Blog Reboot

My Fading Suns/d6 Space conversion project has obviously been fairly inactive lately. This has been the result of a combination of things including a lack of motivation and vacation time. While I do intend to return to this project at a later date, I have decided it is time to reboot this blog to incorporate other aspects of my true favourite genre, sci-fi horror. Two games in this genre have been released in the last year that I find really inspiring, CthulhuTech and Eclipse Phase. Both have aspects I like and others I dislike. CthulhuTech is clearly the true sci-fi horror game. Nothing defines the absolute horror of the Void more completely than the Cthulhu Mythos. On the other hand, the game mechanics of CthulhuTech are, in my opinion, clunky and gimmicky. Also, I'm not a fan of anime-style mecha.

Eclipse Phase explores some very interesting concepts involving technology and transhumanism, although at present, the horror aspects of the campaign setting take a backseat to the predominent future-shock and post-apocalyptic themes. I'm hoping some of the future releases will expand upon the kernels of horror that do exist. The game engine is a fairly straightforward d100 system and the character options are more extensive than any game I've ever seen.

At some point in the near future, I will be embarking on a space horror campaign and at the moment, I'm leaning heavily toward Eclipse Phase. Look to this site for details.

-Rognar-

Psi Difficulty and Skill Modifiers

Creating a manipulation requires a series of components including range, effect, duration of target size. Each component adds a difficulty modifier to the total difficulty of the manipulation. Some of these modifiers are listed below. Other difficulty modifiers not related to a specific die code may be derived from the special abilities section of the d6 Space rules.

Die Codes
Damage (mental or physical)..........................................+2 per 1D
Protection (mental or physical).......................................+2 per 1D
Non-Extranormal skill modifier........................................+5 per 1D
Non-Extranormal attribute modifier..................................+6 per 1D
Extranormal skill modifier...............................................+7 per 1D
Extranormal attribute modifier.........................................+9 per 1D

Target Size
Small item or handful of tiny items..................................+1
Person.........................................................................+2
Few people, personal vehicle..........................................+3
Group, small mass transport, room.................................+5
Crowd, large mass transport, small building.....................+10
Horde, huge mass transport, large building......................+15

Range to Target
Touching......................................................................-2
Point Blank (0 to 3m), self..............................................0
Close (3 to 100m; out of sight, but near).........................+5
Long (100m to 10km)....................................................+7
Extreme (10km to 1000km)...........................................+10
Planetary (over 1000km, but on same planet or in orbit)...+15
System (same star system)..........................................+20
Sector (nearby star system)..........................................+30
Galactic (same galaxy).................................................+60

Duration
2 rounds........................................................................0
Each additional round, up to 1 minute.............................+1
Each additional 5 minutes, up to 1 hour..........................+1
Each additional hour (cumulative with other modifiers)......+1

Some components may be added to the release of the manipulation to modify the skill roll. These may be gestures or incantations used by the psychic to focus the mind or they may represent degrees of familiarity with the target. These are listed below.

Material component
Small and easily concealed..........................................+1
Portable, but too large to conceal..................................+2
Large, not portable.......................................................+3
Rare and/or expensive material.....................................+1
Psi-lens......................................................................+3

Gesture/Incantation
Noticeable to wary observer..........................................+1
Noticeable to any observer...........................................+2

Relationship to target
Very close (parents, siblings, spouse, old friends)..........+5
Close (close friends, roommates, old enemies)..............+3
Sporadic or recent (recent friends, former lovers)............+2
Acquaintance (spoke a few times)..................................0
Met Briefly (spoke once or twice)...................................-2
Recognition (told about but never met, celebrity).............-5
Never Met (only know name or face)..............................-8
No Relationship (complete strangers)............................-10
Alien (complete strangers and different species).............-12

Mental Defenses

The standard difficulty to overcome the mental defenses of an unaware target is 10. Since the difficulty of most metaphysical attacks exceeds this number, success is automatic. This is typically only possible if the attack is imperceptible or if the target's perception is impaired in some way. A wary opponent who has reason to believe a metaphysical attack is imminent may act before his initiative to make a willpower roll which will serve as the difficulty an attacking psychic must defeat in order to effect the target. A target may also choose a "full defense" option. He takes no other actions in the round except to concentrate on resisting the metaphysical attack. In this case, the difficulty for the attacker is willpower + 10.

-Rognar-

Paths and Powers Pt.2

PSYCHE

Mind Sight
Skill Used: Sense
Difficulty: 20
Wyrd: 4 pts
Effect: persuasion +3D to read surface thoughts opposed by standard mental defense (6); imperceptible (10)
Target Size: Person (2)
Range: Self (effect) (0); Point Blank (0 to 3m) (to target) (0)
Duration: 4 rds (2)
Possible Upgrades: Duration (+1 Diff per rd); Target Size and Effect (Diff varies)

Mind Sway
Skill Used: Sense
Difficulty: 27
Wyrd: 6 pts
Effect: persuasion +3D to send thoughts and influence targets actions opposed by standard mental defense(6); imperceptible (12)
Target Size: Person (2)
Range: Self (effect) (0); Close (3 to 100m) (to target) (5)
Duration: 4 rds (2)
Possible Upgrades: Duration (+1 Diff per rd); Target Size and Effect (Diff varies)

Puppetry
Skill Used: Sense
Difficulty: 35
Wyrd: 7 pts
Effect: Full possession of target opposed by standard mental defense (16); imperceptible (16)
Target Size: Person (2)
Range: Self (effect) (0); Point Blank (0 to 3m) (to target) (0)
Duration: 3 rds (1)
Possible Upgrades: Duration (+1 Diff per rd)

-Rognar-

Paths and Powers Pt.1

Psi and Theurgy powers are organized into paths that have been developed over the centuries. A starting psychic or theurgist will have knowledge of one primary and one secondary path. Powers within his primary path have a -1 difficulty modifier, while those in his secondary path will have a +0 modifier. Powers from other paths will have a +1 difficulty modifier and any power created by a psychic or theurgist which is not part of one of the paths will suffer a +5 difficulty modifier. Each path has 3 powers and typically, a starting character will have little chance of manifesting the more difficult powers in his paths, but will have the knowledge to build upon with practice. The first two of the paths to be presented are the Psi paths, Bedlam and Far Hand.

BEDLAM

War Dance
Skill Used: Transform
Difficulty: 10
Wyrd: 2 pts
Effect: Target receives +1D bonus to Agility (6)
Target Size: Person (2)
Range: Self (0)
Duration: 4 rds (2)
Possible Upgrades: Duration (+1 Diff per rd); Effect (+6 Diff per +1D Agility)

Confuse Other
Skill Used: Sense
Difficulty: 27
Wyrd: 6 pts
Effect: Opposed by standard mental defense; target suffers +5 difficulty modifier to all actions and may not spend points (8); imperceptible (12)
Target Size: Person (2)
Range: Close (3 to 100m) (5)
Duration: 2 rds (0)
Possible Upgrades: Duration (+1 Diff per rd)

Nerve Burn
Skill Used: Transform
Difficulty: 27
Wyrd: 6 pts
Effect: Opposed by standard mental defense; -1D penalty to Agility (6); imperceptible (12)
Target Size: Person (2)
Range: Close (3 to 100m) (5)
Duration: 4 rds (2)
Possible Upgrades: Duration (+1 Diff per rd); Effect (+6 Diff per -1D Agility)

FAR HAND

Lifting Hand
Skill Used: Transform
Difficulty: 20
Wyrd: 4 pts
Effect: Move target of 1 kg or less (1)
Target Size: Small item (1)
Range: Close (to target) (5); Close (range of movement) (5)
Duration: 10 rds (8)
Possible Upgrades: Duration (+1 Diff per rd); Target Size and Effect (Diff varies)

Kinetic Strike
Skill Used: Channel
Difficulty: 15
Wyrd: 3 pts
Effect: Opposed by Dodge; physical damage 4D (8)
Target Size: Person (2)
Range: Close (3 to 100m) (5)
Duration: 2 rds (1 use per rd) (0)
Possible Upgrades: Duration (+1 Diff per rd); Effect (+2 Diff per +1D damage)

Personal Shield
Skill Used: Channel
Difficulty: 15
Wyrd: 3 pts
Effect: Physical protection 5D (10)
Target Size: Person (2)
Range: Self (0)
Duration: 5 rds (3)
Possible Upgrades: Duration (+1 Diff per rd); Effect (+2 Diff per +1D protection)
Note: doesn't block lasers

Rognar-

Social Structure in the Known Worlds

The majority of humans in the 50th century live in indentured servitude to the nobility. Illiteracy is the norm and few serfs ever venture more than a day's walk from their home. The average technology level is pre-industrial and most never see anything more sophisticated than the firearms issued to local law enforcement or an occasional motor vehicle. The marvels of spaceships and jumpgates and aliens are little more than fairy tales to nearly three quarters of the population. Serfs derive what little they know of the universe from the Church which keeps them fearful and insular. Demons and sorcerers are believed to be lurking in the dark corners of the world, just waiting to tempt or devour those who stray from the Light. Advanced technologies are seen as the tools of the heretics and the diabolists. Sadly, much of what the Church teaches is actually true.

About 20% of the population of the Known Worlds are freemen, craftsmen, free labourers, militiamen and merchants. They fill all the roles in society not covered by the Church, the League or the Nobility, although most are employed by those institutions. Most freemen are at least somewhat literate and have travelled more widely than the average peasant. A few have travelled in space and some even work on spaceships. These freelancers are referred to as yeomen and many adventurers come from this class.

The final 5% of the population are the nobles, the guilders and the priests. The are educated and have knowledge and skills which would be forbidden to people of lower classes. Indeed, some have knowledge which is forbidden to anyone, but enjoy the protection of the organizations to which they belong. Most have travelled in space and for those who haven't, it is a choice, not a necessity.

-Rognar-

Fading Suns and d6 Metaphysics Reboot

After some deliberation, I have decided that theurgy and psi are sufficiently different in the Fading Suns campaign setting that I have to deal with them separately. To start, rather than treating all supernatural abilities under the umbrella term of "Metaphysics", the will be separate "Psi" and "Theurgy" categories. Therefore, instead of having a single Metaphysics attribute, there will be both Psi and Theurgy attributes. The player will decide which attribute his character will have. The skills, sense, channel and transform will remain in place under the Psi attribute, while the Theurgy attribute will have divination, favour and strife skills instead (derived from the Miracles section of d6 Fantasy). Everything written so far about psychic abilities remains valid, but a duplicate set of rules will be derived for theurgy. The rules presented earlier dealing with the use and recovery of Wyrd points and Wyrd Tabernacles remains valid for theurgy. Also, theurgists may use holy relics or fetishes which serve to focus their power in much the same way as the psi lens works for psychics and Anunnaki artifacts also function identically for theurgists. A ruleset for dealing with Hubris (the theurgical counterpart to Urge) will be forthcoming.

-Rognar-

Fading Suns and d6 Metaphysics Pt.4

Of all the technologies forbidden by the Church, only a handful are viewed more dimly than Psitech. Still, such technologies are highly-coveted because they can greatly increase the power of psychics and theurgists. There are two categories of psitechs based on who created them, Second Republic and Anunnaki (the jumpgate builders). All psitechs are based on a family of crystalline materials which have been observed to react to psychic manifestations. They basically do three things, detect psychic energy, focus psychic energy and store psychic energy. Anunnaki psitechs can typically do all three of these things and some of the more powerful artifacts such as Philosophers Stones and the most potent Gargoyles display other capabilities as well. They can also diminish or suppress Urge.

Second Republic Psitechs:
Psi-detector - A fairly simple device using a psi crystal attached to some sort of scanner. The psi-detector does just what the name implies, detects the presence of psychic abilities in the target. A psychic can attempt a Difficult willpower roll to avoid detection, assuming he is aware he is being scanned. Typically, a hand-held psi-detector will have a range of 3 m, although some larger units can have ranges of up to 100 m.

Wyrd Tabernacle - Typically an ornate box or similar container with a psi crystal mounted inside, a Wyrd Tabernacle is a psychic battery capable of storing a number of Wyrd points for later use by the psychic or theurgist attuned to it. Most are capable of storing 10 Wyrd points, although a handful have been created to store two or three times as much. Note that a Wyrd Tabernacle cannot switch between Psi and Theurgy. It can only be created for one type of Metaphysics. It takes 24 hours of close proximity for a psychic to attune himself to a new Wyrd Tabernacle and he can have only one at a time.

Psi Lens - A lens-shaped psi crystal, usually mounted into some sort of headgear or jewelry, a psi lens can focus psychic powers, making manifestations easier to create. The use of a psi lens provides a +3 skill modifier to psychic manifestations.

Troecker Amplifier - Based on research by a Second Republic scientist named Arvin Troecker in an attempt to use psychics to discover new jumpgates, the Troecker Amplifier is a cubic chamber within which a psychic may sit. A crown-shaped array of psi crystals surrounds the head of the user. Although it never achieved its intended purpose, it did allow psychics to greatly improve their sensing capabilities. Any psychic using his sense skill in a Troecker Amplifier benefits from a -10 difficulty modifer on his manifestations. Given the size of the Troecker Amplifier, few have survived from the Second Republic era. The Emperor is believed to possess one. Also, both the Charioteers and the Engineers are likely to have access to the technology.

Urge Bomb - A particularly nasty piece of psitech, an Urge Bomb appears to be a large grenade or smoke canister. It was developed by members of The Invisible Path, a group of psi-supremacist terrorists who have fought a centuries-long, undergound war against any of their fellow psychics who don't share their belief in psychic dominance of the Known Worlds. Upon detonation, the Urge Bomb releases a 30 m diameter field of hateful, Urge-laden psychotronic energy which temporarily doubles the Urge level of any psychic caught in the radius. The effects last about an hour, although any doppelgangers created will remain after the effects wear off. For every level of Urge above 9, an additional doppelganger is created. A psychic can resist the effects of an Urge Bomb with a Very Difficult willpower roll.

Anunnaki Artifacts:
Soul Shards - Ranging in size from a few inches to menhirs weighing several tons, Soul Shards are psi crystals capable of effects no Second Republic psitechs can duplicate. Soul shards which are discovered in their pristine state are colourless and transparent, with a hint of silvery iridescence. As they become attuned to a particular user, they become milky with an opalescent display of shifting colours radiating from within. The nature of the display is a function of the dominant type of use. Soul shards used mainly for attack and defense tend towards red and yellow, while those used for healing and information-gathering tend toward blue and green. Soul shards act as both focusing and storage devices. A typical soul shard will grant the user a -5 difficulty modifier on his psychic manifestations and will store 10 Wyrd points. A soul shard can also detect the presence of the Urge levels of a psychic who comes within 10 m and gives the afflicted psychic a Moderate willpower roll to lose one level of Urge. Any time the owner of a soul shard encounters a circumstance that could lead to gaining a level of Urge, the willpower roll to resist is never more difficult than Moderate.

Gargoyles - Mysterious statues and bas-reliefs of demonic figures are commonly found on all Anunnaki structures, including jumpgates. Many of these display unusual properties. The larger, more powerful ones are known to induce visions of future events in the minds of psychics and theurgists. Additionally, Urge effects tend to be suppressed within a certain radius around gargoyles. Typically, larger gargoyles are more powerful and capable of suppressing higher level Urge effects over larger ranges. Gargoyles are highly-sought after by starship captains because they are believed to repel void krakens when mounted on the outside of ship hulls.

Philosophers Stones - The most powerful of all the Anunnaki artifacts short of the jumpgates themselves, no two philosophers stones are identical. Some appear as intricate clockworks, incomprehensible in function, while others are statues, primitive in design, but awe-inspiring in craftmanship and precision. Still others appear as ornately-decorated melee weapons or beautiful, natural crystal formations. Typically, philosophers stones are portable, but too large to be concealed and, invariably, they exhibit multiple soul shards incorporated into their design. Discovery of a philosophers stone can potentially make someone rich and powerful, but it will also earn him some powerful enemies.

-Rognar-

Fading Suns and d6 Metaphysics Pt.3

Every human being, be he psychically-gifted or not, has a dark side buried somewhere deep inside his subconscious. For most people, this darkness inside us is kept under control. We rarely even recognize its presence. For the psychic, however, this alter-ego can feed on every evil deed and traumatic experience, growing more powerful and more dominant. In the most extreme cases, it can even create a doppelganger, a dark twin with physical form. This omnipresent corruption which the psychic must guard against constantly is called Urge.

Urge can be gained or lost by a variety of means, either through actions performed by the psychic, by exposure to certain technologies or by traumatic events. In each case, the psychic must make a willpower roll. Success means either the psychic has resisted his dark twin in its effort to gain strength or he has succeeded in wresting some strength away from his dark twin. Below are listed the various means of gaining or losing Urge and the willpower roll difficulties for each.

Gaining Urge:
committing theft - E
missing confessional - E
refusing sacrament - M
declaring a vendetta - M
rebelling against your liege or the Church - M
committing assault - D
suffering torture - D
exposure to an evil creature or artifact - D
committing murder (justifiable) - D
being excommunicated - VD
exposure to another psychic's awakened Urge - VD
exposure to a demonic presence - VD
committing rape - H
committing murder (cold-blooded) - H

Losing Urge:
performing a pilgrimage - VD
performing a Church mission - VD
performing dangerous mission for others - D
selfless sacrifice - D
becoming penitent - M
exposure to a Second Republic psi clinic - M
exposure to a soul shard - M
exposure to a philosopher's stone - E
exposure to a celestial presence - E

There are nine levels of Urge. Every time a psychic fails a willpower roll to resist gaining Urge, he gets an additional level. Most of the time, having one or more levels of Urge does not interfere with the routine activities of a psychic. However, anytime a psychic rolls a 1 on his wild die while performing a psychic manifestation, his dark twin awakens and remains so for 10 minutes per level of Urge.

In the first three levels of Urge, the dark twin has limited power and can only attempt to trick the psychic. In each case, the psychic can make an Easy perception check to notice the deception and avoid the pitfall. The actions the dark twin may trick the psychic into taking grow more dangerous with each level and, of course, a dark twin has access to all actions of lower levels.

Level 1: Speaking in Tongues - The dark twin can trick the psychic into saying a wrong word or two at an inopportune time, such as when addressing a superior or while engaged in delicate negotiations.

Level 2: Misdirection - The dark twin can trick the psychic into directing a manifestation at a target other than the one intended. Difficulty modifiers still apply, so if changing the target increases the difficulty and the psychic fails his roll against the higher difficulty, the manifestation still fails.

Level 3: Voices - The dark twin can create voices in the psychic's mind or change what the psychic hears when others speak. A successful perception check informs the psychic that what he heard was wrong, but does not tell him what was actually said, unless the result was 10 or more higher than the difficulty.

The next three levels of Urge can result in direct harm to the psychic, although the harm is unlikely to be lethal. At these levels, the dark twin begins preparations for what it sees as an inevitable and terminal conflict with the psychic.

Level 4: Wyrd Drain - The dark twin will make one attempt during its awake period to drain a Wyrd point from the psychic. If the psychic fails a Moderate willpower check, the dark twin gets 1 Wyrd point to add to its Wyrd pool. The maximum Wyrd pool of the psychic is reduced by one. If the psychic fails critically, the dark twin drains 2 Wyrd points. This drain is permanent, unless the psychic can lose Urge such that his Urge level drops below 4.

Level 5: Visions - The dark twin causes the psychic to suffer hallucinations unless a successful Moderate willpower check is made. If the willpower check is failed, the dark twin can then cause the psychic to suffer a -5 penalty to any one skill or attribute check (except a willpower check) of its choosing during its awakened period as the psychic is distracted by the hallucinations. If the willpower check was a critical failure, the dark twin can create a hallucination so realistic, it will cause the psychic to take one action which is potentially destructive to himself or others.

Level 6: Urges - The dark twin gains the ability to manipulate the emotions of the psychic if a moderate willpower save is failed. Like the hallucinations of level 5, this causes a -5 penalty to skill and attribute checks, but lasts throughout the entire awakened period and does effect willpower checks as well. The dark twin will often use this opportunity to attempt a Wyrd Drain. The added effect of a critical failure on the initial willpower check is the same as for level 5.

At the highest levels of Urge, the dark twin can cause permanent effects in the mind of the psychic and eventually create an evil and material duplicate of the psychic with murderous intent. The psychic is truly in trouble at this point.

Level 7: Dementia - The psychic develops a permanent mental disorder (the nature to be decided by the GM) which the dark twin can employ during its awakened periods to cause mischief. The psychic must make a Difficult willpower check to control his pathology or suffer a debilitating psychotic break during the awakened period. A normal failure means the psychic is disruptive and uncooperative, while a critical failure makes him violent and possibly self-destructive. The mental disorder can only be cured be reducing the level of Urge below 7.

Level 8: Outer Child - The dark twin can project a psychic image of itself which requires a Difficult search check to distinguish from the psychic (unless physically interacted with). The image has both visual and auditory components. The dark twin will use this psychic projection to cause as much trouble as it can for the psychic. A successful Difficult willpower check will prevent the projection from manifesting.

Level 9: Doppelganger - The dark twin breaks free at least, creating a permanent, material duplicate of the psychic. Only a Heroic willpower check can prevent this. The doppelganger has all the same attribute and skill dice as the psychic, although its Wyrd pool is limited to whatever it successfully drained in the past. The psychic loses all of his Urge, but can only retrieve his drained Wyrd pool upon the destruction of the doppelganger. The doppelganger will attempt to destroy and replace the psychic, but it will wait for the best opportunity for success. It will often engage in criminal and depraved acts before this final confrontation, which may cause long-term problems for the psychic even if he prevails.

-Rognar-

Fading Suns and d6 Space Metaphysics Pt.2

The Fading Suns campaign setting introduces two concepts related to the use of psychic powers which do not have an equivalent in the d6 system, Wyrd and Urge. The former is the source of psychic energy used to power psychic manifestations and the latter is a sort of corruption or taint that can afflict a psychic if he uses his abilities for nefarious purposes. These two concepts are pretty fundamental to the Fading Suns setting, so I will undertake to come up with rules to include them in my d6 conversion. I will start with Wyrd because that is pretty straightforward. A psychic or theurgist will receive 10 Wyrd points for each die of Metaphysics he has and 3 for each pip. He will receive an additional 3 Wyrd points for each die has in any of the three Metaphysical skills and 1 for each pip. Therefore, 2D+2 in Metaphysics would be worth 26 Wyrd points and 1D+1 in the transform skill would be worth an additional 4 Wyrd points.

The expenditure of Wyrd points is based on the difficulty modifier of the manifestation. For every 5 points of difficulty (rounded up), the manifestation costs the psychic or theurgist 1 Wyrd point.

Wyrd points are recovered at a rate of 5 per hour of restful sleep or 1 per hour of light activity.

-Rognar-

Fading Suns d6 character template 9 - The Soldier

In the Known Worlds, the variety of soldier types is stunning. From the super-elite Phoenix Guard and Stigmata Garrison to the millions of troopers in the House guards, Church armies, Guild security forces and local planetary militias, soldiers wearing hundreds of different uniforms are deployed in every corner of known space. Several noble houses, particularly Hazat and Decados, also produce psychic warriors, known as dervishes, although this practice is strongly condemned by the Church. Here are the templates for normal soldiers, rangers and dervishes.

Soldier
Attributes:
Agility 3D
Strength 4D
Knowledge 2D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 3D
Technical 2D
Psi 0D
Theurgy 0D

Advantages:
none

Disadvantages:
none

Skills:
firearms 2D
melee weapons 1D
brawling 1D
dodge 1D


Ranger
Attributes:
Agility 3D
Strength 3D
Knowledge 3D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 3D
Technical 2D
Psi 0D
Theurgy 0D

Advantages:
none

Disadvantages:
none

Skills:
firearms 1D
melee weapons 1D
survival 1D
sneak 1D
dodge 1D


Dervish
Attributes:
Agility 3D
Strength 3D
Knowledge 2D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 2D
Technical 2D
Psi 2D
Theurgy 0D

Advantages:
none

Disadvantages:
Enemy (R1)

Skills:
channel 2D
sense 1D
transform 1D
firearms 1D
dodge 1D

Fading Suns d6 character template 8 - The Brother Battle

The Brother Battle is the sword arm of the Church. Unlike priests of the Urth Orthodox and the holy orders, the Brothers Battle freely use high-tech weapons and openly practice theurgy. It is deemed necessary by the Church to make such allowances given the dangers the Brothers Battle face. Unlike the Avestites, the Brothers Battle do not seek out heretics and demon-worshippers in the dark corners of the Known Worlds. Rather, they fight on the front lines against alien and barbarian threats from beyond known space.

Attributes:
Agility 3D
Strength 3D
Knowledge 2D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 2D
Technical 2D
Psi 0D
Theurgy 2D

Advantages:
none

Disadvantages:
Devotion (R2)

Skills:
strife 2D
divination 1D
favour 1D
firearms 1D
melee weapons 1D
brawling 1D

Fading Suns d6 character template 7 - The Priest

Priests wield great power over the peasantry, less so over the freemen. Still the Church can exert its will over even the nobility when the hierarchs feel it is necessary. As such, all the secular authorities in the Known Worlds make at least some effort to appease the Church. That is not to say a nobleman won't dispose of a particularly bothersome Avestite if the opportunity to do so presents itself. On the other hand, Amaltheans are embraced by virtually all people of the Known Worlds and most priests of other orders have more to fear from the Avestites than they do from the general populace.

Avestite priest
Attributes:
Agility 3D
Strength 3D
Knowledge 3D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 3D
Technical 2D
Psi 0D
Theurgy 0D

Advantages:
Authority (R1)

Disadvantages:
Devotion (R2)

Skills:
intimidation 2D
investigation 1D
firearms 1D
willpower 1D
brawling 1D


Eskatonic priest
Attributes:
Agility 3D
Strength 2D
Knowledge 4D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 3D
Technical 2D
Psi 0D
Theurgy 0D

Advantages:
Authority (R1)

Disadvantages:
Devotion (R2)

Skills:
scholar 2D
cultures 1D
willpower 1D
survival 1D
search 1D


Amalthean priest
Attributes:
Agility 3D
Strength 3D
Knowledge 2D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 3D
Technical 3D
Psi 0D
Theurgy 0D

Advantages:
Authority (R1)

Disadvantages:
Devotion (R2)

Skills:
medicine 3D
persuasion 1D
cultures 1D
willpower 1D


Orthodox priest
Attributes:
Agility 3D
Strength 2D
Knowledge 4D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 3D
Technical 2D
Psi 0D
Theurgy 0D

Advantages:
Authority (R1)

Disadvantages:
Devotion (R2)

Skills:
bureaucracy 2D
cultures 1D
willpower 1D
persuasion 2D


Mendicant monk (Hesychast)
Attributes:
Agility 3D
Strength 3D
Knowledge 3D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 3D
Technical 2D
Psi 0D
Theurgy 0D

Advantages:
none

Disadvantages:
Devotion (R2)

Skills:
willpower 1D
survival 2D
brawling 1D
persuasion 2D
cultures 1D

Fading Suns d6 character template 6 - The Guilder

The Church, the Nobility and the League are the three pillars upon which the Known Worlds rest. The Guilder is the face of that third pillar, the agent through whom the goods and services of the Merchant League are distributed. Just as each guild has a speciality, so too do its representatives. It should be noted the perception exists that the Merchant League dabbles in forbidden technologies (true) and that it harbours certain republican sympathies (also true). Therefore, both the Church and the Noble Houses tend to view the League with a degree of suspicion, so a guilder must never let his guard down.

The Muster
Attributes:
Agility 3D
Strength 3D
Knowledge 3D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 3D
Technical 2D
Metaphysics 0D

Advantages:
Wealth (R1)

Disadvantages:
Enemy (R1)

Skills:
intimidation 2D
business 1D
melee combat 1D
brawling 1D


Engineers
Attributes:
Agility 3D
Strength 3D
Knowledge 2D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 3D
Technical 3D
Metaphysics 0D

Advantages:
Wealth (R1)

Disadvantages:
Enemy (R1)

Skills:
computer interface/repair 1D
personal equipment repair 1D
vehicle repair 1D
business 1D
bureaucracy 1D


Charioteers
Attributes:
Agility 3D
Strength 3D
Knowledge 2D
Mechanical 3D
Perception 3D
Technical 2D
Metaphysics 0D

Advantages:
Wealth (R1)

Disadvantages:
Enemy (R1)

Skills:
piloting 2D
business 1D
melee combat 1D
bureaucracy 1D


Reeves
Attributes:
Agility 3D
Strength 2D
Knowledge 4D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 3D
Technical 2D
Metaphysics 0D

Advantages:
Wealth (R1)

Disadvantages:
Enemy (R1)

Skills:
bureaucracy 2D
business 2D
persuasion 1D


Scravers
Attributes:
Agility 3D
Strength 3D
Knowledge 3D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 3D
Technical 2D
Metaphysics 0D

Advantages:
Wealth (R1)

Disadvantages:
Enemy (R1)

Skills:
streetwise 1D
business 1D
survival 1D
brawling 1D
search 1D

Fighting on a Starship

One of my favourite novels is The Forever War by Joe Haldeman because it takes a hard science look at interstellar conflict. For example, no ships ever exceed the speed of light. They come very close to it, but they never exceed it. The implications of this are many and I would strongly suggest the book to all sci-fi fans. One interesting aspect of the story is shipboard combat. Preservation of one's environment in space is paramount. It doesn't do you much good to board an enemy vessel and then proceed to blast the hell out of it, such that you all die in the process. Both sides in the conflict quickly learn that melee weapons offer the best level of lethality without the threat of multiple hull breeches. In my Fading Suns campaign, I will operate under the assumption that weapon fire, be it lasers, projectiles or plasma has a percentage chance of causing damage to the ship. The one exception to this rule is frangible bullets, which are made of compressed metal powder and are designed to disintegrate on contact with hard surfaces. The following rules apply to frangible bullets; they do one less die of damage than normal rounds from the same type of gun, they are one difficulty modifier higher to purchase than the weapon they are designed for and they do no damage to anyone wearing hephaestium or ceramsteel armour.

-Rognar-

Fading Suns d6 character template 5 - The Techie

Your standard, top-of-the-class, technical school graduate:

Attributes:
Agility 2D
Strength 2D
Knowledge 2D
Mechanical 3D
Perception 3D
Technical 4D
Metaphysics 0D

Advantages:
none

Disadvantages:
none

Skills:
firearms repair 1D
personal equipment repair 1D
vehicle repair 3D
-or-
flight systems repair 3D
personal equipment repair 1D
vehicle repair 1D

Fading Suns d6 Melee Weapons

Most melee weapons in Fading Suns are constructed of hephaestium as normal steel weapons would harmlessly bounce off modern combat armour. Also, the incredible strength and hardness of the alloy allows it to hold a far keener edge than normal steel blades. Of course, peasants and yeomen would be limited to owning steel weapons, which work equally well against lightly armoured opponents. Assume the same stats for steel weapons against opponents wearing plasteel, polymer knit and leather. Vibro-blades cannot be constructed of steel. Below are listed the most common melee weapons including damage and difficulty of purchase.

sword, dueling +2D E
vibro-sword, dueling +3D M
sword, broad +2D+1 E
vibro-sword, broad +3D+1 M
sword, two-handed +3D+1 E
vibro-sword, two-handed +4D+1 M
battleaxe +3D+2 E
vibro-battleaxe +5D M
dagger +1D VE
vibro-dagger +2D M
cestus +1D E
truncheon +1D+1 E
flux sword +6D VD

The cestus is employed using the Brawling skill, rather than Melee Combat.

The flux sword is based on the same technology as the blaster, consisting of a magnetically-contained "blade" of plasma. Like the blaster, it incorporates Vautech and the secrets to its construction are known to very few. It does energy damage.

Fading Suns d6 Armour and Energy Shields

There are five materials used in the manufacture of various types of armour used in the Fading Suns. They are leather, polymer knit (i.e. Kevlar), plasteel, hephaestium and ceramsteel. Of these, only the first three are commonly available to average citizens of the Known Worlds. Hephaestium is popular among minor nobles and elite infantry units, while ceramsteel is limited to only the wealthy and powerful. Heavy armour is often baroque and anachronistic in design as the Known Worlds nobility have adopted many of the trappings of the High Middle Ages period of Holy Terra. Armour is rated according to how much damage resistance it offers. The armour rating is added to the character's Strength attribute value as well as any positive or negative modifiers based on special abilities or disadvantages to give a damage resistance total. I have created a somewhat more detailed rating system based on three types of damage; melee, ballistic and energy. Below is a list of available armour types and the damage resistance each provides as well as purchase difficulty.

padded leather jacket +1D/-/- VE
polymer knit vest and helmet +1D/+2D/- E
plasteel and polymer knit armour +2D/+2D+1/+1D E
hephaestium breastplate and mail +3D/+3D/+2D M
hephaestium field plate +3D+1/+3D+1/+2D+1 D
ceramsteel battle armour +4D/+3D+2/+3D+1 VD

Energy shields were exceedingly common in the Second Republic, used not only by military and security forces, but by anyone engaged in dangerous activities, even recreational pursuits. So, even though the knowhow to construct energy shields is limited to very few armoursmiths, there are many units still around and repair of energy shields is fairly routine. There are two types of energy shields, dueling and battle. The former cannot be used with any armour heavier than padded leather because the field is generated very close to the body and heavier armour disrupts it. This type of shield is very popular among the nobility who may, at any time, face a dueling challenge. Battle shields are tuned to generate a deeper energy field and can, therefore, be used with armour. They are much rarer and more difficult to find since elite military units and warlike noblemen tend to hoard them.

Energy shields respond to ballistic and energy attacks by creating a localized repulsion field. As such, they respond quite differently to different types of attacks. They provide no protection against lasers, because photons are without mass. Melee attacks can, with sufficient finesse, be made to bypass energy shields. It is only possible with piercing weapons such as swords and daggers and requires a Difficult (against dueling shields) or Very Difficult (against battle shields) Melee Combat attack roll to succeed. Vibro-blades reduce that to Moderate and Difficult respectively. Also, Brawling attacks can penetrate energy shields unimpeded. Of course, sufficiently powerful attacks can overcome an energy shield and may burn it out. Below are the damage resistance contributions of the two types of energy shields.

dueling shield +3D/+3D/+2D+1 M
battle shield +4D/+4D+1/+3D VD

Note: The maximum defense resistance before negative modifiers, Character Points or Fate Points are applied is 6D. Of this, no more than 4D can come from STR + lift skill. The remainder is derived from armour, energy and/or psychic shields.

-Rognar-

Fading Suns d6 Guns

What follows is a list of ranged weapons which fall under the Firearms skill. After the name of the weapon is the damage, Short/Medium/Long range brackets, the no. of shots/rounds in a standard magazine and the difficulty of purchase. Note that shotgun damage decreases with each range bracket.

Handguns:
Light pistol 3D 10/20/50 8 E
Medium pistol 4D 10/20/50 15 M
Heavy pistol 4D+2 10/20/50 8 M
Holdout pistol 2D+1 8/15/30 3 M
Sub-machine gun (A) 4D 10/20/40 30 D
Laser pistol 3D+1 10/30/100 10 M
Palm laser 2D 8/25/50 3 D
Blaster pistol 5D 10/20/40 10 VD

Longarms:
Light rifle 3D 20/80/200 10 VE
Medium rifle 4D+1 20/100/300 10 E
Heavy rifle 5D+1 20/100/500 8 M
Assault rifle (A) 5D+1 20/40/300 30 D
Machine gun (A) 6D 20/50/500 100 VD
Light shotgun 3D/2D/1D+1 10/20/40 5 VE
Heavy shotgun 4D+2/3D+1/2D+1 10/20/40 5 E
Laser rifle 4D 20/100/1000 10 D
Pulse laser rifle 5D 20/100/1000 5 VD
Blaster rifle 6D+1 15/30/100 10 VD
Heavy blaster rifle 8D 15/30/150 H
Flamegun 6D 8/15/30 10 D

Attack Modifiers: Att Mod/Dmg Mod
Single Shot 0/0
Burst (3 rd) +1D/+1D
Full Auto (10 rd) +2D/+2D
Sweep (10 rd) +2D/-3D

Only weapons with (A) designation can perform Burst, Full Auto and Sweep options. Sweep attacks affect up to 1D targets within a 45 degree arc in front of attacker. Point Blank range (0-3 m) gives a Diff mod of -5, Short is 0, Medium is +5 and Long is +10. The use of a scope gives a +2 bonus to attacks at Medium and Long range.

The pulse laser uses a special capacitor to build up more power. It uses twice as much energy for each shot and will overheat on a critical failure requiring a round to cool down.

A word on blasters, in Fading Suns, they more closely resemble the Phased Plasma Guns (PPGs) of Babylon 5 than the blasters of Star Wars. They incorporate some Vautech in their design and are, therefore, difficult for most weaponsmiths to even understand, let alone manufacture.

The flamegun is the preferred weapon of the Avestites. Though clumsy and heavy, its purifying flames cleanse the sins of the wicked as it sends them to the Light. Anyone hit by a flamegun takes an additional 4D of fire damage the following round.

-Rognar-

Fading Suns and d6 Space Metaphysics Pt.1

The Space d6 system doesn't have alternate forms of supernatural power the way Fading Suns does with Psi and Theurgy. All such powers are wrapped up under the banner of Metaphysics. Therefore, I will not create a Theurgist template as distinct from the Psychic. Such a distinction can exist in game terms by tinkering with the difficulty modifiers of manipulations. Fading Suns describes psychic powers as being more personal, while theurgical powers are more communal. So, I will add a new target size aspect, namely "Self", and give it a difficulty modifier of 0 for psychics and +2 for theurgists. The current "Person" target size aspect will apply to a single individual, other than the one creating the manipulation. "Person" and all other target size aspects denoting other people will have a difficulty modifier +1 higher for psychics. I will also make the difficulty modifier for range "Self" -2 (the same as "Touching") for psychics. It will remain 0 for theurgists. Beyond these changes, the Psychic template can be applied to Theurgists as well since they are subjected to the same restrictions and limitations as Psychics.

-Rognar-

Fading Suns d6 character template 4 - The Psychic

The Psychic template is more complicated than the previous ones provided, because psychic powers in general are outlawed by the Church. However, it is possible for psychics to operate somewhat freely if they submit to the Church and work on its behalf. This situation can be accounted for by the inclusion of appropriate Disadvantages in the template. It should be noted that most Church psychics are either Amaltheans or Eskatonics fighting the Symbiots. The different options are described below.

Attributes:
Agility 2D
Strength 2D
Knowledge 2D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 3D
Technical 2D
Metaphysics 3D

Advantages:
none

Disadvantages:
Enemy (R2) (Outlaw psychic)
Devotion (R2) (Church psychic)

Skills:
Outlaw psychic
channel 3D
sense 1D
transform 1D
sneak 2D

Church psychic (Amalthean)
channel 1D
sense 2D
transform 2D
medicine 2D

Church psychic (Eskatonic)
channel 2D
sense 2D
transform 1D
survival 1D
sneak 1D

Fading Suns d6 character template 3 - The Knave

One more straightforward template, the Knave:

Attributes:
Agility 3D
Strength 3D
Knowledge 2D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 4D
Technical 2D
Metaphysics 0D

Advantages:
none

Disadvantages:
none

Skills:
con 2D
forgery 1D
sneak 1D
streetwise 1D

Fading Suns d6 character template 2 - The Living Weapon

In keeping with getting the easy ones out of the way first, the second character template I will create is the Living Weapon. The d6 system doesn't have elaborate rules for martial arts, but I have often found such rule systems to be tiresome anyway. The player can add whatever colour he so desires to his attacks without requiring a rule. So here we have, the Living Weapon:

Attributes:
Agility 4D
Strength 3D
Knowledge 2D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 3D
Technical 2D
Metaphysics 0D

Advantages:
none

Disadvantages:
none

Skills:
brawling 2D
dodge 1D
acrobatics 1D
running 1D

Fading Suns d6 character template 1 - The Noble

The d6 system utilizes the concept of character templates to construct any sort of character. This is quite handy as it allows a starting point from which to flesh out a build and it allows a GM to enforce a certain amount of conformity on the characters in his campaign. In light of this, I will be creating a series of templates for the standard Fading Suns character types. Not wanting to completely tie the hands of the players, however, there will be a certain number of dice left open to allow some customization.

A starting character has 18 dice to spend on attributes. The attributes are Agility, Strength, Knowledge, Mechanical, Perception, Technical and Metaphysics. Typically, only Psychics and Theurgists will assign dice to Metaphysics. The maximum allowable for human characters in any attribute is 5 dice. There are also 7 dice to spend on skills and advantages. This small number of additional dice represents a certain level of specialization within the larger subset of skills associated with each attribute. In each template, I will assign 16 of the 18 attribute dice and 5 of the 7 skill dice. The remaining two in each category will be left to the player to assign. The player will also have the option of taking up to 3 dice in disadvantages which can then be assigned as desired, keeping in mind that no skill can have more than 3 dice to start. Additionally, a die can be divided up into pips. There are 3 pips to a die and can be assigned as either a +1 and a +2 modifier or 3 +1 modifiers. So, let us proceed with the first template, the Noble.

Attributes:
Agility 3D
Strength 3D
Knowledge 2D
Mechanical 2D
Perception 4D
Technical 2D
Metaphysics 0D

Advantages:
Authority (R1)
Wealth (R1)

Disadvantages:
none

Skills:
House Hawkwood
command 1D
persuasion 1D
melee combat 1D

House Hazat
command 1D
tactics 1D
melee combat 1D

House Decados
con 1D
persuasion 1D
melee combat 1D

House Li Halan
artist 1D
persuasion 1D
willpower 1D

House al-Malik
artist 1D
persuasion 1D
sneak 1D

d6 Space Metaphysics

WEG's d6 Space game system treats psionic effects differently from most other games I've tried. It is somewhat freeform, allowing the player to construct an effect from scratch. Each component of the effect has a difficulty modifier assigned to it and the sum of all these modifiers determines the overall difficulty. That difficulty is then compared to one of three metaphysical skills (the term "psionics" is not used, in favour of "metaphysics") which most closely describes the effect. The skills are channel (used for physical attacks, defense and other related effects), sense (anything related to detection) and transform (a catch-all skill that describes anything not covered by the other two skills, such as healing, telekinesis and teleportation).

-Rognar-

Fading Suns Campaign - The Race for Aspiration

The Merchant League has acquired a jumpkey to a Lost World deep in Kurgan space. Information acquired by the spy who stole the key indicates that the planet is inhospitable and uninhabited, but that an old Second Republic research facility exists there. The Emperor is known to have a jumpkey to the system and it is highly probable that the Caliph has one too. Given that this world is in Kurgan space, it is unclear why the Caliph hasn't already secured it, but we do know that House Hazat and the Avestites are vigorously pushing the Emperor to authorize a major crusade to take the system before the Caliph does. This could precipitate a major war over a planet which may not have anything of value on it. We need a small group to covertly travel into the Caliphate and find a way to get to this newly uncovered system. Find out why the Kurgans haven't yet claimed it and what, if anything, remains of the facility on the planet. This is a joint League/al-Malik venture of utmost secrecy. We are looking for highly-capable volunteers to undertake this dangerous mission.

-Rognar-

The Campaign Blog

This blog will cover all aspects of my new project, a conversion of the d6 Space game from West End Games (WEG) for the Fading Suns campaign setting of Holistic Design Inc. (HDI), and the campaign that will follow. Look to this site for future updates.

-Rognar-