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X-FILES RPG FAQ #2 OF 2
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Table of Contents
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The Setting
How to Begin
- New Recruit Checklist
Creating a Character or BIO
Running an Investigation
Absence of Players
Abbreviations
Acknowledgments
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Part I: The Setting
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Well, I'm sure you must've seen the Television show called the X-Files, which broadcasts on the FOX network at 9PM EDT on Sundays. A suspenseful one-hour drama/sci-fi featuring two Special Agents in the FBI. who have been assigned to a unit called the X-Files which is about unexplained mysteries and circumstances. Well, if you haven't seen the show, you're still welcome to join. The show is mostly just a good information source on finding different ways to approach the missions you will be running and find out a little more on the background of X-Files. You can also rent a few of the earlier episodes at your local video store, ask for it!
FBI Headquarters is located in Washington D.C. However, your characters can live elsewhere, that is, if they wish to commute or drive a lot to go to work. Say, if you wanted your character to live in Richmond, VA or Baltimore... that's fine. Just don't go too far and say Myrtle Beach.
The FBI Academy For X-Files training, Station X, is located in a secure place which the FBI doesn't tell everyone they own. And when you begin (Part IV), you begin as Special Agents at Level 1. That means you've just graduated FBI Training and are on your way to the J. Edgar Hoover building in Washington, DC, where you will be assigned to training at Station X for the X-Files division.
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Part II: How to Begin
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You start by posting to the Personnel Office like so:
Subject: Personnel Office
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(The Message will read) Hi, my name is so-and-so and I'd like to join
this group. My character's name is John Doe...
Thank you,
so-and-so
your email address
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This should show up in the alt.shared-reality.x-files newsgroup! If you do not have access to the newsgroup, mail your letter to [graffinya@earthlink.net]. Now it doesn't have to be 100% accurate like I have up there.
After you read it, you will then have to post however you get from the Academy Division at Quantico, to J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington. Just maybe tell us what happened on the way and maybe give some character detail, first impressions, etc. When your character arrives at the JEH Building, it is imperative that he/she reports with their BIO directly to (interim) Training Director Bishop and Director Jill Flansburg. They handle administration in the group. From there they will read over your BIO and then okay it if it is acceptable. Do NOT start posting without a BIO approval from these two! Make sure you post it to the newsgroup AND email it to TD Bishop and Director Flansburg at [graffinya@earthlink.net] and [vasaris@az.com], respectively. You'll get a faster response if you do it this way. You'll likely get a response just saying that your character is going to report to the Training Director. From there, you write a post on getting your character from the Asst. Director's office to the Training Office at Station X. Once there the TD (Training Director) will respond with a certain Trainer you will be working with. You should report to that trainer by writing a short post of your character entering his assigned training room. This post should be sent to your trainer and to the newsgroup.
From there, the trainer will pick it up and give you a number of scenarios. Your training will most likely be with one or two other trainees. This will train you to write with other players. The scenarios will be up to the trainer. Most likely you will be run through a training mission of some sort. Keep in mind that these situations DO NOT have to pertain to the X-Files or any supernatural happenings. They are like basic training assignments. This training can take anywhere from two days to two weeks depending on how often and how well you post.
When you have completed your training exercise, you will have one more chance to change your BIO file to make it more easier to role play with. Make sure to ask the trainer any questions concerning your BIO. The trainer is there to help.
Once you graduate, your character will have to report to Director Jill Flansburg and she will be sending you to the appropriate Team Leader. Write a simple post taking your character from wherever (home, the training office, the car) to Floor 13, Section 13 -- where Director Flansburg's office is. Post this to the newsgroup and email it for quick reply. She will usually see you immediately, but sometimes you'll have to wait for a day or two, real time. But not more than two. Make sure, when your character arrives, you pass-in a character dossier outlining your character's strengths, weaknesses, psychological profile, and biography; aka a BIO. Jill will send you to the Unit Director and the UD will then appoint you to the appropriate unit. From there, you will go to your new Unit and report in to your Squad Leader. You are now on your own with your new unit and will be getting a mission once the team is full.
***** New Recruit Checklist *****
1) Have I first read the FAQs in complete?
2) Have I sent out a Personel Office post with my character's name?
3) Have I create a BIO (biography) for my character and sent it to
Head Director Flansbyrg at [vasaris@az.com] and (interim)Training
Director Bishop at [graffinya@earthlink.net]?
4) Have I received they OKAY from Directors Flansburg and Bishop?
5) Have I reported to the Training Director?
6) Have I been assigned a trainer?
After all of those have been checked off, you are well on your way into the adventurous world of X-Files. Good luck!
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Part III: Creating a Character or BIO
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It easy to start with something simple. Try to include:
*full name
*date of birth
*place of birth
*age
*parents
*siblings
*quirks
*career stats
*what they did at the academy
*university
*school
*family
*qualifications
*hobbies
*psychological report
*short biography
Each squad will consist of six (6) members. The members will be assigned to the different squads by the Unit Director. Each member must be created using one of the classes below. The classes are mostly left broad for a good reason, there are only four main groups to choose from. This way your team might consist of two MDs or possibly two Specialists. It will make the RPG a lot more fun with a lot more scenarios to run.
CLASSES:
[Medical Doctor] - One trained some way in the medical field.
(Forensics, Surgeon, Field Doctor, etc...)
[Scientist] - One trained in one of the many sciences.
(Biology, Psychology, Botanist, etc...)
[Technician] - A tech is somehow related to the technical side
of a situation. (electrician, explosives, computers,
etc...)
[Tactical Operations] - This is the person that will watch the backs of
his teammates. He is trained in extreme situations
to withstand anything.... anything.
[Specialist] - The specialist class is up to your imagination.
Specialists can be trained in ONE field with
advanced knowledge of that ONE subject. (occult
specialist, UFO specialist, drug specialist, weapon
specialist, etc...) These characters usually
dictate the majority of missions the squad will
receive. But that isn't always the case.
Director Flansburg and staff will assign you to a group which is in need of your class. If you want to get into the mix quickly, it could be useful to ask which classes are needed in the groups almost ready to go out on their own.
Each team will also be assigned a team leader. The team leader will still be made of one of the above classes. Team leaders are players who are experienced with RPGs on the internet and can handle the control of operating a group. As you gain rank in your Squad, you soon will be eligible for this position. To reach this position, send email to Director Flansburg at [vasaris@az.com] explaining why you should hold this position and a brief summary of your experience. There is no other way to gain this position other than being assigned Team Leader by one of the Administrators.
Once assigned to a Squad, make sure to get everyone in your Squad's email address, character name, BIO, and real name. You will then make a mailing list in which you will use to email your posts to. This list should include the newsgroup. Make sure you read everyone's BIO file. It is important to play their characters how they are intended to be played. Would you like it if someone misplayed your character?
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Part IV: Running an Investigation
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Once you receive your assignment from the Unit Director, you and your Squad are on your way. But, there are still rules to follow. Your assignment will have a designation code. It will look like so:
Assignment #144056A
Inside the file it will include a brief summary just telling the nature of the case. Sometimes it will not be so brief so be prepared for reading. It will then give the date the investigation was opened and when it was closed (NOTE: In some cases, it will be a whole new assignment so the date will be the day it is given) and the status. Sometimes the status will say STATUS: CLOSED or STATUS: UNEXPLAINED or STATUS: REOPENED (NOTE: If it is a case that was unsolved, then it will read REOPENED because the Squad being assigned to it will mean it to be reopened).
Now, Squad's receive the assignment via their Unit Director. To start the mission, the Squad's most senior Agent, being the Team Leader, will send out his post to a mailing list with everyone in the group on it, including the newsgroup. This way everyone has two chances to get it.
After arriving at the scene of the investigation say, Boston, then the role-playing begins. Each player will contribute a post one after another. Every once in a while it is okay to post a few in a row in the case a player is gone for a couple of days.
When the Squad finishes an investigation, they MUST return to JEH. Building and report to the Unit Director. They will give him an Investigation Report with a summary of what happened and how it was solved or why it was unsolved. EVERYTHING must be included. The investigation number must be on it and the Squad will have its name on it as references in case the investigation is reopened in the future.
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Part V: Absence of Players
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There are two types of ways a player can go absent:
A) In Real-life, they may have to leave for a short period of time or they may have to leave for good.
B) In Role-playing, a player may stop for a 'breather' between assignments.
In A, there is a policy in XF -- when a player leaves for a certain amount of time, they must post to their Squad stating how long they will be gone. This makes it easier for everyone involved.
If they leave for good, as in quitting the group, they must take their character back to Washington to report to Director Flansburg -or- you can kill your character on an assignment.
In B, once an investigation is finished, that player may take his or her character 'on-leave' for any amount of time they like. If an investigation lasts three months, then the player may want to stop for a week or two before being given another assignment. BUT, if your character goes on-leave and your unit does not wish to go on-leave a new person will fill your spot and you will be reassigned to another group on your return.
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Part VI: Abbreviations
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This is just a list of short terms we use in role-playing:
SA1 Special Agent Level One (-----] SA5)
JEH J. Edgar Hoover Building (FBI. Headquarters)
RL Real-Life
DIR Director
PC Playing character
NPC Non-Playing Character
2C Secondary Character
AD Assistant Director
UD Unit Director
TD Training Director
TL Team Leader
More will be added in later revisions....
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Part VII: Characters
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In XF, we allow any player to have as many characters as they can handle. However, if we see that they are not performing in their role-playing abilities well, then changes will definitely be made by the Directors.
NPCs (or Non-Playing characters) are characters created for a purpose. Anyone can create NPCs. NPCs are usually used for a number of reasons. Keep in mind that there will be a comprehensive list of NPCs (of their names, age, occupation, where they live) coming soon. On this list it will explain who has created this NPC and give the creator's email address. If you wish to use the NPC in any way, first contact the creator for consent. Most creators will not allow their NPC to be harmed or maimed in any way. Explain to the creator why you need the NPC and what you intend to do with him/her.
Secondary characters are villains or characters you use a lot. For instance, a PC named John Doe might have a wife named Jane Doe but she's a secondary character because she's his wife and only used occasionally. A player may have only FIVE secondary character and/or villains. Make sure if you create a villain that you clear it with your Unit Director. Villians follow two basic rules - 1) They always lose 2) They do not affect anyone without consent of that player. The villain will be then added to a list with your email address next to it. The same rules apply for your villain that do for NPCs. Other players must contact you for the use of the villain, etc...
A certain person will also be assigned to your unit as a "Deepthroat" or "Mr. X". This person will, on any random mission, give
you certain clues helping you out along the way. Keep in mind that this
is RANDOM and remember who to TRUST.
One last thing, please DO NOT use Mulder or Scully or any other character created by Chris Carter and the FOX Television Network. They are the creations of Chris Carter and have no place belonging in this newsgroup. We here at [alt.shared-reality.x-files] do not want any legal trouble and do not condone the use of these or any other characters from the X-Files FOX television show, books, or any other source related to the Chris Carter/20th Century Fox X-Files.
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Part VIII: Acknowledgments
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I'd like to thank the news administrator at Gymnet (rwl@gymnet.com) for creating the group for us way back when. I would also like to thank Ian Hamilton for giving me the rights to this group after his struggle to keep it open. Wish you could still be a part of us.
I'd also like to thank all the fellow administrators, mission makers, directors, and trainers who run this group with me everyday. I wouldn't of been able to create and lift this group off without them.
Last, but not least, I'd like to thank you. The player is what keeps this newsgroup active. Without you we are just a bunch of administrators with a couple of useless FAQs. Thanks for the interest! If you have any questions, comments, or problems, please send them to Sydnie MacElroy at [graffinya@earthlink.net].
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