From: Neil Asato <[n--sa--o] at [wiliki.eng.hawaii.edu]> Subject: BTRC: background To: jerry (Jerry Stratton) Date: Wed, 7 Apr 1993 14:45:05 -1000 (HST) Subject: Variant ideas for BTRC campaign copyright 1992 by Neil Asato As a note, the articles that I post for this campaign might not be suitable for your campaigns. The GM has to decide whether or not they are useful for their campaigns. Background Magic/psionics have been around for over 100,000 years on most worlds. Science/technology has been developed on most worlds to around TL16 level, sometimes along with magic. Gates between realities exist, but they are usually controlled by the government(s) in the area. There are many diverse civilizations, but not all areas are "civilized". There are plenty of places, and entire worlds, where there are wars, plagues, and other unpleasant conditions (including some "Monster Worlds"). In the background of all events are various power groups attempting to shift the future under their influence, some of which are "good" and others tending toward "evil". Religons tend to be like that described in Warp World, except that they are like mega-corporations with the goal of Power rather than money. Power groups described in the CORPS game have their counterparts in this campaign, too. Some worlds are "off-limits" as they might have some feature that makes them a threat to everywhere else: "demon" worlds, "monster" worlds, and "war machine" worlds. Player characters generally tend toward secret agents serving one of the power groups, being secret heroes, or professional mercenaries. Most will generally try to prevent their identities from being known with subtle disguises to prevent getting reputations with their enemies. TL add-on table (not official) TL Weapons Communication Medicine Transport Power Money 16 magic/ temporal pulse genetic- time-travel real- psionics augments hyperdrive ity tap 17 magic/psionics bio-alter reality- cosmic ation travel inflation tap 18 reality reality pulse none distortion 19 The above represents when they become general knowledge. Discovery and use on a small scale generally occurs before the listing. Refinements of the technology comes on a level after. Usually, civilizations at the top most levels keep to themselves or might change themselves to the point of being nearly incomprehensible to beings from a lower TL (examples might include where they are merged with their cities in a kind of symbiosis, or exist as beings of energy like processes in a computer or Power like deities). It is possible for some civilizations to "skip" over some TLs, since they might never stumble across it. Bio-alterations refers to literally growing the equipment you want. Living spaceships and cities are spectacular examples of this. Reality tap normally functions by manipulating the conditons in an area to have positive quantum vacuum energy. Cosmic inflation tap is an extension of it to actually create a partial cosmic inflation situation from which to gain energy. Character Generation Beginning characters start off with: 450 AP 1000 SP Starting money is as in Warp World. Friends Disadvantage should be placed as a Cost instead. GMs should emphasize to players that it is a 2-way relationship. Friends can help get the player characters out of trouble, and they provide the GM an excuse to lead the players in the right direction. Also, remember that Friends might have access to information and rumors that the players might not otherwise stumble across. Player characters should acquire the Immunity Advantage to a comfortable level, the GM should tell the players how much they plan to run plague scenarios ahead of time by including in the background of the area. This is also a must for characters that plan to travel around alot. Suggested skills to acquire in addition to the character's "professional" skills are(around level 8): Vehicle or beast riding (depends on the TL of the area) Projectile weapon skills Melee skills Survival skills (depends on the background) Magic (depends on the character, GM should create specific magic systems. These would have some similarities, but are incompatible in learning) Medical skills Unarmed combat Language (spoken and written)(depends on how much traveling the player characters do) Acting, Disguise, Stealth (to keep their reputation scores low with power groups that do not like their actions) Most player characters should have a balanced set of equipment. If they plan on doing a lot of traveling, appropriate tools should be gotten (like canteens, freeze-dried foods, etc). Since most player characters anger very powerful beings, concealed weapons are generally carried (staffs/walking sticks, chains/link belts worn as a fashion statement, slings/belts or strips of cloth, rocks/luck mementoes, and small weapons (knives, guns) on themselves. Concealable armor is worn. While some characters carry around larger, specialized equipment, they generally stand out and are usually not allowed by police forces (who have back-up with military level equipment, if the player characters do something really noticeable). I will post more campaign notes in future articles when I have time. I will generally break them into articles based on themes.