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Character Creation
Attribute Points: 15
Quality Points: 15
Drawback Points: Up to 10
Skill Points: 30
Drama Points: 20.
Attributes: No changes. Only Boosted, Geneered or Modified humans can go above 6.
Qualities and Drawbacks
Some of these have been altered from the book descriptions. Others have been removed, and many others have been added.
Modified Qualities and Drawbacks:
Acute/Impaired Senses: 2-point Quality, 1-point Drawback
These may be purchased in addition to geneered or boosted senses, but cannot be used in conjunction with modified senses. Because of the ease of correcting impaired senses, this is only a 1-point Drawback.
Addiction (Present Real Time Programs): 5-point Drawback
Full sensory illusions. There are occasional glitches in how the neural nanonics convey the illusions, which can break one out of the experience for a time. All but visual and auditory inputs are slightly duller than reality. However, you have to roll Willpower (doubled) at -3 to perceive reality instead of the PRT. It is possible to cause serious harm to oneself by ignoring real bodily needs, although nanonics will not be able to fully convey the illusion as your body starts to suffer lasting damage.
Cop/Detective: 4-, 6-, or 8-point Quality
The basic Cop has +1 to any one physical Attribute, and a +1 bonus to Crime, Driving, and Gun Skills. At this ranking, you have authority only in limited jurisdictions, such as a set of stations, a habitat, or a single planet. You have the first level of Neural Nanonics for free.
The next highest-ranking form of Cops have the same benefits of the basic Cops, as well as a +1 bonus to Influence, Knowledge, and Space skills. You have authority within a system, all arms of a corporation, or in several allied systems. You have the first level of Neural Nanonics for free.
The highest level of Cops have the above benefits as well as the basic level of Database. You have authority in all related systems (i.e., all of the Kulu Kingdom, the Confederation, or Edenist-allied areas). You have the second level of Neural Nanonics for free, and can purchase Boosts or Cybernetic Modifications for -1 point (minimum of 1 point cost for any). At this level, your Obligation is Total.
Eidetic Memory: 1-point quality
The basic level comes free with Neural Nanonics. This quality combined with nanonics allows for perfect recall of any moment without a roll. The rules work as normal for those without Neural Nanonics.
Minority: 1- or 3-point Drawback
Depending on the ethnic nature of one's surroundings, this Drawback becomes severe, meaning that it is almost impossible to overcome prejudices. However, on most worlds one's ethnic background is more a curiosity than an actual source of conflict. This is a 3-point Drawback for Edenists in highly-religious areas (such as the Kulu Kingdom).
Physical Disability: Variable Drawback
All disabilities are rather easily corrected or compensated for with modern medicine. Only if a character has no resources at all or is on a backwards or frontier planet are they worth full points. Otherwise, halve all Drawback points (round up).
Resources: Variable Quality or Drawback
There is no universal standard of monetary value. Reduce effective Resources level by 2 when going from Govcentral to other worlds, and vice versa. It is possible to commit Resources funds in each standard of currency. The basic "dollars" applied mostly to Govcentral worlds.
Age: 2- or 4-point Quality
This only applies to people who have been Geneered with Longevity or those who are Zero-Tau Tourists.
Increased Life Points (Modified, Boosted or Geneered only): 1-point/level Quality
These are usually granted as part of a package. If you qualify, you may buy 2 additional levels of this Quality. If you had no Increased Life Points due to a package, you may buy up to 2 levels.
Not Used: Demon/Half-Demon, Demon Hunter, Ex-Watcher, Occult Investigator, Occult Library, Robot, Slayer, Watcher, Werewolf, Vampire.
New Qualities and Drawbacks:
Agent: 10-point Quality
You work for either the Confederation Navy Intelligence Agency, the Edenist Security Agency, the Kulu External Security Agency or Internal Security Agency, or a corporate security branch. Agents add +1 to Dexterity, Constitution and Perception (maximum of 6), +1 Crime, +2 Influence, +1 Guns, Knowledge, and Martial Arts. This Quality comes with the first level of Neural Nanonics for free, and reduces the cost of Boosts or Cybernetic Modifications by -1 point (minimum of 1 point). The character must regularly report in, has a Major Obligation to the agency and will always have at least one minor Emotional Problem. He cannot have Dependent or other family-related Drawbacks. He may also not have more than 2 levels of Attractiveness, either as a Quality or Drawback.
Affinity: 3-, 5-, or 8-point Quality
Affinity is the ability to transmit thoughts through a poorly-understood medium. The bond is strongest with other beings who possess affinity, but with sufficient power can be sensed by ordinary beings. The speed of this mental conversation is not significantly faster than speaking out loud, although it is usually free of stammers and other miscommunications. Emotions are transmitted with words by default, although a Willpower (doubled) roll allows the sender (or receiver) to block the emotional information. Sensory data can be shared with an Intelligence (doubled) roll, although "editing" this information imposes -3 to the roll, and creating completely false input takes an Intelligence + Art roll at -4. It is possible to use Influence through the bond, although if emotional content is blocked this is at -3.
Affinity contact can normally be refused if the recipient is unwilling to converse. Contact can be forced with a resisted Willpower + Influence roll. This forced contact lasts 1 Turn for every Success Level; at the end of this period, another resisted roll is required to maintain the contact.
The maximum range of affinity contact is not known with any precision, although human minds can rarely reach beyond 25,000 kilometers. Voidhawks, habitats, and the Consensus in a system can usually converse across a solar system. For humans, assume a range of Willpower x 5,000 kilometers. Every Success Level on a Willpower (doubled) roll can double this range for a Turn.
The basic level of Affinity means that you can only initiate contact with other beings with whom you are bonded. This applies mostly to people who are given affinity nodes after birth, and links them with no more than 5 other beings. Characters with basic Affinity may receive contact from those with higher levels of Affinity.
The medium level of Affinity allows you to contact any affinity-capable being. You may transmit privately to select individuals (if you knows the personality traits of the target) or broadcast to anyone who might be listening. You may attempt to detect (but not participate in) private-band affinity contact with a Perception (not doubled) roll, at -2. A Willpower (not doubled) roll, at -2, may allow the character to send a specific sensation, image word to those who are not capable of affinity, if he is in pistol ranges of the target and can see him, or if he knows the target extremely well. Almost all Edenists possess this level of Affinity.
The highest level of Affinity has only been possessed by habitats and, according to legend, one or two Edenists. The Director will have to consider whether you will be allowed to purchase this Quality. With this degree of Affinity, people are able to contact any mind more complex than a newborn child's. They can spy on private affinity communications with a Perception (doubled) roll, may force contact for Willpower + Influence + Success Levels Turns before needing to reroll, and can try to stun opponents with a mental "shout," which requires a resisted Willpower + Influence roll. This causes Willpower damage for each Success Level. Someone with this level Affinity may create and control dreamscapes for targets who are asleep or unconscious.
Backward Culture: 2-point Drawback
You hail from a culture that keeps its citizens from knowing much about the rest of the universe. The reasons for this ignorance may be religious, political, or financial. Some ruling classes may knowingly keep their citizens in the dark, while others might simply not care or be too busy with the daily business of survival to stay up-to-date.
Whatever the reasons, a backward culture puts constraints on its populace. If you are from such a culture, you have -1 Knowledge and a maximum of 4 levels at character creation in any skill based on education. You may also react poorly to new information or situations not seen in their culture, such as meeting an Edenist.
Boosted: Variable Quality
There are several ways to improve one's body beyond human levels. Nanonic Boosting is one of the newest and most expensive, although it is more stable and aesthetically pleasing than cybernetic modifications. This is a process of using some bitek to supplement or replace normal tissue, as well as employing nanonics to improve the functioning of existing tissues or to provide new abilities. A character must either be an Agent, a top-level Cop, a Soldier, have 4 points of Financial or Governmental Contacts, or have Resources 3 before he can take any kind of Boost. Most governments are very curious about people who have been Boosted. They have records of those Boosted while in their service; individuals with Boosts who are not registered by the government in question may be regarded with suspicion.
Any competent medical examination will notice a Boosted individual. While it is technically possible to Boost only specific systems in a body, it is both medically safer and more reliable to install comprehensive Boosts of related systems to achieve a specific purpose. Boost packages cannot be layered on top of each other -- the character must choose one to satisfy his needs. Any attempt to change a Boost later will require an extensive medical procedure and reprogramming of one's nanonics to alter the Boost's purpose. It should go without saying that each step in this process is expensive, time-consuming, and may be hazardous to one's health.
EMP bursts and attacks against bitek or nanonics may remove the benefits of a Boost for a short time. Any Doctor rolls for a Boosted person are at -2 unless the doctor also has Science 3 and Mr. Fix It 3. The installation of Boosts requires the doctor to have Doctor 3, Mr. Fix It 4 and Science 4, and typically cost in excess of $10,000 per point in the Quality.
Attributes that are improved with Boosts may exceed ratings of 6.
Athlete package (8 points): +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Acrobatics and Sports. This also provides Fast Reaction Time and two levels of Hard to Kill. You must eat one-and-half times as much as a normal human to support the needs of your improved physique, and you will have one level of Emotional or Mental Problems, usually Aggressiveness or Recklessness.
Battle package (14 points): +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +1 to Acrobatics, +2 to Guns and Martial Arts. You have Fast Reaction Time, two levels of Hard to Kill, a level of Increased Life Points, Natural Toughness, and Reduced Damage (half damage from kinetic impacts). You must eat twice as much as a normal human, and you will have one level of Emotional or Mental Problems, usually Cruelty or Paranoia.
Space package (10 points): +1 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Perception, +1 Acrobatics and +2 Space. You have Fast Reaction Time, three levels of Resistance (Microgravity), Reduced Damage (one-fifth acceleration damage), and Situational Awareness. You never experience vertigo or agoraphobia. You do have one level of Emotional Problems, usually Wanderlust.
Survivalist package (9 points): +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +3 Constitution, +1 Notice, +2 Survival. You have Fast Reaction Time, three levels of Hard to Kill, Natural Toughness, Reduced Damage (half damage from specific environment), and Situational Awareness. You can gorge himself and store excess calories and nutrients for extended periods of fasting. You can also hold your breath for twice as long as a normal human. You has the Outcast Drawback.
Botched: 3-point Drawback
This can be applied to any kind of alteration of the human form, from Boosting, Cybernetic Modifications, or Geneering. In short, something went wrong with the implantation procedures, or perhaps the devices or genes had unnoticed glitches. On any rolls involving the modification, a 1 indicates future rolls with this modification are at -1; this penalty is cumulative until a Cybernetic Modification or Boost can be repaired, or until a Geneered person can rest for at least an hour. A failed roll involving the modification means that it simply doesn't work properly, subtracting -3 (cumulative as above) to any use of the modification until it is repaired or several hours pass.
Cybernetic Modifications: Variable Quality
For centuries, people have sought various ways to overcome perceived infirmities or to exceed the limits of human ability. The most-common method was the use of implants or large-scale prosthetic replacements for limbs or organs. Nanonic Boosts are the latest examples of this trend, and are becoming one of the most prevalent forms of modification. The use of cybernetics is becoming less prevalent, but is still slightly cheaper than nanonics and less controversial than bitek or geneering. Often smaller-scale Modifications are installed with nanonics, while the larger Modifications require extensive surgery.
You must have Resources of 1 for minor Modifications, Resources 2 for large-scale alterations, and Resources 3 for military-grade Modifications. Agents, Cops, Soldiers or Spacers may able to purchase Modifications for a reduced cost. As a rough rule of thumb, one level of Modification usually costs the equivalent of $3,000 for material and surgical costs.
A doctor must have Doctor 3 and Mr. Fix It 3 to implant functional cybernetics. One Success Level per level of the Modification is required for full installation, although the doctor may roll again for every three hours spent in surgery. The recipient of the implant must spend 1 week per level of the Modification to recover from the surgery and fully integrate the use of the devices. Until this time has been spent, he is at -2 to all rolls involving the Modification.
It is possible to add as many cybernetics as you wish, as long as you can afford the new devices and are willing to take the time to recover. When you have more levels of Modfications than his Willpower score, you gain one level of Emotional or Mental Problems for every 4 levels of difference (round up). These problems often take the form of reduced emotional responses or cruelty.
Cybernetics are almost impossible to hide from scans. They are vulnerable to EMP bursts and being hacked; roll a d10 and add the levels in each modification to see if it survives the EMP.
Armor (1 point/level): Some modified people can shrug off all manner of wounds without breaking stride. Armor subtracts 1 point of damage per level from attacks. The damage is subtracted before any modifiers (for Slash/stab or Bullet weapons, for example) are taken into account.
Up to level 3, this modification can be hidden as a subdermal kinetic-dispersion mesh. You will lose 1 level of Attractiveness.
Levels 4 to 8 requires the skin to be replaced with flexible artificial tissues, which are clearly unnatural, although they can still feel relatively soft and permit a reasonable facsimile of human appearance. You will lose 2 levels of attractiveness.
Levels 9 to 15 (the maximum) indicates that you are covered in an outer shell of composites and metal which are clearly inhuman. You lose 6 levels of attractiveness.
For an additional 2 points, the armor can be twice as effective against one form of attack (Bashing, Slash/stab, Bullet, or Energy weapons). An additional 8 points means the character has double Armor value against every kind of attack. These extra-hardened armors are usually seen only in military forces and will certainly cause comment and all kinds of trouble if you do not have some kind of credentials to justify being a walking tank.
Bones (4 or 6 points): This is an extremely painful and extensive alteration, and imposes a -2 to the rolls to perform the modification. At the minor level, you receive a nanonically-implanted mesh of carbon fibers and titanium alloys to support your natural bones, joints and connective tissues. The higher level involves a complete replacement of your bones and joints (replacing the functions of the marrow with artificial organs). The first option adds 10 kg to the character's weight, the second adds 30 kgs.
Bone supports add 1 level of Hard to Kill, Reduced Damage (half damage from Bashing attacks) and two levels of Resistance against attempts to break your bones.
Complete replacement gives you 1 additional level of Hard to Kill (for a total of 2 levels), Natural Toughness, Reduced Damage as above, an additional 2 levels of Resistance (for a total of 4) against attempts to break your bones, and +1 Constitution.
A character must have bone supports to have more than Strength of 8, and replacements to have Strength of 11 or more.
Gastrointestinal (2 points): The character's stomach, esophagus and intestines are all replaced with devices that store foodstuffs, inject a variety of chemicals to break them down, and extract all possible nutrients and sources of calories from any ingested substance. These organs cannot process materials without hydrocarbons and will break down if forced to deal with rocks, metals, or highly-active chemicals such as sulfuric acid.
The character has Reduced Damage (one-fifth damage against ingested toxins) and can survive on almost any substance with a hint of organic compounds, even plastics.
Ears (2 or 3 points): This extends your hearing well beyond the human ranges. You receive a +4 bonus to any Perception-related roll that relies on hearing. At the basic level, you can pick up sub- and ultrasonic sounds as well as relatively powerful broadband radio communications with a Perception + Notice roll, at -2.
At the advanced level, you may also use sonar to ignore the effects of darkness or being temporarily (or permanently) blinded. You can also pick up any radio communications in the area with no modifier for broadband transmissions, -2 for narrow-band signals, and -4 for neural nanonic datavises.
Eyes (2 or 3 points): This allows you to see much better than a human. You receive a +4 bonus to any Perception-related roll that relies on sight. At the basic level, you can see in the infrared and ultraviolet ranges and can grant telescopic vision at 15x.
The advanced level allows you to see naturally-occurring X-rays. These bursts are not constant, but can allow you to see through most soft materials and a few inches of concrete or thin metal walls with a Perception + Notice roll, -3.
Heart (3 points): This not only replaces the heart but provides nanonic support of the connecting major arteries and veins. The device can keep up with any level of activity, and also cleanses the blood of unusual toxins. This modification adds +2 Constitution and 2 levels of Resistance to blood-borne toxins. This Modification, or Lungs, is required to have a Constitution score of 8 or more. Both Heart and Lungs have to be replaced to have a Constitution score of 10 or more.
Limb (2 or 3 points): These prostheses were developed to replace damaged limbs, and are generally meant to conform to the tolerances of the human body. One replacement limb does not actually grant overall superhuman strength; exerting maximum force could easily tear supporting tissues and damage the limb's delicate control mechanisms and feedback sensors.
The lower level of this Modification is for hands, feet, elbows, knees or other smaller replacements. Hands have +1 Strength for gripping purposes, and these limbs always have Reduced Damage (half-damage from any non-energy attacks targeting this limb) and 2 levels of Resistance to stress or bashing damage. Full replacement of an arm or a leg grants +1 Strength for any activity using that limb and the Reduced Damage and Resistance as above.
Lungs (4 points): These artificial lungs have a high storage capacity and are highly efficient at oxygen exchangers. They also can purify the air and catalyze oxygen from various oxides. You have +1 Constitution, can hold your breath for two hours while exerting yourself, or for six hours without exertion before needing to make any checks, and you have 2 levels of Resistance to any airborne toxins. You need This Modification, or Heart, is required to have a Constitution score of 8 or more. Both Heart and Lungs have to be replaced to have a Constitution score of 10 or more.
Muscles (1 point/level): Electroreactive polymer fibers are laced through the body, following the paths of one's normal muscles. This is a slow and painful process, especially when it comes to enhancing or replacing one's connective tissues. Each level grants +1 Strength. From levels 1 to 3, these fibers exist in conjunction with natural muscles, and you look as human as ever. From levels 4 to 7, these fibers have completely replaced natural tissues and you lose -2 Attractiveness; your musculature is obviously unnatural. From levels 8 to 13 (the maximum), you lose -5 Attractiveness and are blatantly inhuman in appearance.
If you does not have the Bones modification, you cause Strength x2 damage to yourself every time you exert more than Strength 6. You can exert up to Strength 8 with the lower-level Bones modification, and more than Strength 11 with the full Bones replacement.
Nose (2 or 3 points): This allows you to perceive scents much better than a human. You receive a +4 bonus to any Perception-related roll that relies on smell. At the basic level, your sense of smell is as powerful as that of a dog, and you can track through an atmosphere with Perception + Notice rolls, -2 (modified further as the Director desires).
The advanced level permits you to track without penalty and perform forensic analysis of scents, registering individual chemical components, with a Perception + Science roll at -2.
Skin (3 or 5 points): This procedure is almost as painful as muscle replacement, and takes as long for full recovery. The basic modification places an additional subdermal layer which can alter its shape and release or inhibit certain pigments. You can add (or subtract) 3 levels of Attractiveness at will and gain +3 to any disguise rolls.
The advanced modification completely replaces your skin with an LED-studded soft polymer. At "rest," you have a slightly waxy appearance, but can add or subtract up to 5 levels of Attractiveness, add +4 to any disguise rolls, or take on the same appearance as the background for Willpower turns, imposing a -5 penalty to anyone noticing you.
Weapons (1 to 6 points): You have small weapons embedded somewhere in your body. This covers the basic steel claws, fangs, spikes, stun pads or even compressed-air darts, tasers and flashbangs.
Each level allows slightly larger and more powerful weapons to be used. Weapons which can be thrown or fired at pistol ranges double the cost, and ones which can be used at rifle ranges halve the listed damage. Weapons which only stun targets do not face the latter restriction.
Small: One point; 2 x Strength damage for melee, 8 damage for ranged. Medium: Two points; 3 x Strength damage for melee, 12 damage for ranged. Large: Three points; 4 x Strength damage for melee, 16 damage for ranged.
Cosmonik: 18- or 24-point Quality
The ultimate result of extensive Cybernetic Modifications, a cosmonik's body is at least 75% artificial. In many cases, only the brain, spinal cord, and a few internal organs remain human. The smaller package gives 7 levels of Armor; the basic levels of Ears, Eyes, and Nose; any two of the Gastrointestinal, Heart, and Lungs modifications; the basic Bones modification; and +6 Strength from Muscle and Limbs replacements. You may operate in the vacuum of space for thirty minutes per point of Constitution. You have -4 Attractiveness, three levels of Emotional or Mental problems, and the Outcast Drawback.
The advanced package gives 10 levels of Armor; the advanced Ears, Eyes and Nose; the Gastrointestinal, Heart, and Lungs packages; the advanced Bones modification; and +9 Strength from Muscle and Limbs Replacements. You may operate in the vacuum of space for an hour per point of Constitution. You have -6 Attractiveness, 5 levels of Emotional or Mental problems, and the Outcast Drawback.
Database: 1- to 4-point Quality
You have collected a wide variety of facts from around the systems. The database can be stored either in a personal computer or your Neural Nanonics, although 4- and 5-point Databases requires the medium-grade Nanonics. Any time an unusual event or fact comes into evidence, you may add your Database rating to attempts to identify it. This has limits; sometimes you will find something truly unique, and no database will have a reference to it.
Databases can also store skill programs, depending on their level.
Minimal (1 point): You have several local travel guides, a collection of reference works, and the abridged version of the Encyclopedia Galactica. At least one major culture (usually Edenism) has almost no coverage in this Database. Up to 2 skill levels worth of programs are stored.
Good (2 points): There are hundreds of reference materials, some of which go deeper than the surface in certain areas of interest. Up to 4 skill levels worth of programs are stored in this database.
Impressive (3 points): More reference materials than most people could hope to read, including some that are rather detailed about specific subjects. Up to 6 skill levels worth of programs can be stored.
Amazing (4 points): A compilation of the top ten thousand hits on general subjects and thousands of specific resources. Up to 8 skill levels worth of programs can be stored.
Edenist: 15-point Quality
Either by birthright or by choice, you are a member of the newest branch of humanity. It is difficult to become a true Edenist after birth; you must purchase each of the listed Geneering alterations.
An Edenist is born in an exowomb, a bitek extension of a habitat that is seeded by the fertilized ova of your mother. You the habitat has been whispering to you since before birth, and your entire childhood consisted of communal thoughts shared by your family and eventually all others in the habitats. Adamists, with their insular communities that keep secrets and hide emotions, are strange and even a bit frightening to you. You're a little uncomfortable around hardtech devices, since bitek seems both more natural. You can use such devices freely, but you'll never trust them the way you trust bitek. Most peculiar are Adamist starships. It's astonishing to believe these things managed to carry humanity across the light years without the gentle guidance of a living mind within the ship.
Edenists possess the medium level of Affinity, Cosmetic Geneering to grant them height and trim physiques, Corrective Geneering to resist diseases and mental disorders, Longevity, and the Space Geneering package. You also have +1 Intelligence and Willpower.
You are a Minority in any Adamist culture and in some you are an Outcast. You have a penalty of -2 to any social roll dealing with Adamists, and have one level of Emotional Problems (Fear of Being Alone).
Geneering: Variable Quality
In the mid-21st century, genetic engineering to correct medical conditions and weaknesses in the human genome went into wide practice. Geneering beyond this point was slow to catch on, but by the end of the 21st century many advancements in bitek led to larger-scale projects. The primary reason geneering is not more common is the cultural and religious divide between Adamists and Edenists.
Even with all of the wonderful possibilities inherent in geneering, there are few chances of creating a race of true superhumans. There are hard limits to what the human form can do even with good genetics, and the more one alters a genome, the more chances unintended consequences can appear. Edenists may represent the pinnacle of what humanity can become with the current understanding of genetics.
A doctor must have Doctor 4 and Science 3 to perform geneering. Most geneering takes place prenatally, but adults can receive such treatments at a cost of +1 point and $8,000 per point in the Quality. The Director may choose not to allow certain packages to be purchased after the fact.
While specific alterations are possible and common, a trend is growing for more widespread alterations in several related areas.
On many worlds, obvious geneering may come with the Minority or Outcast Drawbacks.
Affinity (1 point): This means your Affinity Quality is embedded in your genetic code and will be passed on to your descendants.
Athlete (5 points): Your physique is similar to that of some of the best athletes in history. You have the potential to reach the same heights as the Olympians and sports giants of previous centuries. You receive +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity and +1 Constitution, and can eventually reach 6s in two of these and a 7 in one of them. You also have Fast Reaction Time, one level of Hard to Kill and Natural Toughness.
Cosmetic (3 points): If inherited or used prenatally, this allows your coloration and general appearance to be chosen by your parents. There are some limits to how extensively your appearance can be changed -- an African given light skin will never be as pale as a Norwegian, for example, and a family that tends to be stocky and short will not become willowy and tall in one generation, although repeated treatments will usually create large-scale changes within two or three generations.
If you purchase geneering therapy later in life, you a smaller degree of control over your new appearance -- you may lighten or darken your coloration by several shades, or remove a tendency to acne or weight-gain, but not correct for overlarge ears or uneven features. This form of geneering can be purchased for 2 points if the changes are not guaranteed to carry over to later generations.
Cosmetic geneering grants 2 levels of the Attractiveness Quality.
Corrective (variable points): This removes congenitive defects from one's genetic heritage. Inherited problems such as tendencies to mental disorders, autoimmune disorders, and other ailments can be dealt with equally. When used to treat an existing problem, this Quality can reduce the points in the Emotional Problems, Mental Problems or Physical Disabilities Drawbacks by one-for-one. They also erase the chances that a child will inherit these disorders.
If you are healthy individual, you can spend 3 points in this Quality to have 3 levels of Resistance to diseases and mental disorders and will be guaranteed generally good health throughout your life. You will not fall victim to most problems brought about by old age, although this does not necessarily extend your lifespan. This trait will be inherited unless specified otherwise. Children born with this trait need only pay 2 points.
Enhanced Attributes (variable points): A specific modification to one or more Attributes, at a rate of +1 per point, maximum of +3 to any one Attribute. Any Attribute that received this enhancement can reach a maximum of 5 + the number of bonus points. No human has survived a treatment giving more than one +3 or two +2 bonuses.
Geneering which gives a +1 or +2 can be inherited; bonuses of +3 are only +2 in later generations. People with maximums above 6 are often considered Minorities or even Outcasts while dealing with conservative or highly-religious cultures.
Environmental (3 or 5 points): You are adapted to deal well in a specific kind of harsh environments. These adaptations must be designated by the Director, such as high-gravity, high-temperature worlds with an unusual amount of sulfur and carbon monoxide in the air. Almost any combination is permitted so long as the Director agrees it is suitable.
When receiving the geneering during your lifetime, you can gain +2 physical Attribute points in a relevant area (Strength and Constitution for high-gravity worlds or Dexterity for low-gravity worlds with massive trees) and 2 levels of Resistance to a certain kind of environment, which must be somewhat similar to a terracompatible planet. You do not suffer any reduced effects in similar environments on other worlds --for example, if you are cold-adapted, you would not notice much chill even in the tundras of Earth -- but you are not entirely immune to extreme conditions -- so you would still need some protection in Antarctic winters. No amount of geneering within your lifetime can make you able to breathe carbon dioxide instead of oxygen or allow you to survive surface temperatures that are near the boiling point.
Later generations inheriting these adaptions can either pay 3 points to have the same benefits or 5 points to be the products of designed evolution. They are still well within the human framework, but receive +3 physical Attribute dots in relevant areas, 3 levels of Resistance to a certain kind of environment, and Reduced Damage (one-half from damage due to specific environmental conditions). Such an individual can often be comfortable during blizzards while wearing light clothing.
Unfortunately, if you have environmental adaptions, you often suffer more in other circumstances. You are at -2 or -3 (for mild or major adaptions) to rolls to deal with opposing environments (low-oxygen for high-oxygen adaptions, for example) and can take 50% more environmental damage when appropriate. You also have either the -3 Attractiveness and Minority, or the Outcast Drawbacks.
Longevity (2 points): One of the most famous geneering breakthroughs, which is both popular and quite controversial. You simply have a natural lifespan in excess of 200 years, although no human has yet lived past 260 due to this modification. When receiving this Quality after birth, your aging slows to one physical year for every three temporal years that pass.
When born with this Quality, you will enter adolescence at roughly 13, like other humans, and become a young adult at about the age of 20. You remain as healthy as other young adults until the age of 60, then become mature until the 110's, are middle-aged until 160, are an older adult until about 210, and then you suffer senescence thereafter.
Characters with the Longevity Quality can also purchase up to two levels of the Age Quality. In many conservative and highly-religious cultures, people with Longevity are treated as Minorities or even Outcasts.
Regenerate (3 points): A very rare genetic sequence, and difficult to incorporate into a genome. There is a -6 penalty to attempts to gain it after birth; the sequence is recessive and does not have to be purchased by those who could inherit the trait.
In short, you heal much more quickly than normal humans. Even when not receiving medical care, you recover one Life Point per Constitution level every day. When receiving even indifferent care from anyone with a Doctor of 1 or more, this increases to two Life Points per Constitution level in a day. When under medical treatment, this is 3 Life Points per Constitution level in a day. If the Director allows, you might even be able to regrow lost limbs or organs over a period of months or years. You must consume at least twice as much food as normal when actively recovering from wounds, and have a healthy appetite the rest of the time.
Space (5 points): You are specifically adapted to the demands of space travel. This is a rather tricky genetic sequence due to the number of unusual traits it encompasses, and imposes a -4 penalty to attempts to gain it during your lifetime. Some of these benefits appear to be recessive; those who inherit the trait can choose to merely purchase one or more of the relevant Qualities individually.
The space adaptions include +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, Reduced Damage (one-fifth damage from high acceleration), 3 levels of Resistance to pressure changes, vertigo and acceleration, and is immune to the long-term effects of microgravity. You also have excellent spatial orientation and are never afraid of heights or open spaces.
Journalist: 3-point Quality
One of the most important needs of a far-flung set of colonies is information. Journalists have a great deal of influence, often being seen as a godsend to a new colony or a necessary evil to large established settlements. You receive +1 Perception, +1 Notice, and 2 levels of Contacts in areas of your choice. You also can request favors from a wide variety of people who want to hear about or be in the latest news. Journalist conveys credentials which allow you to stick his nose into business that is not yours and can often help you get out of trouble, even if certain secretive types don't like you.
This comes with a minor Obligation to one or more news organizations.
Neural Nanonics: 4- to 9-point Quality
Not since the birth of the personal computer and the infancy of internet databases has a single innovation been adopted so readily by the populace at large. Currently only the top 20 to 30% of most citizens can afford Neural Nanonics, but prices drop even as computing capacity increases.
Neural nanonics are implanted through at least four injections of nanonics, which seek out nerve tissues. Under the direction of a trained cyberneticist, the nanonics insinuate themselves in the brain and lay conductive carbon fibers and processing nodes along major nerve pathways. Each procedure costs $12,000 per level of nanonics, and takes at least a week per level to stabilize the interface and learn to use the nanonics. A cyberneticist with Computers 3, Doctor 3 and Science 4 must oversee the procedures.
Neural nanonics analyze your brain functions, especially those dealing with visual and auditory senses. Once the software has complied an accurate model of your mind, it begins to send test queries. You must learn to properly visualize the responses in a way that can be detected by the software. The preferences for nanonic interface can be as simple or complex as desired. Most people use icons which flash across one's visual field, accompanied by various alert sounds. You can concentrate on the icons to expand the nanonic interface into text and graphics in your vision. More advanced users can set up "mental eye" fields which are only accessed when you have your eyes closed or are looking at a neutral background, picture-within-picture interfaces, or are so integrated that you are hardly aware of any text, icons or sounds from the nanonics.
All neural nanonics provide the Eidetic Memory Quality and can perform any function of a personal portable computer. They grant +2 Knowledge, +1 Languages, and +1 Notice, and often come with some level of the Database quality. Nanonics can also transmit "datavises," packets of information using the neural network as a transmitter and receiver up to a certain range. In most industrialized areas, this guarantees constant connection with any public computing network. These datavises can also be used for personal communications between individuals, and can integrate with cellular networks to transmit data. Experienced users have become quite adept at their technological telepathy; strangely, this sort of communication does not suffer the same prejudice as an affinity bond.
Basic nanonics (4 points): You have a datavise range of 5 kilometers. These nanonics can create sensory illusions and monitor your health, although any attempt to alter your health (such as to lower heart rates or stop from blushing) require Willpower (doubled) or + Doctor rolls, -3. You can play supplemental skill programs and can store 6 levels of these programs in memory, running up to two programs simultaneously. Basic nanonics can record full sensory experiences which last for up to an hour, or use only visual and auditory senses which last for 6 hours.
Medium-grade nanonics (6 points): You have a datavise range of 10 kilometers. These nanonics are completely integrated into you major nerve bundles and can affect even autonomous systems with a Willpower (doubled) or + Doctor roll at -1. You can play any skill programs and can store 8 levels of these programs in memory, running up to three programs simultaneously. Medium nanonics can record full-sensory experiences which last for at least three hours, or use only visual and auditory senses for 18 hours. These nanonics also grant the Situational Awareness Quality.
High-grade nanonics (8 points): You have a datavise range of 15 kilometers. You can exert full control over your own body with a Willpower (doubled) or + Doctor roll at +1. You can play any skill program and store 10 levels of these programs in memory, running up to four programs simultaneously. These nanonics can record full-sensory experiences which last for at least 6 hours or use only visual and auditory senses for 36 hours. These nanonics grant both the Situational Awareness and Fast Reaction Time Qualities.
Skill programs (variable points): These programs take one of two forms. The supplemental version works much like a manual, compiled from many experts in a certain field, which can evaluate a course of action and point out loopholes or give advice to improve the plan. These work only with skills that allow time for consideration and planning, such as Doctor, Knowledge, Mr. Fix It, Space, and so on. Supplemental programs grant +1 to a skill per level, and cost 1 point per 2 levels. These programs can only provide up to +5 to any skill.
The second form, sometimes called puppeteer or voodoo programs, actually record physical motions and response parameters developed from studies of the best athletes and combatants available. When running, the programs will attempt to accommodate themselves to your physical abilities but can sometimes overwork your body. If you does not normally have the skill in question, or only have a Strength, Dexterity or Constitution score of 2, or the program adds more than twice the normal skill rating, you will take 2 x (level of program) Bashing-type damage from its use. Puppeteer programs usually deal with skills such a Acrobatics, Driving, Guns or the like. They add +1 skill per level, and cost 1 point per level. These programs can only grant +4 to any skill.
Neural nanonics are vulnerable to electronic warfare, EMP bursts, or being hacked (at -5 to hacking rolls). They can be hardened to gain 4 levels of Resistance to such attacks for 1 point.
Sequestered: 4-point Drawback
This can only if you have Neural Nanonics. Once, you were either a very bad man or perhaps on the losing side of a nasty battle or war. Maybe you were a terrorist or a habitual criminal or you killed a lot of people for what you thought was a good cause (or perhaps, just because you liked it).
That was then. Now, you are someone else. Your memories have been tampered with, and your personality is either locked behind action-evaluation-and-constraint programs or your previous self was simply deleted and a new personality allowed to grow around the (possibly real, possibly false) memories left behind.
That is the theory at least. Sequestration is either imposed as a "more humane" punishment than death for a variety of crimes, or is the result of very dirty tricks in espionage or warfare, turning people to one side through programming more directly than any propaganda. However, sequestration is rarely perfect. The brain is elastic, and elements of the former personality can leak out or attempt to fight against your constraints.
You have at least 2 levels of Emotional or Mental Problems, as well as -1 to Initiative; you're often dealing with conflicting ideas about what to do in any crisis situation. You can have strange dreams or feel as if there are voices in your head urging you to do things. There may be certain physical actions you simply cannot take without a Willpower (not doubled) roll, -3; these should be outlined by the player or secretly by the Director.
Serpent: 3-point Drawback
The Edenist culture is based around community and togetherness. They deal with each other honestly and openly, since the affinity bond makes deceit pointless. The concept of an entire society based on shared thoughts is frightening and distasteful to many Adamists. What might surprise some is that there are Edenists who hate this culture more than any Adamist.
A Serpent is an Edenist who has a strongly negative reaction to the affinity-based community into which they are born. Despite all of the socialization and reasons to conform to the Edenist culture through your childhood, you remain apart and almost always break with your people in some dramatic way. A Serpent must take the Edenist Quality, but you are treated as an Outcast by your own culture, and are highly distrusted by any Adamists who know why you've left Edenism behind. Serpents have at least one Minor Emotional Problem (Fear of Togetherness), which causes you to seek your own council or be part of small groups which you dominate.
Soldier: 3-point Quality
The explosion of worlds across space has increased the need for trained ground combatants. Governments and corporations both employ a large number of soldiers to help them protect their interests, and sometimes deal with rivals moving in on their territory.
You have +1 to all three physical Attributes and gain 2 levels of Guns, and 1 level each of Martial Arts, Melee and Military skills. You also gain one level of Hard to Kill. You pay one less point for either Boosting, Cybernetic Modifications, or Geneering (minimum of 1 point cost).
You must have a Rank of some kind and have a Major Obligation to your government or corporation. Soldiers who are not part of any set military structure are mercenaries. If you work with a mercenary company, you pay 4 points for this Quality and have an Important Obligation to your company. If you work alone or with a very small group, you pay 5 points for this Quality and have Minimal Obligation to your employers.
Spacer: 4-point Quality
A spacer is a romantic figure to most people. You boldly go into the deep black, with adventure and danger at every turn, bringing strange tales of other worlds back to your home. Of course, the reality is often more dull than this, but one thing is true: incompetent spacers don't live very long.
You have +1 Dexterity and Perception, have 1 level of Pilot and 2 levels of Space, pay one less point for Neural Nanonics, and have 2 levels of Resistance to acceleration and vertigo.
Vessel: Variable Quality
This is a partial share in a spacegoing vessel of some kind. Few spacers have this Quality; they work on the vessels but do not actually have shares of ownership. This Quality reflects a ship that is owned completely or in part by everyone who pays for it. Contributing owners can design the vessel together (see Vessel rules, below), determine how to use the vessel in jobs, take out loans against the ship, collect shares from work done with the ship, and so on. However, they are also responsible for maintenance, fuel and finding work for the vessel.
Voidhawks have several base characteristics, and have a starting cost of 25 points.
Zero-Tau Tourist: 2-point Quality
Zero-Tau was discovered in the middle of the 21st century, and went into commercial use before the start of the 22nd. Several rich individuals took advantage of the technology to explore the future in the only way possible. You enter zero-tau for a duration, experiencing no time within the capsule while years or decades pass outside. When you exit, you have to spend a few weeks or months learning the basics of the new world you find yourself in. After living in the new era for a while, you return to zero-tau to skip forward another few decades.
A Zero-Tau tourist receives +2 Knowledge and has one level of Contacts due to the history you've seen first-hand. You may purchase one level of the Age Quality.
Skills
Skills that are not used: Occultism -- in general, this is simply a hobby and part of Knowledge.
Modified Skills:
Getting Medieval is now Melee. This includes modern touch-attack weapons as well as the more traditional clubs, knives, and so on. Melee combat isn't common outside of the occasional brawl or riot control situation, although some new colonists can find themselves having to make do with weapons they can make rather than more modern alternatives.
Gun Fu is now Guns. The skill works the same, although there is a wider range of firearms available these days. Most modern weapons are easy to use thanks to laser targeting, links to neural nanonics, advanced recoil suppression and other tricks. Thanks this technology, knowing how to use one kind of gun carries over to other guns. If you are used to advanced weapons, picking up a gun without such improvements imposes a penalty of -4 to attacks. If you are used to primitive guns picking up an advanced weapon are at -2 to use this fancy thing. It takes at least a week of practice with each kind of weapon for each -2 to lose this penalty.
Kung Fu is now Martial Arts. As with Melee, most combat takes place at range and never involves serious use of hand-to-hand skills. That said, many people learn at least a few basic moves in school, although they usually never need to use them in a real fight. Advanced martial arts skills are usually only seen in staged competitions.
Mr. Fix-Itis now Engineering. It serves the same function, although most work on modern devices requires more than a selection of wrenches, some screwdrivers and an oily rag. The basic lessons in almost any kind of engineering is safety; someone who doesn't know what they're doing could badly hurt themselves when they mess with electron matrices or lasing mechanisms.
Many people with Engineering also take a Wild Card Skill in a specific kind of Engineering, to add on to rolls in those areas.
Science works much like Engineering, as a general overview of a very wide area of interest. Wild Card Skills in specific areas are highly recommended to people who want to do a lot of work with genetics or the physics of wormholes.
New Skills:
Military: This is the ability to know the way around planning missions, giving orders, and negotiating at various levels in the chain of command. Military service is one of the easiest ways to get off-world and see the other systems, and so many people found in space have spent at least a little time working for one military or another. Each world has its own military, as do several corporations and large-scale governments such as Govcentral or Kulu. There are several differences between individual military organizations, although some basic experiences are universal.
Pilot: Computers perform most of the basic maneuvers with only minimal direction from humans. However, that's not really flying, that's just being ferried around. True pilots know their vessels intimately and can pull tricks that even veteran spacers talk about for years afterward. Pilot is added to Dexterity when determining initiative in space combat, and of course is used for any complex maneuvers.
Space: Working and living in space is a lot more complex than most groundlings may think. It's a test of physical and mental endurance as well as keeping track of thousands of details such as quickly donning a vacuum suit, maneuvering in microgravity or how to calculate the proper vectors to avoid hitting large debris in an asteroid belt. This skill is used to deal with high-acceleration maneuvers, know the general workings of a spacecraft, or to navigate between stars.
Stealth: Avoiding notice is an art in itself. While criminals know how to keep out of sight, many military missions require a practical understanding of how to not be seen or heard until the last moment. Settlers having to hunt for food also value this skill, as do people trying to gather information in habitats or stations. This also comes with knowledge of how most surveillance methods work and how to circumvent them. Most Stealth rolls use Dexterity or Perception, and are often resisted by Perception + Notice rolls.
Survival: New colonies offer a variety of challenges to new settlers, including the basic problems of finding shelter, gathering food, and avoiding the dangers of the natural world. This skill helps the character to hunt, to find ways out of the weather, and to prepare for long periods of time away from help or modern conveniences.
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The Night's Dawn Trilogy (The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, and The Naked God) are all Copyright Peter F. Hamilton. Game concepts herein are based on the Buffy: The Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game and Angel: The Roleplaying Game, Copyright Eden Studios. No use of terms from the Night's Dawn Trilogy or from any Eden Studios game is a claim of ownership over these properties. Please don't sue me. |