Editing User:Bill/Hyperstructure Aurora (section)

=TriStat dX=
While incredibly versatile, TriStat dX is almost crippled by its own flexibility. Without clearly defined ranges of minimum and maximum players flounder and often leave some bad loop-holes in their characters. This problem is easily resolved by defining some basic setting assumptions and some systemic limits though.

==Setting Assumptions==
===Super-Science Weapons and Armor===
Hyperstructure Aurora is set in the far flung future where technology has advanced considerably. 
*Ray guns can easily destroy a person in a single shot and body armor exists that can absorb or deflect that kind of punishment. Likewise these armors are completely resistant against conventional weapons. 
*To reflect this I establish the base damage rating for high-tech weapons to be 60 and the base rating of armor to be 40. This allows a successful attack that inflicts even 50% damage to cripple an unarmored human and an attack of at least 75% damage to harm an armored person or object.
*Bigger structures have a higher armor value.
*Bigger weapons inflict more damage.
*These weapons and armors should be purchased as Items of Power or Own a Big Mecha for balancing purposes.
:[[User:Bill/Hyperstructure_Aurora/Build_a_Gun|Build a Gun]]
:[[User:Bill/Hyperstructure_Aurora/Build_an_Armor|Build an Armor]]

===Magic===
Magic exists and can be used in either brief, combat effective, spells or longer more time consuming rituals. Living sacrifices increase the power of spell casters.
*TriStat dX can simulate this via individual Attributes purchased with appropriate PMVs and Defects, as a Divine Relationship, or Dynamic Powers.
*Most, if not all, Attributes intended to reflect magic should include the Burns Energy defect and Requires Skill Roll as a restriction.
*Attributes intended to reflect a "natural" magical ability may have no restrictions, but Burns Energy is still recommended.
*For balancing reasons magical abilities should not exceed the offensive or defensive guidelines laid out for Super-Science weapons and armor above.
===Psychic Powers===
The existence of extra-sensory perception and psychokinesis are readily accepted facts. These abilities are primarily genetic though most humans are capable of reaching deep within themselves to gain access to one power or another.
*TriStat dX simulates psychic abilities through a variety of Attributes.
*Attributes purchased as psychic powers should include the Burns Energy and Concentration defects. They may also require the Requires Stat [Mind] Roll Restriction.
*For balancing reasons psychic abilities should not exceed the offensive or defensive guidelines laid out for Super-Science weapons and armor above.

===Alien Life===
Strictly speaking anything not from Earth is an alien, regardless of whether it arrived via space-craft, summoning ritual, or extra-dimensional gateway.
*Virtually anything goes as far as the appearance and powers of any given alien. However, for balancing reasons they should not exceed the offensive and defensive guidelines laid out for Super-Science weapons and armor above.
==Characters==
===Character Creation===
Player characters for Hyperstructure Aurora were permitted to have any imaginable background story as long as they could be created using 115 points plus 5 mandatory points of character defects. Players were allowed to have as many as an additional 3 points of defects, for an effective total maximum of 123 points. 

Most stats are expected to fall within the normal range for human beings; with 4 being average and 12 being the maximum capacity normally attainable by humans.

At this point value characters also begin play with 30 skill points. Additional skill points are available by using the Highly Skilled Attribute. Skill ratings should not exceed 4 except in special cases.

====Humans====
The vast majority of beings living in the shanty town of Aurora are human or indistinguishable from humanity. This is the result of a strong xenophobia propagated by the civil governance council. Regular ad campaigns are conducted to promote fear of aliens, highlighting common differences such as language, appearance, and diet. The typical resident of the shanty town is absolutely convinced that anyone who doesn't look human is morally degenerate or worse a ravening killer. Those who have had extensive cybernetic reconstruction are also subject to this sort of prejudice.

Taking this into account most player characters should at least appear human.
====Non-Humans====
Those who are obviously not human will need to take the Ism Defect at a level commensurate with how far from normal their appearance deviates. As a rough guideline:
* '''Ism 1''' indicates that the character has one major difference in his or her appearance from normal humans such as oddly colored eyes, a forked tongue, or some other feature that may be concealed. He or she will experience some discrimination, usually in the form of poor service and being more closely scrutinized than normal humans.
* '''Ism 2''' indicates that the character has several major differences in his or her appearance from normal humans, but can still pass for human with a lot of effort. Heavily modified cybernetic organisms often fall into this category as well. Characters that vary this much from normal will experience substantial discrimination including denial of services and people crossing the street to avoid being in his or her path. Hate groups may specifically target the character if he or she complains about this treatment.
* '''Ism 3''' indicates that there is no way that the character can be mistaken for a human being. Cybernetically enhanced men and women who have installed additional arms, tentacles, or who have otherwise modified their appearance to the point that their human origins are questionable also fall into this category. Characters that  deviate this far from normal will be denied entry to many establishments, risk random assault on the street, and may be targeted by hate groups.
Regardless of where a character falls on this continuum they can expect to receive very little support or aid from law enforcement due to the unofficial anti-alien policies of the civil governance council.

====Skills====
Tri-Stat applies a variable cost for each skill based upon the utility of the skill in the setting. The more useful it is the more skill points it costs. Hyperstructure Aurora is a hybrid genre game featuring elements of post-apocalyptic stories and horror stories; featuring advanced technology, mutant powers, magic, and psionics. Use the following cost for each skill.


{| align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="90%"
|-
| '''Skill''' || '''Cost''' || '''Skill''' || '''Cost'''
|-
| Acrobatics || 4 || Performing Arts || 1
|-
| Animal Training || 2 || Physical Sciences || 2
|-
| Architecture || 2 || Piloting || 2
|-
| Area Knowledge || 3 || Poisons || 2
|-
| Artisan || 2 || Police Sciences || 2
|-
| Biological Sciences || 2 || Power Usage || 5
|-
| Boating || 2 || Powerlifting || 4
|-
| Burglary || 3 || Riding || 2
|-
| Climbing || 2 || Seduction || 2
|-
| Computers || 3 || Sleight of Hand || 2
|-
| Controlled Breathing || 1 || Social Sciences || 2
|-
| Cultural Arts || 1 || Sports || 1
|-
| Demolitions || 3 || Stealth || 3
|-
| Disguise || 3 || Street Sense || 3
|-
| Domestic Arts || 2 || Swimming || 2
|-
| Driving || 2 || Urban Tracking || 3
|-
| Electronics || 2 || Visual Arts || 1
|-
| Etiquette || 2 || Wilderness Survival || 3
|-
| Foreign Culture || 1 || Wilderness Tracking || 3
|-
| Forgery || 2 || Writing || 1
|-
| Gaming || 1 || '''Combat Skills'''
|-
| Interrogation || 3 || Archery || 2
|-
| Intimidation || 3  || Gun Combat || 5
|-
| Languages || 1 || Heavy Weapons || 4
|-
| Law || 1 || Melee Attack || 5
|-
| Management/Admin || 2 || Melee Defence || 5
|-
| Mechanics || 2 || Ranged Defence || 6
|-
| Medical || 3 || Special Ranged Attack || 5
|- 
| Military Sciences || 3 || Thrown Weapons || 4
|-
| Navigation || 3 || Unarmed Attack || 5
|-
| Occult || 3 || Unarmed Defence || 5
|}

===Player Characters===
These characters appeared in the original Hyperstructure Aurora experiment.

{| border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" width="100%"
|-
|width="25%"| [[User:Bill/Hyperstructure_Aurora/Characters:Dead_On_Arrival|Larry "DOA" Lebowitz]]
| A master marksman and tracker armed with an almost endless array and variety of weapons.
|-
| [[User:Bill/Hyperstructure_Aurora/Characters:Nailo|Nailo]]
| A draconic alien shape-shifter capable of amazing feats of strength.
|-
| [[User:Bill/Hyperstructure_Aurora/Characters:Quintus_Sertorius_Valens|Quintus Sertorius Valens]]
| A wolf-like humanoid alien armed with psychic abilities and grafted armor, dedicated to enforcing justice and protecting the weak.
|-
| [[User:Bill/Hyperstructure_Aurora/Characters:Seth_Milan|Seth Milan]]
| Victim of a strange mystical ritual, Seth must struggle against the demon that has been bound inside him.
|-
| [[User:Bill/Hyperstructure_Aurora/Characters:Sumrip|Sumrip]] 
| A humaniod alien assassin armed with an array of useful items including a cybernetic arm, an energy blade, and his powerful mind.
|-
| [[User:Bill/Hyperstructure_Aurora/Characters:Turgon|Turgon]]
| A deadly combat cyborg.
|}