Blue Giant:Additional Material

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Revision as of 16:18, 26 September 2007 by TrapperQ (talk | contribs) (Added Starship Operations skill)
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Attributes

A.I. Cryptography

Cost: - 1 point/Level

Relevant Stat: - None

Type: - Mecha

Codes are simple things. Put them into a thirty-first century computer and out pops the answer. It doesn't matter how quantum they are or how many prime numbers are factored in, codes are easy. The only way to hide a message is to keep it on the move. That means having an A.I. computer program remember it as a matrix of constantly shifting mathematical values. If you download the A.I onto an inert medium, it stops calculating and loses the data. If the A.I thinks it is about to be compromised, it commits suicide and you lose the data. The only way to get to the data is if the A.I. tells you the answer and to do that, you have to pass a number of little tests. Each level of this attribute adds one condition that a character must fulfil to receive a code. At best, an astonishingly good hacking skill check might reveal to the PC what the conditions of fulfilment are, roughly, but if the A.I gets wind that someone is hacking it, then it will more than likely wipe the data. An A.I is an intelligent entity in its own right and cannot be copied. It moves from system to system.

Conditions are entirely up to the referee but typical conditions are.

  • A.I. must be on a particular computer system, e.g any treaty ranger ships computer, the university library computer, Joe's blue datapad.
  • A.I must recognise the person it is passing info onto, e.g any Imperial Fleet Admiral, Big Joe Kryzygsky, another A.I.
  • A.I must be in a particular location, e.g aboard the trading vessel 'The Dirty Humper', orbiting a dead planet, inside a holosimulation of Red Square, circa 2204AD.
  • A.I must be activated at a particular time, e.g within the next five minutes, midday local time, two years ago (Oops)
  • A.I must see a key, either an object or a password or computer code.
  • A.I must only reveal the data to a particular race, gender, tattoo bearer etc.
  • Demonstrate knowledge that the A.I is looking for, e.g Why didn't you know that the password was a fake.
  • The A.I may also hold fake data which it will reveal in cases of attempted hacking. Fake data costs one level each as well.

Other conditions should also be well defined.


  1. A.I has one condition to be fulfilled.
  2. A.I has two conditions to be fulfilled.
  3. A.I has three conditions to be fulfilled.
  4. A.I has four conditions to be fulfilled.
  5. A.I has five conditions to be fulfilled.
  6. A.I has six conditions to be fulfilled.



Features

Cost: - 1 point / 2 points each.

Relevant Stat: - None

Type: - various

  • Cybernetic Communication - The character has a transceiver implanted in their brain which can contact other devices with transceivers and allows the character to operate and communicate with the device via radio signals. The range is 100km unless the planet has a communications network, then it is as far as the comm network extends. If two characters have implants then they can communicate silently with each other. The 1pt version allows communication but is easily picked up by anyone with a transceiver. The 2pt version is encrypted, which requires a sensors check to spot the communication and a computers check to hack the signal.
  • Computer Assisted Memory - Everything the character sees, hears or otherwise senses is stored on computer. Such memories can be downloaded and played back. The downside is that the memories can be written over or interfered with if hacked, an the character is still advised to rely on the old grey matter as backup.



Mass Thrust Drive

Cost: - 2 points/Level

Relevant Stat: - None

Type: - Mecha

All ships with the Star Flight attribute need a propulsion system called a Hydrogen Mass Thrust Drive which allows the ship to travel at the speed listed under Star Flight. The Hydrogen MTD provides the forward thrust and the Star Flight provides the method of travel. The Hydrogen MTD can be replaced by a more efficient booster system – represented by the MTD attribute.


All Mass Thrust Drives work by ejecting a stream of matter out of the back of the ship. The denser the matter, the faster the ship can move. Each level of the MTD attribute increases the speed of the ship by 10%. The mass used is generally stored as huge rods of shielded material at the back of the ship. The mass is considered fuel, and needs to be replenished. (Hydrogen doesn't need to be replenished as it can be collected in free space as the ship moves. Thus ships with a hydrogen MTD run cheaper than those with this attribute.)


A level 0 Mass Thrust Drive uses Hydrogen.

A level 1 Mass Thrust Drive uses Carbon Boosters, usually a graphite or diamond rod, but in an emergency a tree trunk will do. Silicon or anything with a density of > 1 g/cm3 is fine.

A level 2 Mass Thrust Drive is a Xenon Drive. Iron, Tin, Titanium, & Xenon are all good. (density > 4 g/cm3)

A level 3 Mass Thrust Drive is a Cobalt Drive. Cobalt, Copper, Silver or Lead are good. (density > 8 g/cm3)

Drives of level four and above are expensive to operate and draw attention due to their rarity.

A level 4 Mass Thrust Drive is a Light Military Drive. Mercury or Light Radioactives are the preferred fuel. (density > 12 g/cm3)

A level 5 Mass Thrust Drive is a Advanced Military Drive. Gold, Plutonium or Uranium are used. (density > 16 g/cm3)

A level 6 Mass Thrust Drive is an Iridium Drive, used mostly on racing vessels. Iridium, Osmium and Platinum are used, usually as alloys mixed to the exact requirements of the finely tuned ejection system. (density > 21 g/cm3)

The MTD / Star Drive combination does not work well in interplanetary space (inside a solar system) so ships also require an interplanetary propulsion system – the Space Flight attribute. An advanced MTD will add its percentage speed bonus to both the Space Flight and Star Flight speed values.


  1. Carbon Boosters add +10% to Star Flight and Space Flight listed speeds.
  2. A Xenon Drive adds +20% to Star Flight and Space Flight listed speeds.
  3. A Cobalt Drive adds +30% to Star Flight and Space Flight listed speeds.
  4. A Light Military Drive adds +40% to Star Flight and Space Flight listed speeds.
  5. An Advanced Military Drive adds +50% to Star Flight and Space Flight listed speeds.
  6. An Iridium Drive adds +60% to Star Flight and Space Flight listed speeds.


Defects

Atypical Physiology

Type: Special

Humans spread out across the galaxy and modified their genome as they went. Sometimes this can cause problems when a medic has to treat someone with a vastly different physiology to that which they are used to. This defect is a prerequisite to some of the more extreme difference. Not everyone with an unusual body form or abilities needs this defect, only those with a modified genome. For example, having surgery to gain an animal head or furry features was all the rage in the Federation a hundred years ago and people undergoing this treatment undertook reconstructive surgery. This is quite different from having inherited human/cat hybrid DNA. Both are possible but only the latter is a defect.

The result of this defect is that medical science, the doctors and nanomachines they use, have difficulty treating the character. The effects of the healing attribute are reduced. The

Regeneration is not affected by this defect, although this defect may be required before the character can take regeneration. If aliens and AI are rare in your campaign then you may allow them to take the 2BP version of this defect.

1 BP - Unusual Physiology. Reduce by one level the effect of any healing attribute used on the character. +2 modifier to a medics skill check to treat the character.

2 BP - Alien Physiology. Reduce by three levels the effect of any healing attribute used on the character. +4 modifier to a medics skill check to treat the character.


Skills

New Skills

Starship Operations

Relevant Stat: Mind Specializations: Sensors, Shields, Tractor Beam, Security System, Cargo Management, (other relevant sub system). Cost: 2 (or same as electronics depending on campaign setting).

This skill is used to successfully activate and operate a starship's critical systems while under duress. What the character can achieve with this skill is highly dependant on the situation. The PC may be able to successfully scan a planet's surface with a sensor, but they might also have to make the relevant biology/geology/military science roll to interpret the result (although no-one else would have to make a sensor roll to interpret the same readings). Likewise, operating the defensive shields is fine and dandy if the PC can increase/decrease power to certain sides of the ship or 'modulate' them to look like a different ship, but if they only have two settings, on and off, then the PC might want to specialize in something else.

Modifications to Standard Skills

Templates

Ranger Template

Rangers are highly trained individuals. Only one in ten thousand applicants become rangers. In addition to the training they receive they are also physically and psychologically evaluated. Starting ranger characters probably shouldn't have any of the following defects.

Awkward, Conditional Ownership (for robots), Easily Distracted (Lv 2), No Arms, Owned by a Megacorp, Phobia, Recurring Nightmares.

Attributes

Heightened Awareness (1), Highly Skilled (5), Organisational Ties (2) (Space Rangers), Personal Gear (2)

(Space Suit (minor), Blaster Pistol(minor), Healing Spray (lv1 healing 1/day/person)(minor), Tactical Body Armour (major), Other randomly selected minor x5, major x1)

Skills

Electronics (1) (Communications+Security+Sensors), Law (1) (Interstellar, Federation or Imperial criminal), Mechanics (1) (Starships), Medical (1) (Emergency response), Military Science (1) (any one), Navigation (1)(Space), Piloting (1) (Spacecraft), Police Science (1) (any one)

Total 15CPs

In addition they receive a badge of office, and groups of Rangers receive a spaceship (Own a Big Mecha level 4).


Independent Settler Template

The Indy Settlers, aka Real Colonists, make up most of the inhabitants of the Treaty Zone. These people made the galaxy. The first-born of each generation take their parents spaceships, leave home and keep flying outwards until they find an empty planet and make it their own. Real Colonists founded 95% of the inhabited worlds in the milky way. Later, more civilized generations may grow soft, but the people on the edges of humanity are tough as nails.

Stats Body +2, Mind +1

Attributes

Damn Healthy (1), Highly Skilled (3), Organizational Ties (1) (Their home community), Personal Gear (2)

Personal Gear includes thing like seed banks for food and medical plants, self growing geodesic domes, ground and air vehicles, communication devices, object replicators, specialist tool kits, saddles etc. Hogs count as minor objects rather than flunkies.

Skills

Artisan (1), Biological Sciences (1), Computers (1), Electronics (1), Mechanics (1), Medical (1), Piloting (1), Wilderness Survival (1)

Settlers will usually specialise in two skills vital to the community.

Total 10CPs


Corporate Settler Template

Corporate settlers are people from civilized worlds who want to start afresh in a new home and get themselves some of that colonial ruggedness. Corporate settlements are huge, industrialised operations with their own inbuilt bureaucracy, wage system and corporate culture. The upside is that after a few years loyalty, settlers generally have a high standard of living and good healthcare in a spacious apartment (possibly even a ranch). The downside is that corporations tend to (intentionally or not) micromanage peoples lives and throw up unnecessary restrictions. This template is an example of a settler on a planet where everything went well. Not all corporate settlers need this template. This is for skilled professionals only.

Stats

Mind +2 (Only the brightest and best are hired.)

Attributes

Highly Skilled (2), Organizational Ties (1) (the corporation, significant power), Unique Character Attribute - Wealth (1)

Defects

Owned by a Megacorp (1), Red Tape (1)

Skills

20 skill points worth from Architecture, Biological Sciences, Business Management, Computers, Electronics, Law, Mechanical, Medical, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences.

Total 5CPs


Oruc-Pang Template

The Oruc-Pang are one of the larger civilizations in the galaxy, definitely the most spread out and number a little over a trillion people. They are fiercely independent nomads who wander space, rarely, if ever, landing on planets or space stations. The Oruc-Pang have a symbiotic relationship with settler colonies, the first thing settlers usually do is start trading goods and medicine for transport and communication. The Oruc-Pang vary wildly from region to region, but some things are true of all of them.


Attributes

Highly Skilled (2), Organizational Ties (1) (Oruc-Pang, significant power), Own a Big Mecha (1) (Re-Entry Suit)

Defects

Marked (2)(Ornate clan tattoos on face), Phobia (1)(Being stranded on a planet OR agrophobia), Unique Character Defect (1)(Racism, Racists everywhere think the Oruc-Pang are a bunch of thievin', smugglin' murderin' pirates.)

Skills

Acrobatics(1)(Zero G), Electronics(1)(Sensors), Navigation(1), Piloting(2)(Spacecraft)


Total 3CPs

Equipment

Re-Entry Suit

20 Mecha Points

A re-entry suit is a very heavy space suit and escape pod rolled into one. It is capable of keeping a human alive for eight days, can fly up to 50,000 km/day and can re-enter an atmosphere safely, allowing the wearer to land on the ground. It is armoured, has a full set of emergency features and is really the best thing to be in should you have to leave your spacecraft in a hurry. The best ones are built by the Oruc-Pang. The version below is a standard undecorated model that the Oruc-Pang sell to outsiders. Oruc-Pang models won't have Hanger Queen.

Mecha Sub-Attributes

Extra Endurance (2) (eight days fuel), Features (3)(Radio, Computer Links, Grappling Hook, Lights, Gyrocompass, Vision enhancers), Flight (4)(Glide only, can re-enter atmospheres.), Heavy Armour(1), Life Support(2), Personal Gear(1)(Recoilless shotgun(major), Suit patch/spray, 24 hr beacon/flares x3), Sensors(1)(Radar), Space flight(1)(Mini Inertialess Ion Thrust Drive 50,000km/day)

Defects

Hanger Queen - 1 BP, Mutual Damage

Derived Values

Armour 10, Health 40



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