Pandemic: Setting

Any more info on the setting yet? Geographic Location? Name? Power Groups?

Verdant City
Pop.: 10289 pure
Location: Southern Pennsylvania.

One of the largest cities left in the world, it has managed to survive using an array of aging robots and strict containment protocols. A council of 7 elected officials supposedly rule the city, but in practice only handles internal affairs and logistics. The Merchant's Guild handles all external affairs with surrounding towns and outsiders and is run by the owners of the 5 largest businesses in Verdant City. Currency is called dollars and consists of various styles of coins determined by the Merchant's Guild.

Fineview
Pop.: 2000 or so
Location: 12 miles west of Verdant

The closest settlement of infected to Verdant City. The town operates a mine and refining facility which primarily service Verdant City. The town has a mayor, but in practice he is the pawn of the Merchant's Guild.

Verdant City ends up overseeing a large number of operations similar to Fairview throughout the region. Total human population in the area is close to 100,000.

Neat. Can you go into more detail into Verdant City? What city did it used to be? How did they avoid infection? Giant Dome? What are the city defenses and internal police forces? Any pecular laws to the city? What are the biggest concerns among the populous? What does the City itself produce?

What are common threats (aside from infection) that one might face outside city (walls? limits?)? How dangerious (10 = death is certain) is it outside the city? Why would one venture out?

Good questions.

It used to be Pittsburg. At first, it established a heavy wall and used the rivers as natural defenses. This has since expanded to a second wall. Robots make up the primary defenses. More and more robots fall into disrepair each year. The internal security is made up primarily of humans with some cybernetic individuals.

The biggest concerns among the populace are following the cleanliness regulations, ensuring seperation from outsiders, ensuring uncontaminated food and water, and not being expelled from the city. Some whispered but fervent concerns are the dwindling robot population and the growing rumors of mutants.

Verdant city's primary service is medical treatment and primary exports are medical supplies and clean water. There is a hospital along the outer wall designed to allow safe treatment of outsiders while maintaining the seperation.

The biggest threats outside the city are marauders and mutants. Mutants are rarer, but generally are a more significant threat. Further from the city, wild animals also become a significant threat. Verdant City generally keeps the area safe, but only to the extent required to keep resources flowing. The immediate vicinity of the city and actually in any major settlement are about a 4 on the death'o'meter. Outside those areas, its 7 or higher.

We may have discussed this as part of the setting itself, but what technologies are available inside the city? Obviously there are robots, what kind of weaponry do they employ, why aren't they better maintained? What kind of power source does the city have?

A few more about the populous, what kind of jobs are available within the city itself? It does seem rather strictly ordered, what level of law is the town (1= anarchy, 10=Complete control of every citizen)?

In addition to the previous questions, will it cost skill points to read/write? if so how many? What's the relevant skill?

For a very high price, cybernetic and robotic enhancements are available, but some of the key parts, like processors, are in short supply. The reason robots arent maintained is the lack of high tech silicon manufacturing. Verdant City has a working fusion reactor near the river. Primary weapons are standard guns, laser weapons do make up several heavy weapons points tied directly to the cities power grid. Hand held laser weapons might be possible, but are not common use, typical for the rich and eccentric. It is possible to buy various kinds of bullets in many places, but quality is higher inside the city. Jobs range from sanitation workers at the bottom to merchants at the top, with manufacturing, medicine, purification, and technology maintenance jobs ranging in the middle. Tyrrany is high, at 9. The typical citizen has a strong real fear of being expelled from the city that keeps them in line. There are no lawyers, judges are appointed by the city council, and justice is swiftly handed down.

Read/write is 1 skill point.

Zhavier wrote:

Tyrrany is high, at 9.

Good Lord that's high! I mean 1984 is maybe a 9, possibly an 8. But let's say 1984 is 9, how is Verdant City equivilant then? How the heck is there a Merchant Guild at all?

Every citizen is tracked for medical reasons. There are surveillance systems throughout the city, for the purpose of maintaining cleanliness and general health, including bathrooms. Theres a merchant's guild because the city can't survive without external resources, and does not have the manpower to gather those resources for itself. I guess 9 might be high...

EDIT: After reassessing my initial snap judgement, I agree that 9 is too high. A 6 seems more appropriate. Given the nature of only have total control of a portion of its sphere of influence (inside the city versus the whole region). Outisde the city would be more like a 2 or 3. There are people outside that try to maintain order, but they are few in number. The towns are not always functional, but the city always sends someone eventually to fix it up again.

Ok, so that means that living in a city is possible (if difficult) and disagreements can exist. That is good. Does Ash have anything of a story? Where did he come from?

Ash's story is not my problem He can earn a point for answering those kinds of questions.

Where and what is Verdant's closest City neighbor? Do we have and dealings with this other City? What items would be traded, for example? How are relations between Verdant and the surrounding area (and the other Cities)?

The next closest city is Boston (yes, kept the name). Very little trade happens between the two, but Boston is known for seafood. Boston has a smaller population than Verdant City, and controls a smaller surrounding area. It's other major claim to fame is 2 mostly functional destroyers and a working shipyard. Seafood would be a luxury in Verdant City that few would have the chance at. The trade route is extremely dangerous and very time consuming, but Boston would appreciate processed metals, ammunition and medical supplies. Boston is protected similar to Verdant City, but with less robots. Current circumstances have very little trade or even communication between the two cities. Cities in general have a radio station, though.

Oh yeah! Gotta love the radio stations! Tune me in to Enclave Radio.

Anyway, how long is the trip to Boston? Sounds like a trade route that I would be interested in.

Also, can I take Combat Technique multiple times? It says it's your call.

You can take multiple techniques, but taking a single one multiple times is prolly pushing it (and seems a little wierd), depends on what it is.

So will the game largely be taking place in the North East then? I also am getting the impression that there are a lot of high-tech military weapons and vehicles about. Would it be reasonable to assume that most roads have things like abandoned cars strewn about them?

Abandoned cars are reasonably common. Particularly industrious people may go out and fix up cars. Its just that Gasoline is kinda rare and the value of a car is nothing without gas.