From: [r--dd--n] at [ttidca.TTI.COM] (John Redden)
Subject: Other Suns : 6
------------------ OS.6 ----------------------------------------
This is being posted to the net by myself for Niall Shapero.
Others Suns is copyright by Niall Shapero. This gaming material is
distributed on a shareware basis. If you do not use the material you
owe the author nothing. If you do use it please pay him what you
think it is worth at a fair price becasue it took a damn lot of work
to develop and playtest. The USmail address is:
Niall Shapero
2536 Short Ave
Los Angeles CA 90066
USA
Those of you with modems can dial into his BBS using this phone number:
(213)822-6729
Please email any comments to my electronic mailing address and I will
pass them on to Niall.
---------------- end of preamble -------------------------------------------
N'Aberdeen
The Imperial Sector Capital world of N'Aberdeen was colonized in
the 3nd century by caucasians of northern European stock. A
typical N'Aberdeener is 10 centimeters taller than the Human
average (add 10 to LEN) and somewhat slimmer (deduct 2 from BLD).
The typical N'Aberdeener has red hair, green eyes, and fair skin.
Technology
The technological level on N'Aberdeen is at normal Imperial
levels in all the sciences save one: biology. Even there, the
N'Aberdeener's have managed only one advance, but that one ad-
vance is a major one: formchange.
Using engineered viruses, biofeedback and Human-computer linkage
techniques, and organ regeneration technology, the N'Aberdeener's
developed a method of changing a man's shape and body functions
without killing him. To perform any "significant" modifications
requires time and a fair amount of expensive equipment but per-
forming minor alterations (such as hair color, eye color, finger-
prints, or voice patterns) is possible within a few days using a
minimum of equipment.
Formchange technology has not, as of the current date, been
extended to non-Human races by the N'Aberdeeners, and the Empire
has prevented all Hegemonic attempts to acquire it.
Formchange machines:
Type I Formchange Machine
Permits minor modifications to appearance and physical character-
istics (sufficient to confuse most commonly available physical
identification systems). Mass 2 metric tons, will accomodate any
Human up to size 25. A Grade 10 computer is needed to run a Type
I formchange machine, as well as a power source capable of gener-
ating 0.001 E/hr. Type I Maintainer units mass 20 kilograms,
have in-built computers capable of operating them safely, and can
be "hooked up" to a Human subject in 1 hour (requires a success-
ful Human medical skill roll). A standard portable generator is
required to operate a Type I Maintainer unit. A Type I form-
change machine costs 10 million Imperial Marks, a Type I Main-
tainer unit costs 10 thousand Imperial Marks (4 Imperial Marks =
5 System Monetary Units at the current rate of exchange).
Limits for Type I machine Modifications permitted to character-
istics (together with times required to force the changes and
time required to maintain the changes) are as follows:
Char Max Delta To Change Required Maintenance
==== ========= =========== ====================
STR 3 1 day/point 4 hours/week/point
CON 2 2 days/point 6 hours/week/point
END 8 4 hours/point 2 hours/week/point
DEX 2 3 days/point 12 hours/week/point
LEN 30 5 days/point Not Applicable
BLD 2 10 days/point Not Applicable
Cosmetic change 1 day Not Applicable
Change times and maintenance times are cumulative. Thus, an
individual who wished to increase his strength by 2, his consti-
tution by 1, increase his height by 15 centimeters, and reduce
his build by 2 would have to be "in the tank" for 2 + 2 + 75 + 10
= 89 days. To maintain his increased strength and constitution,
he must use a properly programmed Type I Maintainer unit for 8 +
6 = 14 hours per week. If a modified subject fails to use a
maintainer, he reverts to his original characteristics at the
same rate he acquiried the new ones. In our example, it took 2
days for the added STR, so our subject would lose one point of
strength at the beginning the 8th day, and then again at the
start of the 9th day since his last maintenance. While charac-
teristics are changed serially (first one, then another) they are
lost in parallel (all at the same time).
Smaller computers may be used with a Type I machine, but there is
an added risk. For each grade below 10, there is a 10% cumula-
tive chance of fatal malfunction of the unit per day of opera-
tion.
Type II Formchange Machine
Permits significant modification to appearance and physical
characteristics. Within limits of size change, a Human may be
changed, to all outward appearances, into a member of another
species. Genetically, the result is still vaguely Human (assum-
ing that the definition of Human is "anything that a formchange
machine can modify"). A genemap will still uniquely identify the
"changed" individual. Changes resulting from modifications by a
Type II system are reversible. Mass 10 metric tons, will accomo-
date any Human up to size 40. A Grade 60 computer is needed to
run a Type II formchange machine, as well as a power source capa-
ble of generating 0.001 E/hr. Type II Maintainer units mass 30
kilograms, have in-built computers capable of operating them
safely, and can be "hooked up" to a Human subject in 1 hour
(requires a successful Human medical skill roll). A standard
portable generator is required to operate a Type II Maintainer
unit. A Type II formchange machine costs 100 million Imperial
Marks, a Type II Maintainer unit costs 100 thousand Imperial
Marks. Limits for Type II machine Modifications permitted to
characteristics (together with times required to force the
changes and time required to maintain the changes) are as fol-
lows:
Char Max Delta To Change Required Maintenance
==== ========= =========== ====================
STR 9 1 day/point 4 hours/week/point
CON 5 2 days/point 6 hours/week/point
END 20 4 hours/point 2 hours/week/point
DEX 10 3 days/point 12 hours/week/point
LEN 60 3 days/point Not Applicable
BLD 10 5 days/point Not Applicable
Cosmetic change 4 hours Not Applicable
Conversion to 15 days/point Not Applicable
Non-Human shape of SIZE
Type III Formchange Machine
The Type III machines permit the widest and most permanent modi-
fication to physical characteristics. Using one of these ma-
chines, a Human can be changed into a member of another species.
While a Type III machine can be used to modify a genetic Human,
the primary use for such machines is to create perfect spies. The
process of producing a genetic H'Rel or a genetic Korli from a
genetic Human is NOT, however, a reversible process (or, at
least, not until the N'Aberdeeners figure out how to modify other
races than Humans).
Type III machines mass 40 metric tons, will accomodate any Human
up to size 80. A Grade 60 computer is needed to run a Type III
formchange machine, as well as a power source capable of generat-
ing 0.001 E/hr. Type III Maintainer units mass 40 kilograms,
have in-built computers capable of operating them safely, and can
be "hooked up" to a Human subject in 1 hour (requires a success-
ful Human medical skill roll). A standard portable generator is
required to operate a Type III Maintainer unit. Type III form-
change machines are currently all in Imperial Government hands,
but the governmental cost of these machines is 5 billion Imperial
Marks for a Type III Formchange machine, and the Type III Main-
tainers cost the government 50 million Imperial Marks each.
Limits for Type III machine Modifications permitted to charac-
teristics (together with times required to force the changes and
time required to maintain the changes) are as follows:
Char Max Delta To Change Required Maintenance
==== ========= =========== ====================
STR 18 1 day/point 4 hours/week/point
CON 15 2 days/point 6 hours/week/point
END 40 4 hours/point 2 hours/week/point
DEX 20 3 days/point 12 hours/week/point
LEN 120 3 days/point Not Applicable
BLD 30 5 days/point Not Applicable
Cosmetic change 1 hour Not Applicable
Body converstion 5 days/point Not Applicable
to Non-Human of SIZE (NOT REVERSIBLE!)