Space Ruins [OCC]

[ericthered]

There are precursor remnants all over the galaxy, remnants of many cultures, many species, and many empires. Many of these peoples where not that much more advanced than we are today, and the common plateau of technology. Many of them have had their technology fall into disuse and rust away, or had it already plundered by younger races who saw only advanced materials rather than advanced design.

But there are exceptions to all of this. The most notable are the Haldor, and you have recently come across the coordinates for one of their secrete military labs -- still mostly intact. The stuff you can capture are worth the risks all by themselves. The secretes of the lab are worth many times more than that....

The Genre:

Space Opera!(exploration of ancient secretes).

Psionics are not in play.

Cinematics are in play.

Most aliens are humanoids (but non-humanoids are not rare).

The setting used was inspired by VUASO. you should not need to know anything about the setting though. Do not feel any obligation to read it. It merely provides inspiration for the game.

Character creation:

Characters should be built on 250 points (action is a great starting point).
Disadvantages are by approval. Make it fun!
Wild Card skills are in, except for science! (though Biology! and Physics! are in)
IQ,per, and will are purchased separately.
I'm debating using lwcamp's wounding system.

The following are pieces of characters, not complete concepts. On 250 points you can probably pull off multiple roles.

A hacker is a good idea.
An electronic surveillance/gadget dude is a good idea
A engineer who can safely burrow through space ship walls and repair things is a good idea. Both Hyperspace and life support are particularly good ideas.
scientists who understand the roots of precursor and cutting edge tech (Hyperdrives, Nanotech, Genegeneering, gravity manipulation) are a great idea.
A gadgeteer who can work with alien stuff is a good idea.
An Archaeologist steeped in the history, culture, and language of the haldor is a good idea.
A face man is a good idea.
A guy who is at home in naked space is a good idea. some free fall experience is desirable for everyone.
Combat Skills are a good idea for everyone, though there is a place for a non-combatant.
That of course, suggests medical training might not be a bad idea.

A dedicated pilot is a bad idea.
Background can be military, academic, civilian or criminal (though I'm hoping we will gravitate to one or two of these)

[ericthered]

Technology:

Most races are part of the 'technology plateu', a technological state that it is difficult to progress beyond. Some basic technology is replicable but not well understood, holdovers from the precursors. Most cultures have some technology they are just a little better at, but requires a huge manufacturing base and is either more expensive to others or simply not to be had. And some precursors, like the haldor, seem to have broken the plateu

AI: Artificial intelligence is available but poor: AI's are limited to DX and IQ 8 plus one skill at 11, precursor and racial exceptions are common. Limited to a number of shapes (including humanoid).

Nano-tech: Precursor and (one rare) racial exceptions.

Computers: Automated targeting systems are as AIs. Cinematic hacking is in play. Each Race has its own speciality for computers and programming or hacking another race's is done at a penalty (usually -1 to -3).

Gravity manipulation: available in most forms, including artificial gravity, reaction-less propulsion, tractor and force beams.

Battle Suits: limited to DX 10, as they are based on the android technology. minor racial and precursor exceptions(mostly raised max DX).

Force Fields: A custom version will be used to adapt to the lower TL. The basis is that a 20 lb shield will have DR 25(2) and last a hour on a D-cell without recharging or 1 minute if it is recharging. I hope to scale size and DR from there.

HyperDrive: Uses this system. If its too long for you to read (probably) just know that hyperspace is racked by storms that make navigation a pain, slow bad navigators down a lot, and require good charts. Charts are quite expensive to make and will be a form of loot.

Nuclear Dampers: Very common, very cheap. The Haldor seem to have figured out a way around this. Right before their civilization was destroyed in nuclear bombardments.

Anti-matter: confined to laboratories due to containment issues. Precursor exceptions.

Genegeneering: Safe tech for most species. Precursor and racial exceptions.

Super science not mentioned above: Doesn't exist.

Weapons:
Gravity Beams
Laser Beams
Conventional Fire Arms (half damage divisor (2))
Flamers

[ericthered]

State of the Galaxy:

Each world is pretty much independent, and multiple nations aren't uncommon. It takes as much as a week to get between the closest inhabited worlds, which are hundreds of light years away from each other. Alliances are common and cultures have lots of interaction, but space flight is slow, if fairly cheap.

The dominant species in the region are humans and a race called the Melnat. The Melnat are a frail but tech-savy people with a ossified autocracy at their head. They consider themselves the heirs of the Haldor, and most wars in the region are between Melnats and humans.

There are a variety of human subraces. The most important six are as follows:

• Oom: the majority of humans and considered baseline by the galaxy. Tend to handle cold temperatures better than other humans.
• Al Jamia: An arabian-inspired culture that currently wields great political and cultural influence.
• Machine Lords: A small population with enormous wealth generated by androids. tend to live on marginal worlds.
• Jiwethi: A subculture of humans that live entirely on space ships and space stations.
• Draqtauri: A culture whose military traditions seem to permeate all that they do. fairly populous and influential.
• Terran: A new politically obstinate and opinionated culture form the turbulent(and presumed empty) hyperspace spinward of the Human Sphere.

races

[MatthewVilter]

I am so down for this!

(stream of consciousness/brainstorming follows)

Let's see...my last three characters (including Melissa, Greg, and the guy from this game) have been high-IQ technologists so I think a change is in order.

So I think I want to make a DX character...

So maybe a freefall expert/combat specialist?

Who can serve as a faceman...

Maybe a Jiwethi?


How does that sound to you/other players?

[LemmingLord]

http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.p...3&postcount=38

PC Roster

Originally Posted by ericthered

A list of links to house rules and tech listings.

AI, legal technologies, Battlesuits
force screens, vehicles
all familiaries rule
The ship stats
Armor stacking, conventional guns
laser dagger
adjustable flamer

the character list

Originally Posted by ericthered

Dr. Smith, do you have a first name?

We're getting really close: close enough to start fleshing out NPC's to fill the gaps on the team.

The ship crew has four people:

Captain: Rulon Lan (piloting and nominal leadership on ship, Omm)
Pilot: Marli Amonsa (piloting)
Navigator: Zariq Dritmak (navigation, draqtari)
Mechanic: Anthon tolsa (ship repair, mantainance)

Five People have been provided to flesh out the science team:

Director: Haja Atif (management and languages, Al jamia)
Security: Garzo (security and combat, Teleb)
Scientist: Maria Randez (hyperspace, Terran)
Scientist: Pikkuki ukogi (stasis fields and nuclear dampers, Pacheckii)
Scientist: "Aunt Ann" (Nanotech, Engineer Ant)

These are low point PC's -- I don't think anyone will top 100 points. They will be loaded up with the disadvantages so common to civilized life. the party beats the skills of everyone but Haja (we didn't really get a face guy), and the specialist scientists.

Most of the crew has some combat skills but most also have relectant killer and over half of them have unfit.

The ship people are there because they want the ship manned at all times.

Originally Posted by Refplace

I had a similar issue earlier and Eric put a good link in the State of the Galaxy post on the first page of this thread. Here is the link to races.
http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.p...31&postcount=2

[MatthewVilter]

Originally Posted by LemmingLord

1st idea: a young poor human female miner character who somehow ends up with a precursor android eye that gives all kinds of insights about other precursor tech, but NOT other tech. A powerful company or nation or some other interested party "owns" the eye and essentially own her and her family. They are nice to her as long as they do what they say. There is evidence or at least rumors that the eye was carved out of the last person when they stopped playing nice so she has good incentive to do what they say in detecting, analyzing and recovering artifacts for them.

Sounds like a good hook. Definitely would be good to have someone with that kind of exceptional insight around! It does have unfortunate implications for the morality of our employers...

As a young, poor, miner how many of her points are tied up in the eye?

Originally Posted by LemmingLord

Mathew: a freefall fighter face sounds great to me! Is he/she a space marine or a space rugby champion?

Blitzball champion!

jk jk

I think something like: She washed out of police/MP academy not for lack of skill but for lack of discipline. She ends up freelancing and is now on our crew.

So, good with small arms and martial arts plus good communication skills and competent technically but a little on the unpredictable side.

[MatthewVilter]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Characters should be built on 250 points (action is a great starting point).

I don't have Action or DF. Will it be a problem that I don't really know what those templates look like? I have been looking for an excuse to pick up another GURPS book...

Originally Posted by ericthered

Wild Card skills are in, except for science! (though Biology! and Physics! are in)

Will it be a good idea for everyone to grab a Wild Card skill or two? Or only pick them up for things like Engineer that have an inconvenient number of specialisations?

Originally Posted by ericthered

I'm debating using lwcamp's wounding system.

Is that this:
http://panoptesv.com/RPGs/HouseRules/wounds.html
?

Originally Posted by ericthered

A dedicated pilot is a bad idea.

Will it still be useful for some of us to know how to fly?



Oh also, what is the base TL?

[Poonbahbah]

Check out his signature link "vote up a space opera!" for a whole lot of background information on everything including the fact it's TL 9 with some super-science.

If I didn't feel like I was already in enough games I'd try harder to come up with something for this one.

[MatthewVilter]

Originally Posted by Poonbahbah

Check out his signature link "vote up a space opera!" for a whole lot of background information on everything including the fact it's TL 9 with some super-science.

Oh that makes sense. Thanks!

[LemmingLord]

Originally Posted by MatthewVilter

As a young, poor, miner how many of her points are tied up in the eye?

Good question. 50-100+ any unusual background costs the gm would ask for. Let's see... The eye is essentially not removeable. advantages: Detect Precursor Artifact, Racial Memory and/or contact group: precursor memories (for memories of anyone whose had the eye, including precursors). Disadvantages: ugly, voices (the memories of previous owners occasionally come through if the eye sees familiar sights related to those memories).