fact
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>>164788
No joke.
>>164761
>>164755
>>164748
>47+10 (vehicle maneuverability bonus)
You decide to balance your focus between watching for potential obstacles and keeping up with Jack. It's a good thing that you stay at least somewhat alert because you catch on quickly when Jack suddenly decelerates right before the hard left. You cut your speed to 600 but it's not enough to avoid the harsh g-forces. The blue of the ice drains away and suddenly everything seems grainier as you struggle to maintain control.
>600/80= 7.5
>7.5+.5 (life support deactivated)=8
Your grit score has been exceeded by 3!
Flip 1d2 to find out if you can maintain consciousness!
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Rolled 2 (1d2)
>>164849
fuuuuuuuu
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Rolled 1 (1d2)
>>164869
is a 2 good?
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>>164877
>>164869
You suck air into your lungs and grind your teeth as you narrowly navigate the turn. Color slowly, reluctantly returns and your grainy vision regains its resolution. You find yourself experiencing a kind of calm panic, barely noticing that you have, by dint of your foolish velocity, gained a slight lead on Jack.
"You're a nutjob!"
Seems like the radio's aren't functioning so well for some reason.
Your progress: 4.8
Jack's Progress: 4.75
Henry's Progress: 3.9
Sara's Progress: 3.5
You are nearly at yet another turn, this one with a G-score of 120. After that you should have a relative straightaway to the finish.
>give me three rolls of 1d100-20!
Choose one of these:
>turn life support back on, accelerate to max speed
>leave life support off, accelerate to maximum speed
>Maintain current speed, focus on the path ahead
And one of these:
>Drive aggressively (+ modifier to attacking Jack if he attempts to pass)
>Drive defensively (- modifier to Jack
s roll to pass)
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Rolled 62 - 20 (1d100 - 20)
>>164945
>turn life support back on, accelerate to max speed
>Drive defensively (- modifier to Jacks roll to pass)
>>
Rolled 34 - 20 (1d100 - 20)
>>164960
what is the -20 for?
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Rolled 76 - 20 (1d100 - 20)
>>164945
roll 3, lets get a nat 100!
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>>164972
>G-forces and turning:
>Turns will have an assigned G-force score. That score will be divided into your current speed to determine the G-forces exerted... So a higher score is better. If the G-forces are higher than your grit, you will begin to suffer negative consequences. Exceeding your grit by 1-2 g forces will impose a -20 on your next manuever roll, 3-4 will do the same, with a chance of blacking out (50%). 5 or higher will automatically cause black out, with a chance of death which will escalate according to the score and QM discretion.
I'm still learning my own rules here.
>>164978
>>164960
>56+5 (from Grit score)+10 from vehicle maneuverability = 71
It's not hard to cut off Jack's approaches; he seems fazed by your incredibly dangerous antics earlier. You have to say, you're feeling rather competitive even if things are all a bit hazy right now.
You cruise through the turn while breaking the sound barrier once again and enter into the final stretch. You can't help but notice that the tunnel seems fragmented up ahead, with jutting pieces of ice and dozens of small waterfalls that are pouring down from the ceiling.
Your progress: 5.6
Jack's Progress: 5.5
Henry's Progress: 4.9
Sara's Progress: 4.7
You're breathing a bit easier with the life support back on but now you've genuinely got to worry about whether or not Jack will have the balls to push the pedal to the metal here.
Roll three 1d100 and choose one of the following for the straightaway.
>Quick Reflexes (+5 to avoiding obstacles, 1/4th drop in speed)
>Leadfoot: Gain a 5% speed increase at the cost of a -5 to obstacle avoidance
>Iron Nerves: +10 to stabilization in the event that you strike an obstacle
>Tortoise: +5 to stabilization, -5 to any rolls on attempting to pass you.
>>
Rolled 12 (1d100)
>>165094
>Tortoise: +5 to stabilization, -5 to any rolls on attempting to pass you.
>>
Rolled 70 (1d100)
>>165094
roll 2
>>
Rolled 20 (1d100)
>>165094
Roll 3
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>>165132
>>165122
>>165118
>70+5 from skill score = 75
The waterfalls shimmer in your headlights as you plunge through the bowels of the iceberg. Jack makes no attempt to pass but you do see him strike a jagged piece of ice behind you, flinging powder and shards of frozen water everywhere. He regains control but he's already fallen further behind you.
You're almost sad to see him fall away in your rear view, this all seems too easy. Even the irregular ice structures are fading away as you approach the light at the end of the tunnel. All you have left to do is not fuck up.
Your progress: 6.6
Jack's Progress: 6.3
Henry's Progress: 5.8
Sara's Progress: 5.9
>Give me three rolls of 1d100 to make sure you don't fuck up!
>>
Rolled 77 (1d100)
>>165267
roll 1
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Rolled 34 (1d100)
>>165267
roll 2
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Rolled 13 (1d100)
>>165267
roll 3 lets GOOO
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>>165276
>>165285
>>165292
The light on your eyes as you eit the cave is almost blinding but you quickly turn on the cockpit polarizer. Back on water again, your skim jet shoots up a massiv plume behind you, as though celebrating your imminent win... But Jack seems intent on not letting that happen. He's finally managed to pull out all the stops and, just as he comes within spitting rang, you blast over the finish line. Henry and Sara arrive just seconds later; even though they seemed far behind back in the tunnels, it was just an illusion of speed.
You've won. You actually won.
"Congratulations, nut job, you earned it."
"Thanks Jack."
You feel a tingle in your spine as it sinks in that you've just won 4000 units. That's enough for...enough for a lot of things really.
What did you use the money for?
>bought a ticket off world
>invested it back into your jet
>invested it all into a business venture with Jack and Henry
>used it to date a girl
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Rolled 77 (1d100)
>>165400
>>invested it back into your jet
gotta invest in ourselves first
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>>165419
"So you invested it all back in the jet?"
"Yeah, newer enter parts became my obsession for a few years. I built my dream machine while I worked up the guts to enter the Senryean amateur's league."
"And then?"
"And then?" You echo, smiling at your fan. "And then the rest is history."
"Oh. I kind of wanted to hear more."
"Nah, that's all for today guy. Scram."
"Tarren!"
It's Jack, finally climbing the stairs out of the club.
"I'm so sorry, that drink took a lot longer than I expected. You ready to talk business or.."
He looks perplexedly at the star-struck fan.
"It's alright, he was just leaving."
>Trait gained: Mechanic- Able to enhance vehicle traits.
>End Thread
We'll pick up next time with some wheeling and dealing. This wasn't exactly a massive success but it was a good test run of the game system. It should be a little different with a variety of vehicles. The next thread could be as soon as tomorrow depending on events.
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Rolled 75 (1d100)
>>165524
Thanks for the thread, hope to get some more traffic next time!
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>>165546
I hope so! And this was good, it gave me plenty of things to troubleshoot. Maybe next time we'll run on /tg/.
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