GURPS Centauri Knights

[Tzeentch]

-- Probably a straightforward conversion, but CK is quite a bit less transhuman than Transhuman Space is. The only hard thing to balance is probably the fog witch powers, but even that's fairly straightforward. Might want to build the servopanzers as Gadgets but that's not for everyone :)

[marvin]

Originally Posted by Tzeentch

-- Probably a straightforward conversion, but CK is quite a bit less transhuman than Transhuman Space is. The only hard thing to balance is probably the fog witch powers, but even that's fairly straightforward. Might want to build the servopanzers as Gadgets but that's not for everyone :)

I figured since there wasn't too much info on the Sol system and Terra it meant I had some wiggle room. For the Fog Witches I was going to use Psionics with the power modifier Nanotech (-15%) from Supers (pg. 34) as well as some other limitations, like only works through nanite swarms. The Servo Panzers seem to be Powered Combat Armor (GURPS Ultra-Tech, pgs. 182-183) or at least close enough. CK has a bit more reliance on powered armor, but it also has AI Cybershells. I'll chalk it up to the 5 year travel lag and a general lack of ultra-tech industry in the Centauri star system.

CK's cyborgs could just be cybershells that are inhabited by Ghosts. Of course we could add some really old models that actually have detached brains in bio pods as their pilots. Imagine the surprise of a new arrival who sees the ruined brain of some luckless soul seeping out of a cybershell. It will be a harsh revelation to some when they realize that for their dead comrade there is no infomorph back-up.

Thanks for the thoughts. The good thing I am finding is that GURPS Space has a number of character templates that seem near matches for the character classes listed in CK.

Benjamin

[vitruvian]

Originally Posted by marvin

I figured since there wasn't too much info on the Sol system and Terra it meant I had some wiggle room. For the Fog Witches I was going to use Psionics with the power modifier Nanotech (-15%) from Supers (pg. 34) as well as some other limitations, like only works through nanite swarms. The Servo Panzers seem to be Powered Combat Armor (GURPS Ultra-Tech, pgs. 182-183) or at least close enough. CK has a bit more reliance on powered armor, but it also has AI Cybershells. I'll chalk it up to the 5 year travel lag and a general lack of ultra-tech industry in the Centauri star system.

CK's cyborgs could just be cybershells that are inhabited by Ghosts. Of course we could add some really old models that actually have detached brains in bio pods as their pilots. Imagine the surprise of a new arrival who sees the ruined brain of some luckless soul seeping out of a cybershell. It will be a harsh revelation to some when they realize that for their dead comrade there is no infomorph back-up.

Thanks for the thoughts. The good thing I am finding is that GURPS Space has a number of character templates that seem near matches for the character classes listed in CK.

Benjamin

Supers also had an Improviser template with a lense where the flexible power was based on a nanofog, might want to look at that. What kinds of things can the Fog Witches do in the source material?

[marvin]

Originally Posted by vitruvian

Supers also had an Improviser template with a lense where the flexible power was based on a nanofog, might want to look at that. What kinds of things can the Fog Witches do in the source material?

Good catch. This may be the best way to handle their powers. Though I would add the Environmental limitation (Common on Osiris and the in the Osiran habitats, -10% and Very Rare in the Sol system, -80%).

Fog Witch powers consist of d20 Magical powers Environmental Control, Extra Defenses, Force Field (Wall), Heightened Senses (Vibration Sense), Insubstantial, Mind Control (Xenotech), Mind Shield, Personal Gear, Projection, Sensory Block, Sixth Sense (Fog Manipulation), Telekinesis, and Telepathy (Xenotech). All of these are limited in that they require mental contact with the alien nanite aerostats.

In GURPS terms these nanites are Utility Fog (Ultra-Tech pgs. 70-71) with aerostat chassis. Power for the nanites I think comes from a combination of RTG, Solar Cell and perhaps Broadcast Power. This Utility Fog can also act as other types of swarms such as surveillance. See descriptions of Swarmbots in Ultra-Tech (pgs. 35-37 & many other pages for descriptions of the different types of swarms). I'm inclined to give the Osiran nanites the ability to become nearly any type of swarm but with higher difficulties in controlling them when asking them to perform more esoteric functions.

The Telepathy related powers work only against Osiran robots, nanites and those with an embedded Dream Jewel (an alien artifact that acts to give the person whose forehead it is implanted into the power to communicate with Osiran tech). Within the TS universe I am inclined to allow high-powered Fog Witches to buy off the, only works with Osiran technology (-50% in Osiran space, -80% in Sol system), limitation. This can be justified by treating the Dream Jewel as if its a Virtual Interface Implant (TS: Changing Times, pgs. 57-58) harboring a SAI or in some cases a Ghost or Fragment (Changing Times, pgs. 52-53). Over time the Osiran SAI/Ghost could learn to manipulate human equipment as well, though some sort of hacking rule will need to be implemented.

What do you think?
Benjamin

[Tzeentch]

-- Geez, I'm the one who drafted the d20 classes in that book and I don't remember anything what I gave them :)

-- Fog witches require proficiency with the Osiran language, but that is probably a special effect in GURPS.

-- In BESM they have a somewhat limited ability set:

Environmental Control (partial darkness) --> Obscure (Vision) w/ Area Effect

Force Field (wall) -- DR (Force Field) with Directional, Affects Others and Area Effect.

Meld (solid fog only) --> Permeation (nanotech)

Mind Control --> Mind Control

Sensors (indirect) --> Probably best modelled as increased Perception with the nanotech limitation.
Telepathy (other fog witches and xenomechs)

All fog witches have Magical Restrictions (requires ghost fog), Marked (live dream jewel implant), Skeleton in the Closet (Fog Witch). --> REquires nanotech (same as Biological, -10%), Distinctive FEature (live dream jewel), Secret (Fog Witch, imprisonment).

[vitruvian]

Originally Posted by Tzeentch

-- Geez, I'm the one who drafted the d20 classes in that book and I don't remember anything what I gave them :)

-- Fog witches require proficiency with the Osiran language, but that is probably a special effect in GURPS.

-- In BESM they have a somewhat limited ability set:

Environmental Control (partial darkness) --> Obscure (Vision) w/ Area Effect

Wouldn't this be an Obscure based on fog/smoke rather than darkness per se?

Originally Posted by Tzeentch

Force Field (wall) -- DR (Force Field) with Directional, Affects Others and Area Effect.

Maybe Innate Attack (Rigid Wall) instead so it's semipermanent barriers with some HP as well as DR, until dissolved? Start off with Crushing (the worst that happens is you take collision damage from running into it; No Wounding if it's cushy and yielding so you get stopped without harm), then add other damage types as AAs or linked Wall effects - Burning w/Surge for an electrified barrier, Corrosive for a nanofog barrier that tries to eat what impacts it, etc.

Originally Posted by Tzeentch

Meld (solid fog only) --> Permeation (nanotech)

And this would then cleanly allow Permeation that lets you pass through your own and other's nanofog barriers.

Originally Posted by Tzeentch

Mind Control --> Mind Control

Do the targets need to have nanotech of some kind in them already, or can this involve sending fog nanites out to infiltrate their brains? Quick Contest vs. Will, or vs. HT since it's neurological? Is there a Resistance available?

Originally Posted by Tzeentch

Sensors (indirect) --> Probably best modelled as increased Perception with the nanotech limitation.

Could this extend to include vision in other spectra, or even Clairsentience, i.e., remote viewing using sensors at long distances? 360 Vision or Vibration Sense?

Originally Posted by Tzeentch

Telepathy (other fog witches and xenomechs)

Can you have the fog infiltrate 'fresh' brains so you can read and send thoughts with them as well?

Originally Posted by Tzeentch

All fog witches have Magical Restrictions (requires ghost fog), Marked (live dream jewel implant), Skeleton in the Closet (Fog Witch). --> REquires nanotech (same as Biological, -10%), Distinctive FEature (live dream jewel), Secret (Fog Witch, imprisonment).

Is the use of the fog fatiguing? Maybe it would be possible to actually do the abilities with a subset of spells from GURPS Magic, with ghost fog substituting for Mana.

[Tzeentch]

Originally Posted by vitruvian

Wouldn't this be an Obscure based on fog/smoke rather than darkness per se?

-- I don't have the books in front of me, but the end effect is a Vision penalty, correct? The rest is a special effect.

Maybe Innate Attack (Rigid Wall) instead so it's semipermanent barriers with some HP as well as DR, until dissolved? Start off with Crushing (the worst that happens is you take collision damage from running into it; No Wounding if it's cushy and yielding so you get stopped without harm), then add other damage types as AAs or linked Wall effects - Burning w/Surge for an electrified barrier, Corrosive for a nanofog barrier that tries to eat what impacts it, etc.

-- I don't remember their walls doing damage. Is this an extrapolation?

Do the targets need to have nanotech of some kind in them already, or can this involve sending fog nanites out to infiltrate their brains? Quick Contest vs. Will, or vs. HT since it's neurological? Is there a Resistance available?

-- Every 'human' in Centauri Knights is a cyborg, so that's where I imagine it comes into play. Requries Osiran fog around to do anything though.

Could this extend to include vision in other spectra, or even Clairsentience, i.e., remote viewing using sensors at long distances? 360 Vision or Vibration Sense?

-- Certainly. Perhaps even stuff like Combat Reflexes and Perks like Back to the Wall.

Can you have the fog infiltrate 'fresh' brains so you can read and send thoughts with them as well?

-- It's not clear. I think Mind Control is more like you are only hijacking the electronics of their cyborg bodies or using solid fog around them to direct movements.

Is the use of the fog fatiguing? Maybe it would be possible to actually do the abilities with a subset of spells from GURPS Magic, with ghost fog substituting for Mana.

-- It does cost energy in BESM.