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Nebuleon
Character Driven Sci-Fi

Character Driven Science Fiction is a story based on and pushed forward by the interaction of characters with a Game Master's story. This does not mean that the characters are trapped by the plot line but that they should be enabled. If a story is not to the liking of a group, then they should find a reason for their characters to leave. This should not destroy the story but only change it.

Setting in This Book

The setting in this book is meant to give a GM and players a common reference. Of course customization will occur and the design of this setting and system is meant to be customized. Should a GM feel the need, they can jettison all the setting information in this book and insert their own. Likewise, players should feel free to offer up their own races. That said, let us look at what a GM and players have to work with.

The first concept to grasp is that this is not a galaxy. It is only a small section of space that has been in recorded history for about 3000 years. Individual planets have had far older histories and that is touched on in the Races and Government chapters. The beginning of the reality of an interstellar community begins with the Thri-T'Kree. This insect like race sought the stars for its own purposes and used sleeper ships to attain it. Sleeper ships are ships containing hibernating beings who wake upon arriving at their destination. This was the first proof for most races of life beyond their own home planets. The Thri-T'Kree sought hosts; their ensuing domination was horrible and thought of as a time of fear. The Thri-T'Kree had not planned on the varied environments they found and their sensitivity to those environments. They died out after about 1000 years of rule.

The Andromedaens, currently rather xenophobic, developed the first Faster Than Light (FTL) travel. They are a merchant people and knew of other societies through the Thri-T'Kree. Building on that knowledge the Andromedaens were able to dominate the Second Millennium. This was a golden age but in the end was destroyed by the greed that built it. Plagues, an Artificial Intelligence War, and economic collapse spiraled the area of known space, called the Nebuleos, into a dark age that took centuries to recover from.

The Third Millennium, the contemporary age covered in this book, is considered an age of exploration. Planetary governments are gauged by the number of colonies they have or the size of their exploration fleets. The beginning of this age saw three powers reclaim FTL at roughly the same time. The Gren have led this age, preaching tolerance and moderation. The Andromedaens, scarred from the horrors of the dark ages and plagues from the past millennium, still forged out into the Nebuleos in search of trade. Finally, the Haga looked to purge the universe of those sinful abominations against their god by slaying any living creature not of Hagan origin. The Dremin won their freedom from the Haga and, more than that, a respite for known space from the holy war of the Haga.

Modern day has a complex web of interstellar politics driven by organizations, governments and corporate entities. All this plays against a thriving economic back drop.

Technology

The setting of this book follows much of the old masters of science fiction. The spirit of the technology, enabling man not replacing him, is still prevalent. Specifically, you will not find:

"Magic" Technology
Teleportation
Space combat a la dogfights

You will find

Solid sci-fi technology
Technology that obeys its own rules
Technology that is "use" oriented

The GM or players should also feel free to add what technology they wish. For more on the Technology of Nebuleon see "Technology" on page 71.

Nebuleon...Not a Mis-spelling

The Thri-T'Kree brought knowledge of other areas of space with them when they invaded. Initially, they were reluctant to share it with any of the hosts. It just was not done. By the end of the First Millennium, many of the Thri-T'Kree scientists saw the end coming and decided that the hosts could be taught. When they shared their knowledge, amongst other things, they told of a greater community called the Nebuleos. Whether this was an empire or merely an area of space was not clear, but it entered into common language in a slightly altered form, Nebuleon. To this day, to refer to the Nebuleon is to refer to known space.

PSI

Psionics in the Nebuleos is standardized and institutionalized. This is done so that the psionically talented, or `psi', can be given the chance at greatness. Many will merely become office clerks or low level administrators. Those Psi that make their way to graduate from one of the Psi Schools will have a great career ahead of them.

Psi in Nebuleon are a valuable part of society and well rewarded for their efforts. It is noted that certain individuals and races have far more talent than others. How psionics actually works is still a mystery but that it works can not be denied. Many cultures teach different methods to focus psionic disciplines but all agree that it is a discipline often requiring years of study.

Standards

The life forms, with the exception of the Dras, breath roughly the same atmosphere. This is referred to as Standard Atmosphere. It is used on trade habitats and anywhere it is possible for more than two races to interact. The atmospheres of different home worlds vary mostly by air pressure and not by chemistry. Many believed this was a basic tenet of intelligent life until the Dras entered the equation.

There is also a Standard Language referred to as Standard. It is used as a trade language and was developed by the Republic of Free Worlds as a language all races have the ability to speak. It is used by all RFW personnel and facilities as well as most traders; however, if heading to a system it is wise either to have your translator or speak the native tongue.

Standard measurements are also used, but for the ease of the game earth measurements and time scales are used.

The following story is an example of a megacorp called the Andromedaen Conglomeration and how they deal with trade partners who try to cross them.

McCinnes Landing
He always hated the wait. The G-gel made his skin itch and he couldn't scratch it. He also knew that it was all in his mind since the gel couldn't be in contact with his skin anyway, but it still itched. So he waited. Actually he knew that their approach to the planet would be at C16, so after everyone was into their drop pods it would be almost instantaneous. It still seemed like it took forever. He reviewed the mission in his head.
The OmegaStar cargo ship, cruising without manifest out on the edge of the galaxy for some reason, suffered an instability in their matter anti-matter reactors and was forced to jettison the reactor. They were able to limp to a 24EL planet and force a controlled reentry. That was the last that Mil-Tec, the Andromedaen military intelligence division, had heard from them. Mil-Tec briefed the unit and told them to assume that the natives were hostile.
Mickey, that's what his friends called him, thought about the phrase "assume that the natives are hostile." The last time he had heard that was on a drop to K'Telk IV. He had been the only survivor. But that was the Glorious Andromedaen Marine Corp. See the galaxy, meet women, earn your freedom, get to kill the stinking Haga; of course they don't tell you the risk involved. Well, actually it wasn't all that bad. He was usually the one with the gun, tactical support and more armor than some battle cruisers. Actually, he wished -
Woosh! The Fates That Be picked this instant for the launch. It was inevitable that it would come when he had just started to get used to the coffin in which he had been sealed. Mickey checked his trajectory and breaking fins, they all looked good. The auto-firing chatter plastic to jam any auto-locking cannons or cruise missiles fired with no problem.
"Corporal McCinnes, report!"
"Aye, Aye sir. Drop ship laying down sensor jam, receding at maximum C. Drop pods 6 and 8 show .098 degrees deviation from programmed path. All else checks - wait - Sir, I show red lights across the board." Mickey couldn't believe his eyes, a failure of this magnitude was impossible, it couldn't happen. Suddenly, the life support indicator beeped slowly then accelerated until it became a soft whine. Its indicator light flickered to red on 11 of the 13 capsules. "EJECT!!!" yelled Mickey, but it was too late. He had realized too late that the small power cells of the other 11 capsules had been bleeding into their G-gel supply, causing an explosive combination.
"Corporal, are you all right," asked the Lieutenant?
"Yes sir, but the others....."
"Easy Corporal, we still have a job to do. Check your capsule and mine."
Mickey did a quick assessment, "Everything checks, Lieutenant. You have no leak, but mine does. Because of my rotation though, the power cell hasn't contacted the G-gel yet. I don't think I'll be able to soft-land."
There was a long pause and Mickey knew what the Lieutenant was thinking. There was no way Mickey could live through a drop without the anti-gravity field to soften his landing. "Mickey, there's nothing for it boy. I want you to use your breaking fins to come into position under me and we're going to use Hellion's maneuver."
Mickey interjected, "It won't work with one grav unit and mine damaged, you'll impact at over 20 G's!!"
"Mickey, listen to me. I'm old, VERY old, and I don't have long to live but I saw your report. Mickey you've used your quota. There ain't any more cloning in it for ya boy. Not on the Corps' credits and I don't have that much saved. Now I'm gonna do this with your help or without it. Always remember boy, you've got a mission to do and you had better make me proud!"
There wasn't anything to say to that. He braked into position until he was only a few hundred meters below the Lieutenants capsule. "Remember, when you hit there won't be a lot of time for ya ta get clear, so do it fast!" Mickey felt the molasses thick pull of the other's anti-grav field kick in and his meters showed a decrease in velocity. Quietly Mickey heard over his comset, "Remember that I love you also, son." There was a sudden lurching as the Capsule made contact with the ground and Mickey was jet-assisted from the pod. An instant later far across the horizon was an explosion of titanic proportions.
With a single tear, Mickey mourned, "Father...".
* * *
Mickey looked around, he wasn't pleased at his surroundings: desert for as far as you could see and extremely cold, just above 0× celsius. He would be alright since his powered armor had full life support in it and its insulation was designed to keep him warm or cool even in the depths of space.
His father had said that he had a mission to accomplish and he had been right, but his orders had said that any level of violence was sanctioned to liberate the crew and assure the destruction of the cargo. Any level of violence. Yea, he liked that. These monkeys were gonna pay.
Mickey looked down at his senacron mounted in the wrist of his suit; it showed a population center approximately 50 km to the northeast. He also picked up large quantities of tychromium. Mickey smiled. That was it, it had to be the downed ship since tychromium is an industrial metal used for the construction of star ships. The closest thing that these apes had was an orbiter. Yea, this could go easy, but it wouldn't, not for them. He was definitely going to get seen. And wouldn't that be sad for the poor little monkeys. A low, evil laugh escaped Corporal McCinnes' mouth.
He scanned for life. There were a few individuals, but the only concentration was to the northeast at about 200 km. That would be the military base that they had been briefed about. For a moment Mickey let himself think about the malfunctions. Something like that just didn't happen. He had read a single high power burst of microwaves from the military base. He thought about that and wasn't too pleased. Things like that shouldn't happen, but they sometimes did.
Mickey moved off to the northeast in search of the base. Continuing to consult his senacron, he observed that the specs of the base checked with the high level recon of the scout ship. There were 4026 natives, low level of technology, mainly weapons which use gas propelled native metals, fossil fueled vehicles, and no powered armors. What these militant little dogs wouldn't do for the technology that he was carrying on his back. The matter anti-matter power source alone could power one of their cities for a year, Mickey thought. He considered how he should approach this base and decided that a fast, direct assault would be the most effective. He engaged his jump jets with a maximum filter on them to reduce the amount of shed light. He easily covered 10 km at a jump, leaving small scorched circles of earth behind him. Mickey looked down at his feet where the jets were located and the 15 meter tongue of flame and thought of the devastating impact of the fusion exhaust on an unarmored person.
* * *
It took Mickey only about one hour to cover the intervening ground between him and the military base. As he approached the base, his IR sensors observed many of the monkeys were out and about. Yea, looking for their fabled "bogeyman". There was a detachment of armored, tracked, fossil-fuel vehicles heading out towards the crash site. Mickey just shook his head, he just couldn't understand how these monkeys thought they could hold this planet, much less the ship. Mickey decided that a nice messy frontal assault would be poor planning, but a good kill rate, so he used his jump jets to advance on the guards at the gate.
* * *
Sgt. Jerald T. Gussock didn't like the desert, especially on these weird nights when they were told to watch for anything "unusual." For the Sergeant, this was his last thought, for in the next instant he was incinerated in a blue tongue of fusion exhaust. Seconds later his partner in guard duty joined him.
Mickey punched the stud for his company's rally signal although he knew there was no one to answer it. Suddenly the base was alive with frantic guardsmen running for weapons as Mickey's external speakers blared "Form On Me". Mickey knew that on this mission they were supposed to keep a low profile, but he was going to make these fucking monkeys pay, so he switched his Series 40 fusion blaster to full auto. The guardsmen were doing their best to stop him, but (and he couldn't even believe this) all they had were gas powered slug throwers! Mickey let loose a barrage of nuclear grenades on a bunker, not because it was a threat but because that was training. In the real world fixed points could mean heavy artillery and he couldn't die, not yet.
The on-boards showed he was getting about a 92% kill rate to shots fired, Yeah, rock `n roll. He was sure that these were the best that the monkeys had, and in a way he sorry for them, but not too much. His shields were down to 48% but he was in sight of the ship - then it started.
Two things suddenly happened, the company rally signal ended and suddenly his power supply started to red line. This may not be clear to the layman, but when you're carrying enough antimatter on your back to create a 450 megaton explosion, there is little point to a warning signal for the failure of the magnetic seals that contains said anti-matter. Still, the designers felt it was necessary. He expanded the containment field and that seemed to help. Suddenly Mickey was thrown to the ground by a deafening explosion.
He quickly took stock - his shields were gone - his armor was functioning - the recall and rally started up again. All around him were the ghosts of his old friends urging him on, telling him that they were with him. With a mighty roar, "DEATH BEFORE DESERTION!!!" he launched himself forward towards the ship, tearing and smashing, fangs ripping flesh, claws tearing muscle. Even the commanders of the planetary forces after reviewing the battle couldn't blame their men for breaking and running. Science had nothing to do with next minutes, it was animal against animal, trial of beasts. With a roar of triumph, McCinnes smashed the last monkey onto the hull of the downed ship.
He quickly punched the access code and entered the ship. The sight that greeted him wasn't one of a downed cargo freighter but that of a high-tech surveillance craft. He quickly punched up the autolog, and it confirmed his beliefs. The crew had suicided as per standard ops when a possibility of capture was imminent. The ship had been able to send its information before the malfunction, and "the invasion was a go." Apparently, four divisions of marines were going to secure the planet with another four divisions as mop up. These monkeys were really gonna pay now. . .
Mickey's thoughts were cut off by the sound of a phased plasma weapon going off. Pain pierced his back, he spun and dove for the holder of the weapon. He made contact and at over 250 kilos in full armor, he literally crushed his opponent. When he pulled away, he saw it was a Mishaavii female in a Republic uniform. His eyes narrowed. The creature's breathing was labored, but with proper medical care she would live. "Are you all right?"
"No, I guess I was too slow - the others will get you - you bastard - we won't let you enslave innocents - they are strong, they'll join us, and we can ..." A fit of coughing cut off more commentary, but no more was needed. Mickey let her lie in her own blood. This was obviously a Republic base and they were the ones who killed his teammates.
He went quickly to the forward escape pod. It was in place. As he returned to the control room he saw a group of Republic Security lackeys coming towards the ship. He wasn't afraid of Rebs, but in numbers they could be annoying. It was then that he heard it, the division rally and reform.
It was the best sound ever heard. It was coming from hundreds of dropships. He rushed to the controls and set one of the smaller batteries to overload. It would cause about a 2 kiloton explosion, not big, but just big enough to eliminate the base shields. He punched the code and ran for the pod. Barely fitting in he closed the hatch and punched the launch stud. He was smashed back into the seat as the acceleration boosted him away from the ship. The ship exploded seconds later, dropping the base shields. Mickey piloted the pod in a slow circle and landed it near the main encampment.
As he approached the ranking officer of the army (the commanding marine officer would be out on the field), he cursed his luck. She was a monkey - he had to make himself stop thinking that. It was human, human, human!
"Excuse me, sir, Corporal McCinnes reporting, sir!"
"No need to shout Corporal, I can hear. Nice what you did out there, but a little brutal don't you think?" The general was reviewing McCinnes' on-board recorder.
"Sir, my orders state any level of violence was approved, sir."
Somewhat pertly, the general responded, "Yes, well blasters were not approved for this mission. And I don't like your tone, mister! We'll just have to see what a review board has to say about that. Report to the medics, dismissed!"
Mickey knew she was bluffing, but man, did he hate the army and monk - humans. Mickey turned and moved off towards the medics tent. He saw a wounded marine next to the tent and joyfully grasped her arm. Mickey let out a massive sigh, "Hey dra, how do you put up with these humans?!?!?"
The soldier responded to the nickname for Dremin in the Corp with a sudden laugh, "Dra, you should see how these humans run if they think a 3 meter tall lizard with a spiked tail, 104 teeth and scaly skin is pissed. Stick with me dra and hold your nose..." Lowering their voices to a conspiratorial level, "...because, by the Shell, they stink and man are they ugly!"

They laughed and Mickey thought that he could really get to like this Dremin, especially since she was so good looking.

Character Creation

Character creation in Nebuleon is not so much a generation of statistics and equipment lists as it is the creation of a person. The most important thing to remember is the concept or feel of your character. More significant than whether he or she is a Gren or Balek, farmer or soldier, hero or villain, is that this person has a history and must have made friends (and enemies) while growing up. Think of the history of your character; he or she may be a human criminal, but consider why he or she is a human criminal. That said, let us begin.

1. Develop a Concept

Work with the GM and other players in the group to develop a character concept that fits the story and group concept. It is important that a character fit with a group to get a sense of unity and purpose. A troupe of soldiers for the Kolkesh Empire will not accept a Chandui terrorist.

Code is very important for defining your character's persona. He or she will be a kind, law abiding citizen if you view law and kindness as most important, or a politician if you hold self and money as most important. There are many different codes that are defined by the player as a ranking system for what he or she holds most dear in life.

At this point you should also determine if you want to play an Artificial Entity. Artificial intelligence is highly developed in the Nebuleon setting. To create an AI, you must follow a different character creation process. This is outlined in "Artificial Intelligence" on page 121.

Josh, our example player, decides he wants to play a soldier who values honor, loyalty and service to one's world. For more on codes see Codes on page 25.

2. Decide on a Race

Deciding what race a character will be is very important to the type of character that will be played.

Josh decides he wants to play a soldier whose main concern is the honor of his family. Such a character can be played as any race but Josh thinks the Kiran with their values make a good choice for this character.

For more information on races see Races on page 29.

3. Generate Vital Statistics

To generate statistics in Nebuleon you roll three d20 and take the highest. In doing this you will usually bias the vital statistics to the higher side but this is all right. The reasoning behind this is that if someone is going to set out into this kind of life then that person is exceptional in a few areas. The following is an example of generating stats for Josh's character.

He scoops up his three d20 and rolls the following numbers:

Strength (STR): 16 17 12 (+4 because of race)

Agility (AGL): 2 12 1 (+1 because of race)

Constitution (CON): 12 15 14 (+2 because of race)

Dexterity (DEX): 10 9 20

Intelligence (INT): 11 12 5 (-4 because of race)

Wisdom (WIS): 2 4 4 (-2 because of race)

Charisma (CHA): 10 19 18

Appearance (APP): 2 3 18

Luck: 11 17 13 (-1 because of race)

Piety (PIE): 11 19 10

Will (WIL): 10 11 14

This means the scores are actually:

Strength: 21

Agility: 13

Constitution: 17

Dexterity: 20

Intelligence: 8

Wisdom: 2

Charisma: 19

Appearance: 18

Luck: 16

Piety: 19

Will: 14

Note: If the GM allows it, stats may be moved about to better reflect the character that the player wishes to build.

Movement rate should be calculated at this time. Please see Statistics for Characters on page 18 and Movement Rate (MR) on page 19 for more information.

4. Calculate Fortitude Points and Defense Stat

Take (STR+CON+WILL)/3 + 1/2 CON for your base fortitude points. For defense stat, take

(STR+CON+AGL)/3 = Defense.

Josh's character's Defense is

(21 + 17 + 13)/3 = (51)/3 = 17.

Josh's character's Base Fortitude is

(21 + 17 + 14)/3 + 1/2(17) =

(52)/3 + 8.5 =

17.3 +8.5 = 25.8 round up to 26.

Please see Fortitude Points (FP) on page 24 and Defense Stat (DS) on page 25 for more information.

5. Choose a Class

The class you choose is a reflection of the profession that you desire your character to pursue. This will affect your character's history. All these are important factors, but on top of all of this your character will also receive free skills.

Josh decides to play a soldier because he likes the idea of the honorable warrior. Since he is playing a soldier, he will receive the following skills and abilities as part of his class:

1 Dodge, 1 Targeting, 1 Wilderness Survival, 2 Unarmed Combat.

For more information on classes see Character Classes on page 111.

5. Choose Skills

The number of development (or skill) points a character receives initially is (INT+WIS)/2. Weapon proficiencies are determined by class and are detailed in the class descriptions (see Character Classes on page 111).

Josh determines that his character has

8 (INT) + 2 (WIS) = 10 / 2 = 5.

This equals 5 development points. He distributes them as follows (see percent success chart below):

1 to Targeting - Series 20 blaster (40%)
1 to Unarmed Combat (total of three with his free proficiency for a total of 70%)
1 in Armor Use - Plate to allow him to use any plate type armor without penalty
1 in Targeting - unarmed combat (40%)
1 in History (Kiros) (40%)

He then uses his class given Targeting skill to purchase 1 Targeting in the OmegaStar Rifle (40%).

If he had desired to he could have taken 3 levels in Targeting with a Series 20 Blaster by spending 3 Development points. If he had wanted to decrease the Armor Modifier for plate he could have taken additional Armor Use skills (see ARMOR USE on page 58). Remember to add in adjustments, if any, from the character statistics.
# of Skills
Chance of Success
1
40%
2
60%
3
70%
4
75%
5
80%
6
82%
7
84%
8
86%
9
88%
10
90%

He then spends his weapon proficiencies from his class (soldier) in Pistol Use and Rifle Use. Josh chooses to specialize in the Series 20 blaster pistol. He uses his remaining 4 weapon proficiencies (free from the soldier class) on a + 1 to hit with the Series 20 blaster pistol and a + 1 to damage with the Series 20 blaster pistol.
Proficiency
Development Point Cost
Initial Max
Skill Level
1
None
Plus to Hit
3 pts per plus
+3
Plus to Damage
1 pt per plus
+10
Additional Attack
6 pts per Attack
2
Additional Die of Damage
6 pts per additional die
2

For more information on weapon proficiencies, see WEAPON PROFICIENCIES on page 61. For more information on skills in general, see Character Skills on page 55.

7. Equip the Character

Josh talks it over with the GM, and they decide his character would be just starting with a militia, but is well equipped from his history. If Josh or the GM had wanted, Josh could have rolled on the starting money table under "Money in Known Space" on page 92.

It is suggested that players equip their characters from their history. This is to say, write a benefactor into your history. For more information see "Technology" on page 71.

8. Create a Character History and Name

Character history is direly important and must be made up before a character can come into play.

Josh decides his character will come from a family steeped in traditional service to the Lofaan. His father, Dynin Jayil, was a captain in the local militia before wounds taken from a Chandui sniper caused him to retire. He has kept close to the command and is sure that he will be able to get a commission for his son. His mothers are very proud of him and hope he will bring even more glory to his family name. He is happy to be joining the militia but he truly wants to join off world force either in exploration or even the Firadi Guard. Still, he holds a powerful grudge towards the Chandui and hopes to make them pay while serving in the militia.

Character name is important as well. For example, the soldier named Herman does not compare to Rath Ebon. "Herman" may be amusing for a night but rapidly becomes boring.

Josh decides on the name Rexton Jayil.





Strength (STR)

The strength score is a measure of a character's ability to lift objects. It is also used to determine the defense stat and influences the amount of damage a person can inflict. This is part of the difference between a mafioso ruffian and a pencil pushing scholar.
Strength Bonus
STR
Damage Bonus
Armor Mod
Max Lifted Weight
1
-5
-2
4.5 kg
2
-4
-2
6.5 kg
3
-3
-1
10 kg
4
-2
-1
15 kg
5
-1
0
20 kg
6
0
0
25 kg
7
0
0
30 kg
8
0
0
35 kg
9
0
0
40 kg
10
0
0
45 kg
11
0
0
50 kg
12
0
0
55 kg
13
0
0
60 kg
14
0
0
65 kg
15
0
0
70 kg
16
+1
0
80 kg
17
+2
+1
90 kg
18
+3
+1
100 kg
19
+4
+2
150 kg
20
+5
+2
250 kg
21
+8
+3
500 kg
22
+11
+4
1000 kg
23
+14
+5
2000 kg
24
+17
+6
3000 kg
25
+20
+7
6000 kg
26
+40
+8
9000 kg
27
+80
+9
12000 kg
28
+160
+10
15000 kg
29
+320
+11
18000 kg
30
+640
+12
21000 kg

Armor modifiers are the adjustments to a character's defense stat when he or she is wearing armor. These modifiers will NEVER raise a player's defense stat above normal; they ONLY apply to the minuses resulting from the weight of the armor.

If a character's strength falls below zero, he or she will be feeble and helpless until their strength is recovered. This will occur at a rate of one point per two months without any healing unless impeded by some means (not allowed bed rest).

After 25 strength, armor modifiers continue to increase by one but damage modifiers double. For example, a 26 strength is +40 to damage and +8 to armor. Firearms, explosives and crossbows do not receive strength damage modifiers.

Agility (AGL)

Agility reflects a character's overall body coordination, as well as his quickness in reacting to a situation.
Agility Bonus
Agility
Initiative Bonus
Unarmed Combat Bonus To Hit
1
-3
-3
2
-2
-2
3
-1
-2
4
0
-1
5
0
-1
6
0
0
7
0
0
8
0
0
9
0
0
10
0
0
11
0
0
12
0
0
13
0
0
14
0
0
15
0
0
16
0
+1
17
0
+1
18
+1
+2
19
+2
+2
20
+3
+3
21
+4
+4
22
+5
+5
23
+5
+6
24
+6
+6
25
+7
+7

If a character's agility falls below zero, then he or she becomes totally uncoordinated. It will be impossible to use a weapon, avoid an attack, or even walk without tripping.
Agility Adjustments for Skills
Agility
Move Silently
Move in Shadows
Bonus to Movement Skill
1
-60
-50
-40
2
-50
-45
-35
3
-50
-40
-30
4
-45
-35
-25
5
-40
-30
-20
6
-35
-25
-15
7
-30
-20
-10
8
-25
-15
-5
9
-20
-10
0
10
-15
-5
0
11
-10
0
0
12
-5
0
0
13
0
0
0
14
0
0
0
15
0
0
0
16
0
0
+5
17
+5
+5
+5
18
+10
+10
+10
19
+10
+10
+10
20
+15
+15
+15
21
+20
+20
+20
22
+25
+25
+25
23
+30
+30
+30
24
+35
+35
+35
25
+45
+40
+40

Bonus to movement skill applies to all movement skills as well as acrobatics, dancing and climbing. The GM may apply the Movement Skill Bonus to skills at their discretion.

Movement Rate (MR)

Movement Rate is a measure of how fast a character can move in a given round. This number is used to determine how far a character can travel in a day. The Base Movement Factor is 12, +1 per two points agility above 16.

Note: Base Movement Factor multiplied by four gives kilometers travelled in one 10-hour traveling day (Walking) including stops for resting. Take the Movement Rate Factor to get kilometers travelled per hour without rest. Characters can cover their movement rate x10 in feet in one round.

For example, a soldier with a 20 AGL will have a movement of 14. In one round he can move 140 feet. If he performs an action, then he can only move 1/2 this distance. In the above example, he would be able to move 70 feet and fire his rifle.

Movement is adjusted by -1 per point of agility below five.

Any attempts to increase movement will fall into the following
Multiplier to Base Movement
Multiplier to Base Movement
Description
x2 Jog
One can run a number of rounds equal to his Constitution. Thereafter, a check vs. Constitution is required each hour
x3 Run
This is a sustainable long distance run. A check vs. Constitution each turn is required with a -2 cumulative each round.
x4 Charge
This is the speed one uses when running into combat. A check vs. Constitution each round is required with a -4 cumulative penalty each round.
x5 Rout
This is the speed at which one travels in an all-out rout. A check vs. Constitution each round is required with a -6 cumulative penalty each round. In addition an Agility check must be made each round at a -2 cumulative.
categories:

Constitution (CON)

Constitution is a measure of a character's fitness, health, resistance and ability to carry weight for long distances. This score is used for saving throws, determining defense stat and calculating fortitude points.
Weight Allowance
Constitution
Encumbrance
1
0
2
0
3
0
4
1kg
5
1kg
6
1kg
7
1kg
8
2 kg
9
5 kg
10
10 kg
11
15 kg
12
20 kg
13
25 kg
14
30 kg
15
35 kg
16
40 kg
17
45 kg
18
50 kg
19
55 kg
20
60 kg
21
70 kg
22
80 kg
23
90 kg
24
100 kg
25
110 kg

Characters carrying their full encumbrance to double move at 1/2 movement. If the character is between 3/4 and full then they move at 3/4 movement. It is not possible to fight while heavily encumbered.

If a character's constitution falls to zero, then they will be incapacitated and unable to move. Lost points will return at a rate of one every two months if not otherwise inhibited; i.e. not allowed to have bed rest to properly heal. However, if constitution falls below zero, then the character will die.

Dexterity (DEX)

Dexterity reflects a character's hand-eye coordination and accuracy with weapons.
Dexterity Bonus
Dexterity
To Hit Bonus
Crafting Skill Mod.
1
-3
-55
2
-2
-50
3
-2
-45
4
-1
-40
5
-1
-35
6
0
-30
7
0
-25
8
0
-20
9
0
-15
10
0
-10
11
0
-5
12
0
0
13
0
0
14
0
0
15
0
0
16
+1
0
17
+1
+5
18
+2
+10
19
+2
+10
20
+3
+15
21
+4
+20
22
+5
+25
23
+6
+30
24
+6
+35
25
+7
+45
The To Hit Bonus is applied to all weapons but not Unarmed Combat.

If a character's dexterity falls beneath zero, then he or she becomes helpless. It will be impossible to use a weapon or other equipment.

Dexterity Adjustments for Skill
DEX
Pick Pocket
Open Locks
Detect Security
Disarm Security
1
-55
-50
-50
-50
2
-50
-45
-45
-45
3
-45
-40
-40
-40
4
-40
-35
-35
-35
5
-35
-30
-30
-30
6
-30
-25
-25
-25
7
-25
-20
-20
-20
8
-20
-15
-15
-15
9
-15
-10
-10
-10
10
-10
-5
-10
-10
11
-5
0
-5
-5
12
0
0
0
0
13
0
0
0
0
14
0
0
0
0
15
0
0
0
0
16
0
+5
0
0
17
+5
+10
0
0
18
+10
+15
+5
+5
19
+10
+15
+5
+5
20
+15
+20
+10
+10
21
+20
+25
+15
+15
22
+25
+30
+20
+20
23
+30
+35
+25
+25
24
+35
+40
+30
+30
25
+45
+50
+40
+40
Crafting bonuses apply not only to crafting skills but also to musical instruments, bone setting, surgery, juggling and stage magic. A GM may apply the Crafting Skill Modifier at their discretion.

Intelligence (INT)

Intelligence represents a character's ability to reason and to learn.
Bonus To Intellectuals
INT
Bonus to Intellectual Skills
1
-24
2
-21
3
-18
4
-15
5
-12
6
-9
7
-6
8
-3
9
0
10
0
11
0
12
0
13
0
14
0
15
0
16
0
17
+3
18
+6
19
+9
20
+12
21
+15
22
+20
23
+25
24
+30
25
+35

The bonus to Intellectual Skills applies to all Intellectual type skills for all characters. This bonus may be applied to other skills at the discretion of the GM.

Wisdom (WIS)

Wisdom is a measure of a character's judgement and intuitiveness; because of its close ties with mental discipline, it will affect psionic disciplines and the number of skills a character has.
Wisdom Adjustments
WIS
Bonus to Craft Skills
1
-50
2
-45
3
-40
4
-35
5
-30
6
-25
7
-20
8
-15
9
-10
10
-5
11
0
12
0
13
0
14
0
15
0
16
+5
17
+10
18
+10
19
+15
20
+20
21
+30
22
+40
23
+50
24
+60
25
+70

Bonus to Craft Skills applies to all Craft type skills for Craftsmen. This bonus is applied on top of the DEX Craft bonus. The GM may apply this bonus to other skills at their discretion.

Appearance (APP)

Appearance represents a character's physical beauty and sex appeal. Strangers tend to react more favorably towards beautiful people and distrust ugly ones. Reaction adjustment is applied to skills like diplomacy, pleasure dancing or acting.
Reaction Adjustment for Appearance
Appearance
Reaction Adjustment
1
-35%
2
-30%
3
-25%
4
-20%
5
-15%
6
-10%
7
-5%
8
0
9
0
10
0
11
0
12
0
13
+5%
14
+10%
15
+15%
16
+25%
17
+30%
18
+35%
19
+40%
20
+45%
21
+50%
22
+55%
23
+60%
24
+65%
25
+70%

Reaction Adjustment may be applied to any skill situation where appearance is a factor. This is applied at the discretion of the GM.

Charisma (CHA)

The charisma score represents a character's charm, persuasiveness and personal magnetism; it has nothing to do with physical beauty. For example, Hitler was ugly yet he had a fanatical following. Charisma also represents a character's ability to lead.
Social Skill Adjustment
Charisma
Social Skill Adjustment
1
-50
2
-45
3
-40
4
-35
5
-30
6
-25
7
-20
8
-15
9
-10
10
-5
11
0
12
0
13
0
14
0
15
0
16
+5
17
+10
18
+15
19
+15
20
+20
21
+25
22
+30
23
+35
24
+40
25
+50

The social skill adjustment is applied to smuggling, lying or trying to convince someone of something. Examples of skills that this would be used with are smuggling, etiquette and oratory. This bonus may be applied to any situation where personality is a factor at the discretion of the GM.

Luck (LUC)

Luck is just that, the character's luck. Luck will come into play when a desperate act which is utterly absurd is attempted, or possibly if a save vs. another stat is not successful. It is the chance of a wagon of hay being parked under your fall, or, when you are about to be overwhelmed by Fini Thugs, a police patrol happening upon your predicament. In short, it is an attempt to put randomness into a personal stat.

Piety (PIE)

The piety score reflects the character's faith in some greater power; this "power" may range from faith in some god to belief in oneself. For Psi this translates to their belief in the ability to affect the world with their mind. This allows them the raw ability to move things with their mind, read the thoughts of others, or create illusions. Their WIS represents their mental discipline to focus this ability to their desires.

Will (WIL)

Will is the stat which involves a character's personal strengths or weaknesses. It is the willpower that a character has. Consciousness rolls must be made against this stat in the following manner: If the character falls below zero Fortitude in a vital area (1, 4, 7, 8), then a save vs Will must be made to remain conscious; if the FP falls below zero the save is WIL/2 . A failure at this roll will indicate that the character was overcome by pain or received a strong blow that knocked this character unconscious for 1d12 rounds. There are cases where the duration may be extended or shortened (i.e. poison gas, severe wound, etc.).

Fortitude Points (FP)



The body of a character is made up of ten specific and five general areas, each of which are able to withstand a certain amount of damage. This damage is quantified by Fortitude Points. A character's base Fortitude Points are their (STR + CON + WILL) /3 + 1/2 CON. Arms and Legs are considered incapacitated if they reach zero Fortitude Points and severed if they reach negative the Fortitude Points for that area. If a character reaches zero in a critical area (Head & Chest), then they are incapacitated and they will lose one fortitude point in that area until First Aid is applied. If they reach negative their Fortitude Points in that area, then they die. If a character reaches zero in a vital area (Stomach & Groin), then they are incapacitated and will die if a save vs. Will is not made. If the save is made, then the character will slowly die losing one Fortitude Point per round until they reach negative the Fortitude Points for that area. Once negative their fortitude points in a vital area, a character expires. For more information on bleeding see Concussion Damage on page 134.

If a character has above a 20 CON, then the character receives 1d12 additional Fortitude Points for each point above 20. All characters receive half their CON in addition to their Fortitude Points. The number of Fortitude Points are determined as follows.

Head & Chest 0.5 (base Fortitude Points)

Stomach & Groin base Fortitude Points

Arms & Legs 2 x (base Fortitude Points)

For example, if Buffy has an 18 STR, 19 CON, and a 20 WILL, then her base Fortitude Points are 19;

18 + 19 + 20 = 57/3 = 19 + 9 = 28;

Thusly, Buffy will have the following breakdown of specific areas:

1,4 14 points

7,8 28 points

3,2,5,6,9,10 56 points

This can be quickly and easily kept track of by a little initial setup of the character. A simple chart like the one at the start of this section is all that is needed. Characters recover fortitude points at a rate of one fortitude point per 24 hours of bed rest + 1 for every point of CON above 16.

Defense Stat (DS)

Defense stat represents how difficult it is for a character to be hit. It is calculated by taking the average of the STR, AGL, and CON scores (STR+AGL+CON)/3. In this respect, strength represents the character's ability to move in armor, agility stands for the ability to dodge, and constitution represents how long a character can keep up the fighting pace. Note that in order to move and fight in armor, a skill must be taken in the desired armor. Also, heavy, bulky armors will affect the defense stat. Remember to subtract the armor modifier given for the desired type of armor from the defense stat result. As well, add in strength modifiers as appropriate.

When attempting to hit an object, the same principles are employed. The defense of an object will rely on how difficult it is to hit while applying common sense. If someone is just trying to pick up a stationary object, then no to hit is required. If they are trying to snatch the golden apple from the center of burning magma while on one foot with a frayed lasso, the defense of that object will be considerable. Size also is a consideration. For instance, an apple is more difficult to hit than a watermelon. The same situational modifiers can be applied from Suggested Combat Modifiers on page 130 apply to hitting objects. Examples of defense statistics for objects are apple = 10, watermelon = 5, bull's eye on a target = 18, this book = 9.

Codes

Codes are really a very simple concept to embrace. They are the most important things, beliefs or people in your character's life. For a criminal they may be money, then family, then the syndicate. What this means is that the criminal would sell out her family for enough gold but would defy the syndicate to save her family. These are not meant to be shackles to bind play but more something to add to the definition of a character. The following are some example codes.

Respect for Family, Loyalty to the Syndicate, Loyalty to Friends

This code would mean that in a conflict of interests the character would look first to the honor of their family, then to the interests of the syndicate and finally, if it would betray their friends.

Self, Power, Wealth

This code would be popular in many of the trade organizations. Many of the trade leaders, though, are less committed to the cause of free trade and more committed to their egos. This code would mean that the individual was dedicated to himself, gaining power for his organization or himself (often one and the same) and finally to personal wealth.

Dedication to Duty, Welfare of Others, Hatred of Injustice

This would be a typical code for an officer of the law. For this person his duty is clear and he will do his duty even in the face of the welfare of others, since his duty will set all things right. He cannot deny his hatred of evil injustices and will fight to right those wrongs.

Storytelling, Truth, and Lost Causes

An actor would abide by these codes. For this actor nothing is so good as the telling of a story. The truth must be maintained even when fighting for a cause. Perhaps this is why he is always involved in lost causes.

Welfare of the State, Self, Wealth

This code would be good for spies whose only attachment is themselves and the state they serve. If it is a choice between surviving the encounter or making off with the wealth, they will go with saving their own skin.

Self, Wealth, Syndicate, Safety, Revenge

This code would represent a self serving individual who wishes nothing so much as serving her own needs. She sees wealth as a way to accomplish this and it does not pay to cross the Syndicate. Her own safety ranks higher than revenge, but she would gamble it all for an extra dollar.

Science, Family, Gadgets

Engineers might embrace this code. In their pursuit of science, they will sometimes neglect their family. In their spare time, they make or buy gadgets.

Experience
Level
Experience
1
0 - 7
2
8 - 15
3
16 - 22
4
23 - 32
5
33 - 43
6
44 - 57
7
58 - 73
8
74 - 90
9
91 - 108
10
109 - 127
11
128 - 148
12
149 - 174
13
175 - 205
14
206 - 241
15
242 - 282

Experience should be awarded on the following scale:

5 points: if the characters accomplished a major goal in the campaign.

1 point: if a character showed excellent role-playing in the course of the campaign.

1 point: if the player role played an aspect of his character extremely well; e.g. a soldier consistently wishes to battle but refrains from slaying women and children because of personal codes.

1 point: if the player played well, i.e. got along with other players, not his character and others, but the player and other players (he didn't pout, he didn't gloat, etc.)

1 - 10 points: This reflects the difficulty of the campaign for the players and the characters. Remember, the same group of players may breeze through an adventure with one set of characters and die in ten minutes with another.

Gauge appropriately.

1 - 3 points: For each EXTRAORDINARY action a character is involved in, he or she should be rewarded for his or her bravery (or luck).

1 - 5 points: For group unity and cohesion; did they work together or was it a night of arguing rules and rude insults.

The Game Master should feel free to make up his or her own criteria and allow characters to advance at a speed comfortable both to them and to the GM.

Experience can be spent in the following manners.

Tracking Experience

Experience is tracked in two modes, total and reserve. Total experience represents the total experience earned by a character. It is the sum total of all experience earned by a character. Reserve experience is the amount of total experience that hasn't yet been spent on updates according to the Reserve Experiece Cost Table. For example, if a character is rewarded 8 experience that character then has 8 total experience and 8 reserve experience. If they then spend 4 experience on a new skill and another 2 experience to raise it to second level, they would have 8 total experience (making them second level), have 2 reserve experience, and a new skill at second skill level.


Statistics for Characters

Reserve Experience Cost Table
Area
Cost (Exp)
Notes
New Skill
4
Training for new skills may range from 3 - 9 months at GM's discretion.
Advance existing skill
skill level desired in exp.+ any skill levels in between
Example: You presently have a skill level of 1 and wish to raise it to 3. You must spend 2 for level 2 +3 for level 3 = 5 total exp points.
Stats
20 pts/stat point
20 exp points to raise a stat 1 point with a max of 20
Weapon Prof
Plus to Hit
3 points per plus; + 1 to hit = 3 experience points; + 2 = 6 experience points; all levels between current and target must be paid for; i.e. to go from + 0 to + 2 you must pay for +1 and +2 for a total of 9 points.
Weapon Prof
Plus to Damage
1 point per plus; + 1 to damage = 1 experience points; + 2 = 2 experience points; all levels between current and target must be paid for; i.e. to go from + 0 to + 2 you must pay for +1 and +2 for a total of 3 points.
Weapon Prof
Additional Attack
6 points per Attack; + 1 to attacks = 6 experience points; + 2 = 12 experience points; all levels between current and target must be paid for; i.e. to go from + 0 to + 2 you must pay for +1 and +2 for a total of 18 points. The max number of additional attacks that a character may have is x2 the original number of attacks for that weapon.
Weapon Prof
Additional Die of Damage
6 points per additional die; + 1 die = 6 experience points; + 2 = 12 experience points; all levels between current and target must be paid for; i.e. to go from + 0 to + 2 you must pay for +1 and +2 for a total of 18 points. The max number of additional dice that a character may have is x2 the original number of dice for that weapon.
Psi Discipline
15
This will allow a Psi to acquire additional disciplines beyond the initial one chosen with the class.



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