So, I've had a few ideas while considering this and I've decided to post a second version of this chapter with some modifications. Its mostly the same, but some details of how his power works have been changed or added. If I end up continuing, this will be the version I use.
52 Gamer
Waking up in a dirty alley with no memory of the night before is NOT what I consider a good time. Of course, the floating text boxes and the fact the rest of my memories were a jumbled mess don't really help matters. Oh, and I'm apparently in Brockton Bay? Thats it, I'm never drinking again!
This technically isnt an Outsider story, rather, its an OC insert of a sort. He still knows about Worm though, mostly because of interdimensional fuckery. Oh, and hes a Gamer. I don't foresee myself continuing this, mainly because I don't feel like dealing with all the numbers. Still, I can't resist at least doing this, so lets get started!
Chapter 1
The first thing I became aware of as consciousness returned to me was the pounding in my temples, closely followed by the realization I was laying in a muddy puddle.
"Urrg, what the fuck did I drink last night?" I groaned as I slowly pushed myself up.
It took a few trys, but eventually I was able to force my eyes open. I found myself sitting in an alleyway between two buildings, with my only company being an overflowing dumpster. Lovely.
"Where am I?" I muttered.
I pushed through the pain and tried to remember what the hell happened last night...only to suddenly realize that I was missing massive gaps of my memories. I could remember bits and pieces, like where I had grown up and that I was a literature student, but I couldn't remember things like my own Parents names. Hell, I couldn't even remember which University I attended! Just about the only thing I remembered with any clarity was reading a web serial named Worm. How scary is it that I could remember that but I couldn't remember what my name was or even what I looked like?
"Whats going on?" I groaned, "Why can't I remember anything? Urrg, I need...I need to…"
I wasn't sure what I needed, but I struggled to my feet none the less.
PING!
I nearly jumped out of my skin as a loud noise echoed through my head, but before I could panic, I froze and my jaw dropped as a translucent, blue window appeared in front of me.
WELCOME NOOB!
Was the window's cheery title. I pinched myself. It hurt. Not a dream then. With that horrible thought, I decided that I should read the message. Even if it was the product of a bad trip from some crazy drug someone slipped me, it might give me some clues as to what was going on.
Hello new player and welcome to this horrific game we call Life! In your case, that saying is a tad more literal than most. Yep, thats right, your a Gamer and this is your tutorial! Lets start from the top, shall we?
A pair of bars appeared in the top corner of my vision.
This is your health and Mana bars. Keep an eye on these as, if they run out, you will be in serious trouble. Run out of mana and you won't be able to use any power, leaving you extremely vulnerable. Run out of health and its game over.
The window closed, right before another one appeared. This one was clearly a status menu judging from the list of numbers and, well, stats in one corner. Next to the stats list was a 3D model of me that moved as I did. I took a moment to study it, trying to see any familiar features that might knock some memories lose. I...actually looked pretty normal. A normal, if a little skinny, young man clad in damp and muddy T-shirt, jeans and tattered looking shoes. My hair was dark brown, as were my eyes...wait.
I lent forwards and took a closer look at my portrait. There was something a little unusual about my appearance, although it wasn't something anyone would notice right off the bat. Instead of a normal pupil, my eyes had a power symbol in the middle. Well, that was interesting.
PING!
Another text box popping up distracted me.
Stats, Powers and You!
This is your Character page. It is where you can view all of the stats, modifiers that are affecting you and so on. You can call it up any time by calling out 'Stats'. Do try not to do it to loudly in public or people might think your a tad crazy.
Since you are the Gamer, you naturally have Stats that affect everything from how strong you are to whether or not you can charm the ladies out of their underwear.
My eye twitched at the last one.
Take a look over here.
The stats section of my Character page.
These are your current Stats. Any modifiers provided by Buffs, Debuffs or Items will be shown in brackets next to the base amount. Your stats also affect any powers you may gain in the future, with each stat (except Luck) affecting two Classifications. They are as follows:
Strength: How strong you are. Affects how much you can carry, how good you are at physical feats and how much damage you do in Melee. Linked to Brute and Striker class powers.
I frowned at the last point. Why did that tickle at my memories? Something about those power classes seemed familiar… I shrugged and went back to reading. I'm sure it'd come back to me.
Dexterity: How quick and agile you are. Affects things like climbing, running, jumping and so on. Linked to Mover and Blaster powers.
Constitution: How tough you are. Affects how much health you have, the amount of damage you can take, how well you can resist negative effects. Linked to Breaker and Changer powers.
Finesse: How nimble you are. This applies more to tasks rather than travel, things like pickpocketing, lockpicking, needle threading and so on. Linked to Stranger and Tinker powers.
Intelligence: How intelligent you are. Affects how well you can take in and retain information, make connections and spot things that others might miss. Linked to Thinker and Shaker powers.
Charisma: How charming you are. This stat allows you to talk people into things, get better deals in shops and makes people pay attention to and respect you. Linked to Master and Trump powers.
Luck: How lucky you are. This does not directly affect any power type, but has a slight effect on all of them. It also affects what sort of items you find in the world, the likelihood of certain events happening and the chances of getting away from a fight, should you decide to run.
Of course, many powers will be affected by more than one stat, such as an intelligent Tinker will make better and more affective technology, but they get the most boost from the stat they are tied to. Unlike some iterations of the Gamer, you cannot increase your stats by training. Instead, they will change to reflect your power level and level up, although some skill books will effect them.
I finished reading the text and, after a bit of experimenting, scrolled back up to the stats list. Those power classifications really did look familiar, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. After a moment, I decided to shelve that thought and instead, scanned my Stats.
Name: Michael Black
Title: The Gamer
Level: 1 (0/100)
Stats:
Health: 50 MP: 10
Strength: 2
Dexterity: 3
Constitution: 4
Finesse: 5
Intelligence: 6
Charisma: 2
Luck: 0
Well, that certainly wasn't the best set of numbers I'd ever seen. Now if only I had something to compare them to. I suspect that those were the stats of an average, lazy university student though, although I didn't think I was that unlucky...A quick glance at my grimy surroundings made me mentally retract that statement.
However, I didn't have long to think on it as the tutoral got tired of waiting for me and decided to move on. It closed down my Character sheet and instead brought up a new window, this one titled 'Perks and Titles'.
The Perks of a Name!
As you progress through the world and level up, you will gain Perks and Titles. Titles are mostly for show, but can be used to gain standing with certain factions. Perks on the other hand are the bread and butter of your game. Each Perk you gain is tied to one of the 12 different categories and come in passive or active types. Active types are directed powers, things like laser blasts, barriers and so on, while Passive Perks are things like invulnerability, night vision and most forms of Thinker powers.
You gain Perks from leveling up, finding hidden secrets, reading certain Skill books, performing feats, leveling up stats and improving relationships with people. Note, not everyone has a Perk Tree tied to them, but most important people you run into will. The better you get to know someone and the closer you get, the more powerful Perks you will gain. You will also gain Perks for every 25 levels gained in each Stat.
I closed the text box and quickly scanned the Perk List. It was looking pretty anemic, with only two present.
Gamer Body: Grants a body that allows for the user to live the real world like a game. You can no longer be injured, only lose HP, although you will feel pain. Sleeping in a bed restores HP and MP. REMEMBER, THIS ONLY APPLIES TO YOU!
Gamer Mind: Grants perfect clarity of thought, regardless of the situation. Immunity to psychological status affects.
I pulled a face. Hopefully, that list would fill up quickly or I might be in trouble. The window closed again and was replaced by a new textbox and another window that was clearly set out like an inventory. A number of tabs went across the top, labeled as Weapons, Armour and Crafting.
Stuff, Stuff and more Stuff!
Now its time to get onto your Inventory! You have no limit of how much you can fit inside, but you cannot store living things in it. Items are held in stacks of 100 as needed. The tabs across the top indicate where equipment is stored and where you can Craft if needed. You currently don't have any recipes, which can be gained from cookbooks, manuals, tutorials, attending lessons or even just talking to people. You can also experiment, but that may be a waste of resources you may need later.
Well, that was handy. Nice to know that I wouldn't have to worry about becoming over encumbered. I closed the windows and turned to the entrance of the alley.
"Well, I can't stay here forever," I muttered, "Lets go see if I can find out where in the hell I am."
I took a step towards the entrance of the alley.
PING!
"Oh, what now?"
Exploring the World!
This world you find yourself in is a vast, vared place with lots to explore and do. To help you navigate it, you have several important tools. The first is the Minimap...
A circle appeared in the top corner of my vision opposite my health and mana bars.
The Minimap will show a small area around you, including any points of interest, quests, shops, allies and, if you know their there, enemies. Secrets and enemy bases can also be seen, but to access them you will need to find a high point and Synchronize. Don't jump off though as hay bails in the middle of the city aren't exactly common.
The text box closed and a new window popped up, this one with a mostly grayed out map on it.
This is your Map, your best friend when it comes to getting around. From here, you can mark place to visit, see where things are and so on. As you can see, most of it is grayed out at the moment, but that will soon change. The map can be revealed by either exploring or obtaining and studying street maps. You will gain EXP as you reveal more of the Map. (NOTE, only Street Maps work with this, not Atlas', Globes or Google Earth)
I scowled at the last bit. If that wasn't the case, I could gain a ton of EXP really quickly! Oh well, I'd manage I guess. The Map closed and a Compass popped up between the Minimap and my Health and Mana bars.
Finally, the Compass provides directional cues for nearby points of interest and enemies. The small arrow beside the icon indicates if it is above or below your current position. The numbers indicate how far away a certain point is. A good rule of thumb is to use your Map for distance, Compass for nearby points and the Minimap for somewhere in between.
The text box vanished and another one popped up.
Let the Adventure Begin!
Thats not everything of course, but it is the basics. More Tutorials will appear as needed and you can view any past help boxes by thinking about them and saying Help. Have fun and good luck. Your gonna need it.
And with that ominous final point, the text box vanished, leaving me stood in an alleyway with a sinking feeling in my gut. I quickly shook it off though. I wouldn't get anything done just standing there. With that in mind, I left the alley and picked a random direction to start walking, trying to find anything that I recognized and ignoring the 'Discovered Downtown, 25 EXP' as I did. I didn't. I was attracting some odd looks thanks to my damp and dirty clothes and hair, but I ignored them. I did notice I was being given a wide berth for some reason.
After about an hour of walking, I found myself on a seafront (Discovered Boardwalk, 25 EXP) overlooking a large bay with an odd looking structure out in the middle and a strange lack of boats, considering the fact it was a beautiful day. In my experience, a day like today with a pleasant breeze, a clear sky and calm waters, the bay should be heaving with boats of all kinds. Then again, I have no idea what day it was, so everyone could be at work.
After taking a moment to enjoy the view and the smell of sea air (something that I had dearly missed during my time at Uni), I turned and started wondering down the road, looking for anything that might be helpful. A Library or bookshop would be nice so I could get my hands on some maps and crank out the EXP. Plus, I could do some reading and crank up my Int. Then again, maybe I should look into increasing my Strength. It was a little low at the moment and I had a feeling that I'd need it very soon…
"DON'T YOU DARE WALK AWAY FROM ME YOU BITCH!"
A sudden shout made me jump, jerking me out of my planning. I, along with the few other people on the Boardwalk, turned to see a young, blond woman with feathers in her hair and tear tracks on her face come barging out of a door that looked like it led to an apartment above a record shop, followed by the owner of the voice, a big man who was visibly older than the girl and red in the face from anger. The man grabbed the woman by the shoulder, making her visibly flinch.
"I made you what you are!" yelled the man, oblivious to the audience he was attracting, "I want my shair!"
The girl scowled through her tears and smacked his hand away.
"YOU made me?!" she snarled, "You told me I'd never make it, that I should quit and go back to that dead end job in a fucking diner! Then you went and fucked that big titted cow behind my back!"
This was rapidly getting out of hand and it didn't look like anyone was going to try and step in. Not that I blame them, the guy was built like a brick shithouse. However, something about this argument was setting me on edge and I REALLY didn't want to see what would happen if it went too far. Besides, since I was the Gamer, I wouldn't be hurt for long. Or at all really.
PING!
With that thought, a new text box popped up in front of me.
QUEST! Pulling out the Canary
Break up the argument before someone gets hurt.
REWARD! 150 EXP and a new friend.
FAILURE! Someone gets in serious trouble.
Well, that was a tad ominous. With that in mind, I clicked Accept, took a deep breath, squared my shoulders (not that it really helped anything considering how thin I was) and walked towards the arguing couple (or ex-couple if the comment about cheating was anything to go by). I cleared my throat loudly and resisted the urge to jump as they both turned to me and name plates appeared above their heads.
Kevin Gladly LV 2
Douchebag
Well, that was kinda expected, although I have to wonder if my thoughts on the man had anything to do with the title he'd been given. However, that thought quickly vanished when I saw the girl's nameplate.
Paige Mcabee LV 7
Bad Canary
Oh shit. I think I just figured out why the power classifications were so damn familiar! It also explains why there weren't any boats in the bay and...crap. I resisted the urge to groan as I put two and two together and came up with WHY I woke up in an alleyway with no memories. Fucking Cauldron!
INT +1!
Well, that was fun. And by fun, I mean fucking annoying. I had to keep going back to add stuff as I remembered it was needed. Yeah, I'm not doing more than two chapters for this for the Vault. Well, unless someone feels like helping me with it.
I originally intended to have a single power class for each Stat, but then I remembered that there were 12 and FUCK THAT NOISE! It'll be hard enough to keep track of just seven stats!
Just to be clear, Michael IS actually a Parahuman with a Corona Pollentia and everything. His powers would probably be classed as a Thinker/Shaker power and are pretty much limited to him, although he does have a very minor Master affect aura that allows him to get better prices if he levels up his Charisma.
Speaking of, leveling up his Stats and gaining the Perks associated will quickly make his Classification levels skyrocket. His current numbers are that of an average Human, but if he gets his Strength to 100, he'll be strong enough to casually punt Leviathan across the Bay. This is the sort of game where small changes in numbers can make a VERY big difference.
As the Tutorial Fairy mentioned, he can also gain Perks from making friends with people, which can manifest as new powers tied to the powers of said Cape or, in the case of normal Human, something tied to the person themselves. For example, gaining PanPan's Interest (Getting Panacea interested in him thanks to Gamer Body catching her attention) will increase his health regen and boost the effectiveness of healing items. Maxing it out could allow him to actually use Panacea's power in its entirety, although something like that would take a LONG time and likely involve a massive number of side quests.
I chose the name of Carney's dickhead ex at complete random since I don't think its ever stated what his name was. As for the levels, well, Kevin's a normal guy and Paige has never really done that much with her powers, so that registers as a low level.
And with that, I'm done. Don't forget to leave a review on the way out!