The Salvage of the Kaine
Introduction and Background
Cheap, powerful ion drives opened up the solar system, bringing in ores from the asteroid belt and scattering mankind across the system. Better yet, it looked as if Kemmler Compression would open up the stars, but crews sent on the longer jumps never returned, though some probes did.
Whether something about the drive caused the rash of emerging psy talents that followed the first tests or it whether it was just happenstance was never clear. The Ascendents were brilliant and almost all of them meant well, wanted to make the world better but their plans and the shock of their sudden emergence caused chaos.
The revolt against Psy Ascendancy almost trashed the planet. Ruthless and indiscriminate nano-tech attacks wiped out the Ascendants, anyone holding those genes and many other genetic heritages.
You cannot go home. So you work in space.
The “Compass Rose” is a sturdy, ugly ion-drive tug, hand-to-mouthing it around the outer system. Following a lead you have come upon the haul of a lifetime: a state-of-the-art science vessel, tumbling silently in the blackness far beyond the orbit of Jupiter….
Threads
Setting Rules
The game runs using Savage Worlds Adventure Edition rules. Characters start as Novice and are either crew of the Compass Rose or survivors on the Kaine. People playing survivors can take the hindrances Pattern Sickness level 1 (minor The only Arcane Background is Psionics, which makes you an Ascendant, hunted and reviled and needs me to sign off on it.
Distance
in space distances are in metres. One tabletop inch (2yds) is 1.8 metres so Pace 6" is 10 metres.
Weightlessness
Walking and Jumping
Moving at your pace along a solid surface or between closely placed (less than 3 metres apart) handholds requires no roll. Jumping from one handhold to another requires an Athletics roll. If the distance to the next handhold is greater than the character’s Pace, they make the roll at -2, if it is more than twice their Pace it is at -4 etc. A success means they arrived safely, a failure indicates they missed their handhold, and they are now Floating.
Flight
Flying requires suit jets and allows movement up to twice Pace with a simple Piloting roll, up to three times Pace at -2 to the roll. Failing the Pilot roll will give you the status Floating. In the case of a critical failure you have picked up a spin and are also Distracted.
Floating
If you are not in reach of a handhold in a weightless environment your status is Floating. While Floating you are at -2 to use any trait linked to Agility.
If you have suit jets you can remove the status Floating by making a Pilot roll as a move action. This roll does not suffer the -2 penalty.
Prone
If a character would be knocked Prone they must make an immediate Athletics roll. On a failure they lose their handhold and start Floating.