Adult Dark Aberrant Mailing List FAQ, version 0.01
12-02-1999

For ease of reference, this FAQ is broken up into three (3) sections:
L#) List-specific information (subscribing, unsubscribing, etiquette)
R#) Rules and interpretations thereof
W#) Questions about the world of Adult Dark Aberrant

L1) What is this list all about?
A) This list is for anyone over the age of 18. This is an Adult Role Playing Game set in the dark future of White Wolf's Aberrant RPG. What would you do with the power of a god? Will you be a force to change the world for good or evil? This game let's you explore the answers to that very question. It is a game of heroes and villains, but don't expect a four-color world. This game is intended for adults over the age of 18. **WARNING: EXPLICIT ADULT SITUATIONS, LANGUAGE AND VIOLENCE ALLOWED**

L2) How do I subscribe to the Adult Dark Aberrant mailing list?
A) You can join this community by going to the following web page:
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/AdultDarkAberrant
Or you can join by sending email to the following address:
[email protected]

L3) How do I unsubscribe from the Adult Dark Aberrant mailing list?
A) Send a message to [email protected], leaving the subject and body blank.

L4) How do I contact the list owner?
A) Either send e-mail to [email protected] or [email protected]. Other contact methods are AIM (sn Pax808) or ICQ (UIN 2893447).

L5) Is there a web page for this group?
A) Ummm... soon. Give me a sec, ok? There is one on the onelist site:
http://www.onelist.com/community/AdultDarkAberrant
And another that should be up really soon... I mean it! :)
http://www.infinite-visions.com/DarkAberrant

L6) When you say "adult", do you mean "adult" as in "dealing with difficult and/or controversial themes in a mature way" or do you mean adult as in "lovingly crafted graphic descriptions of sex, torture, rape, or whatever other particular perversions turn on the poster"?
A) In general, I man adult as in "dealing with difficult and or controversial themes in a mature way." However, there will be some not so nice people in there with the powers of a god. There will be some disturbing scenes, as we are dealing with a real-life type environment. It would not be whatever perversions turn on the poster, but if something is needed to further the plot (i.e. in one particular game I had Divis Mal in it slowly burn a man to death inch by inch in detail to give the players an idea of the type of evil they were dealing with) then it will not be held back. In short, excursions into players' dementia will not be tolerated, however, excursions into characters' dementia will, to a point. However, Darker themes will not be allowed (and if you are unsure what Darker themes consist of, ask before posting).

R1) Can I assume, other than what you've mentioned, that character creation is as in the book? No homebrew rules that I should know about?
A) It is and it isn't. Since we have people on the list unfamiliar with the rules, and the background is a little different, there are changes. Basically you won't be directly purchasing anything. The storyteller will use what you give him as a guideline, but there will first be a bidding war on traits to see who is best at the different traits (using the simplified white wolf traits from the website, along with the normal physical traits). Then from there we will discuss what mega attribute abilities you want, and how best to get them, and your backgrounds. Last we will go into the powers that you wish, but you will not be limited to what's in the book if you have a good idea for any concepts.

R2) How does dice-rolling work? I tell you what I want to do, you roll the dice and let me know how it turned out?
A) Pretty Much. In non-crucial times (in fights with non-important baselines, etc), you will be able to assume that what you do works, unless you want to do otherwise. Only in crucial fights, or fights with other PCs will you have an uncertainty factor.

R3) In keeping with this "Nova-punk" theme, is there any limit on Resources? Or any other backgrounds?
A) No Eufiber, and all backgrounds have to be justified by a background. Character creation will be a bit different (tomorrow... silly machine crashed), so the character sheet you submit will be a guideline...

R4) Which would you prefer? On a side note, do you prefer your players being independant, or nationalistic, or (for want of a better word) commercialistic. Where would you like us to be from?
A) This list is going to be pretty freeform, i.e. you don't have to fit in with the other characters. You can pretty much decide who to interact with, talk to people about joing threads, etc. We will be using the whole world, though the initial city we will be starting in is Night City in the NSA, on the California Coast. You could be there for any reason, and do not have to stay... that is just where the first GM post will start. Talk to me about any threads you would like to get started, and we can go from there.

R5) Ok, I've subscribed. Now I want to get started on my character.
A) E-mail your character ideas to me, and you can even make a draft if you are really itching to, though it may have to change. If you decide to make an actual draft, use 50 Nova Points. But more important is your human background, and an in character bit about what you would do with the power to shape humanity.

R6) I have these 150 points... what is a good amount to spend in the bidding war?
A) It depends... even if you are going to be based on traits, I would suggest that you spend no more than 100 points. This allows you some leeway to customize your character in the other phases as far as backgrounds, etc.

R7) There's so much included in the mental and social stats. I just want be perceptive, fast of wit, etc.
A) You don't have to be first in a stat or second to be good in it, especially if you only want to be good in one aspect. When we get through with the auction, 1) choose modifiers based on that particular aspect, and 2) you will be able to choose a descriptor for that attribute as long as it is 0 or above. Specialize in what you want to be good at. For example, your Nova is perceptive. At a 0 intellect choose (eagle-eyed). Your rank will be improved when doing anything that has to do with seeing things far off.

R8) So, how does this bidding thing work?
A) You list the maximum starting bids you want for each trait, and send them to the storyteller. He compares them, and posts the current order in the traits. From there you can bid more if you wish on a trait. This will go on for 3 days.

R9) I still don't understand. Have I actually spent those points, or not?
A) You have, and you haven't. Once you allocate points, they are spent for the purposes of the bidding war. You cannot have a total cap higher than your total number of points. However, they may not be spent once the bidding is done; you only spend what you actually show to the other bidders. For example: I bid 30 points on Strength. After the first round of bidding, I am in first with 22 points, then someone with 21 points, etc. During the course of the bidding, it goes up to 33 points. I bid 36 to keep ahead, but only have to actually show 34 points to beat the 33. The other person bids 35, raising my bid to 35, and then he stops. At the end of the auction, I am in first place for 35 points. That extra point is freed up for use in other parts of the character creation process.

R10) Ok, I notice that in that example, both of you were at 35, but you won. How is that?
A) The first bidder always wins. The person with the cap in place is always considered first, then after that it is in the order the storyteller receives the e-mails.

R11) Ok, so in that example, what would the ranks be? 35 for first and second?
A) No. The second place bidder would be considered to be at 1.5 place, and second place would drop to and equal point between 1 and 3, i.e. if third was 25, then second would become 30.

R12) But, I can switch the points around after the fact, can't I?
A) Only to go up, not down. After the bidding is done, you can raise your traits to pass any bidder, but the bidder is always higher in the case of ties. For example, player A bids 21 to get second place. If you spend 21 after the fact, you are in 2.5 place, not second place. If you spend the same as the first place person, say 30 for example, you are in 1.5 place, not 1st.

R13) It doesn't actually matter how many points are in them, just who came in first?
A) To a certain extent. The bidders set the ranks for the traits. In the case above, you can only spend 21 or 30 points, not 22 points. That also sets how hard it is to increase stats later... i.e. if the max is 50 and you are at 0, you have a lot of advancement points to become really strong...

W1) Any unspoiled wilderness left, say, in Australia?
A) There is unspoiled wilderness in Australia, Central and Southern Africa, and South America.

W2) Is communism still alive and well in the SSU? If so, why and how?
A) Actually, it is socialism now. Mainly to stave off capitalism. A timeline is coming also, but basically the U.S. Economy took a bit hit after the year 2000, giving hardline Soviets a chance to reclaim the motherland. A coup would do it, but they knew that communism would not be accepted in its former form without much bloodshed. So they adopted Karl Marx's writings to the new government, adapting as their forefathers did, but making the adaptations fit the new times.

W3) How watched is the citizenry? I assume, of course, that it varies from country to country, but overall, is privacy a thing of the past?
A) It does vary, but in the good old NSA, it depends on whether or not you have a CID (Citizenship Identification). If you do, you have access to the whole social system, but pretty much no privacy, as you are tracked by it in what purchases you make, etc. Whithout one, you are a ghost in the system, but have no access to even such simple things as healthcare.

W4) Is pollution that big of a deal? How is the environment?
A) Pollution is a big deal (no pollution eating germs here), to the extent that in NSA you have to watch pollution reports to see if your attire for the day has to include a smog mask. The environment has been stripped down to it's minimum. There is barely enough flora to support the oxygen level on the earth, and the ozone layer's thickness is close to a critical stage.

W5) What is the background and technology level like? What year is it?
A) We will be starting in the year 2020, and the technology level will have already advanced to the level of R. Talsorian's cyberpunk. Along with that, we will be using the flavor of cyberpunk too, and a lot of the background.

W6) What is the distribution of Novas in the game world.
A) There are 5x the number of players when the game started in Novas total. The first Nova (the Fireman) erupted on Jan 7, 2020. From that date to April 20, 2020, a total of 12 Novas erupted. Then no more erupted until June 17, 2020. From that date to Jan 7, 2021, the remainder will erupt. Will any more erupt? And why is the power level of the Novas that erupted during a certain period roughly equivalent? Who knows?

Contributors: Wraith808

Send any questions, comments, or additions to Wraith808