Friday 5 March 2021

Frass Galaxy, d6 Sci Fi RPG (Beta and somewhat draft).

Here's a Frankenstein's monster of a system cobbled together from a bunch of my recent games (Ordure Fantasy, Infinigrad Freelancer, Star Dogs and Shit Future that will alow you to run a Sci-Fi game using Ordure Fantasy's simple d6 rules. All the art is by Juan Giménez from The Metabarons). 




The Core Rules:


Tests: A Test determines whether a Player Character (PC) successfully attempts something difficult or avoids danger. All Frass Galaxy Tests are resolved rolling a d6. Tying or rolling under an Ability or Skill’s value is a success (something good happens or something bad is averted). Exceeding the value is a failure (something bad happens or damage is incurred).


Easy and Hard Tests: If a Test is particularly effortless or difficult, roll two d6s. For Easy Tests take the lowest result. Conversely, Hard Tests use the highest result. These can stack, resulting in double Hard/Easy triple Hard/Easy, etc. 


Ordure Tests: When a Referee needs to check if the PCs situation becomes more deadly, dangerous, cataclysmic or annoying: roll an Ordure Test. This covers anything from checking if wandering monsters are encountered, supplies run out or if the PCs weight is too much for the rickety bridge being crossed. Roll a d6:

6: The Ordure happens.

4-5: Experience a rumbling, warning or disturbing portent of the Ordure.

1-3: Nothing changes.

If rolling the same Ordure Test in succession, the Ordure range expands each roll (5-6, then 4-6, then 3-6, etc.) until Ordure happens. Use Ordure Tests to ensure PC's feel constantly endangered and that the world is trying to kill them.


How to Play: The PCs explore an environment the Referee describes in a freeform manner. PCs describe their intended actions and the Referee calls for Tests when appropriate. Use the Combat Rules during physical conflict between PCs and entities the Referee controls.


The game’s aim is for the PCs to have interesting experiences without dying.


Combat Rules: A PC and the Referee each roll a d6 re-rolling ties, lowest roll wins. Everyone on the winning side (monsters, enemies or PCs) have a Turn to act, then the other side acts in turn. Repeat until Combat ends.


A Turn: An entity may move and take an action.


Attacking: All attacks reduce Health by 1. Attacking PCs Test their Combat skill to hit, applying any additional effects of the Combat Skill. PCs attacking without a Combat skill use an Untrained Attack Skill of 1 which only reduces Health without any other effect. NPCs’ Health is their Attack Skill when attacking other NPCs (attacks against PCs automatically hit) and NPCs with 6+ Health automatically hit other NPCs until their Health is reduced to 5 or less.


Defending: When a PC is attacked, they Test Body or Mind (depending on the attack) to avoid being hit. If they fail, they successfully Test their Health or reduce it by 1. NPCs automatically lose Health when attacked and do not test Health.


Death: Anything whose Health is reduced to 0, dies.


Hazards: PCs may be damaged by hazards outside of Combat after failing a Test. Save a particularly catastrophic hazard, this reduces Health by 1. PCs endangered by a hazard must successfully Test their Health or reduce it by 1.


Spaceship/Vehicular Combat: If a Player Character is attacking using the weaponry of a spaceship/vehicle, they test the appropriate skill (either Pilot or Drive) . If successful, the target reduces their health by: 

  • 1 if it is also a spaceship or vehicle.

  • 2 if it is an on foot target by shot at by a vehicle. 

  • 2 if it a vehicle, 3 if it is an on foot target, being shot at by a spaceship. 

  • If a vehicle controlled by a Player Character is attacked, test the appropriate vehicle attribute (generally Body). If successful, the attack does no harm. If they fail the test, they must test the vehicle’s Health in the current Hull point. If successful the vehicle is unharmed. If they fail the vehicle’s Health in that Hull point is reduced by 1. 

  • If a PC is attacked by a vehicle, apply the following modifiers to both defending Body/Vehicle attribute and Health test. 

    • On foot: Hard Tests if shot at by a vehicle, Double Hard Tests if shot at by a Spaceship. 

    • In a Vehicle: Hard Tests if shot at by a spaceship. 

  • Defensive manoeuvres: A PC who is driving or piloting a vehicle or spaceship may forgo their attack in a turn to use their Pilot/Drive skill to defend against attacks instead of the craft's Body/Mind attribute for that turn. 

  • Vehicle Weaponry: Vehicles use the same weapons as on foot characters. A vehicle can have as many weapons installed as it has Weapon Systems. A PC can drive/pilot and fire the weapons of a vehicle in the same round.To fire a vehicle weapon the PC must have at least 1 level of skill in the appropriate vehicle skill. A vehicle can fire all of its installed weapons in a single round, but requires each weapon to have an entity with the appropriate vehicle skill manning each weapon. Weapons that affect more than one target can damage multiple Hull points on the same Vehicle/Spaceship. 

  • Vehicle Destruction: Passengers onboard a destroyed spacecraft instantly die (unless they have the Space Survival skill - which they must test to survive). Passengers on board a destroyed Vehicle must make a Body test to avoid dying.


Enemies: Enemies only Attribute is Health, accompanied by a brief description and a description of their attacks—some with additional effects. Referees may find giving each enemy a specific want or desire makes roleplaying them much easier. This is also true of enemy vehicles and spaceships. 


Everything has Attributes: If an item (from tools, to computers, to spacecraft) ever needs to be tested, pick an appropriate attribute (Mind, Body, Luck) and attribute value for that item and test it. The quality of the item should determine the value of the attribute. For Example: Shoddy items: 1, Standard items: 3, Quality items: 4, drop the lowest.



The Datagrid: 


An ubiquitous field of Data  that connects and controls all electronics. It can easily be accessed and traversed, but manipulating and harnessing it is more difficult.

  • Datagrid Access: All Player Characters have a handheld device (Comlog) used to access the Datagrid. Their avatar has a cyber health of 1. With this device they are capable of only the most rudimentary of activities on the Datagrid. 

  • Conflict in the Datagrid: Conflict between digital entities is resolved the same way as combat in the physical world, except movement is instantaneous for digital entities in the same relative Datagrid zone and the Hack and Firewall skills are required for attack and defense. Without Hack and Firewall a Player Character avatar is defenseless in the Datagrid.  

  • Hacking: When a Player Characters Hacks a digital entity to 0 cyber health, they gain control of that digital entity for their Hack skill value in rounds. To Hack a Player Character tests their Hack skill. If successful the target reduces their cyber health by 1. 

  • Defending: When a Player Character is hacked, they will test their cyber health attribute. If successful, the attack does no harm. If they fail the test they fail they reduce their cyber health by 1. 

  • Firewall: A Player Character may erect a firewall around a digital entity target by spending a round doing a Firewall test. If successful the target is immune to hacking for the next round. If the test is a failure there is no protection granted. 

  • Computing Skill: The computing skill adds to a Player Characters cyber health, up to a value of 5.  

  • Shut Down: If a Player Character has their cyber health reduced to 0, they are locked out of the Datagrid for 24 hours. This is true for all digital entities that are avatars of NPCs. Digital entities that are not avatars (electronics control systems, databases, vehicles, security cameras, etc) will simply restart after being hacked.  

  • Digital Enemies: As all the vast majority of hacks reduce cyber health by 1, the only attribute digital enemies need is cyber health. 



Creating a Player Character: 



Attributes:
Player Characters have three attributes. Pick which one of these attributes will have a value of 3, which will have a value of 2, and which will have a value of 1. The higher the value, the more empowered your Player Character is in that attribute. 


Body: The strength and agility of your flesh. 

Mind: The astuteness and perceptiveness of your brain.

Luck: The likelihood that fate will smile upon you in situations outside of your control.  


Health: All Player Characters start the game with 5 health.  


Skills: Pick six skills and assign a value of 3, 3, 2,2, 1 and 1 to each of those skills. The higher the skill value the more competent you are  in that skill. 


Background: At creation a player picks a background. 


Augmentation: At creation a Player Character may pick 1 augmentation. 


Paracausal Powers: At character creation roll 2d6, if you roll doubles of any number you have Paracausal Powers (See the Paracausal Powers section below).


Equipment: PCs may carry Equipment equal to twice their Body Attribute. It is recommended only unusual, major, notable or important items are recorded to avoid being bogged down in minutia. Assume PCs start with any  mundane equipment associated with their Skills and Background (which do not bear recording).


Credits: Each PC starts with d6 x 10 Credits.


Levelling Up: A PC who survives a session where something interesting, dangerous, exciting or entertaining happened, levels up, increasing 2 Skills or 1 Attribute by 1 (up to a maximum value of 4). At level 4/6/8/10 a PC may pick an additional augmentation OR a PC may learn a seventh/eighth/ninth/tenth skill with a value of 1 which increases like any other skill. 


A PCs maximum level is 10. 



PC Backgrounds: 


Notes: 

  • You do not need to have the skill to benefit from any +1’s granted by your background. If you have no other value in that skill, the skill just has a value of 1. 

  • Having a +1 to a skill/attribute from a background is the only way to get a skills value to 5 (outside of advanced, restricted or paracasual equipment). Levelling up only allows skills to increase to a value of 4. 


Alien Races: 


  1. Buglike: Colonies of prismatic chitin chunks laced throughout flesh. Once per session you can cocoon in, flexible, hardened and quick shedding exoskeleton for d6 times your Level Rounds, ignoring all damage from mundane, physical sources.

  2. Catlike: Yellow, vertically slitted pupil, eyes. You can survive a fall from any height, your level times a session.

  3. Brainlike: Large crystal embedded in forehead, colour reflects emotion. You can issue a telepathic command to any NPC with Health equal to or less than your level times a session. Unless the command obviously and directly endangers the NPC, it will be followed.

  4. Beastlike: Twisted, gnarled and asymmetrical horns. You can ingest, consume and nullify paracausal effects (magic) your level times a session.

  5. Demonlike: Red, pupilless eyes and black claw fingernails. Each session all combat related Tests are Easy for you until d6 plus your level times beings have been slain by you and your companions.

  6. Angellike: Haunted by a dull, flat halo. You may re-roll up to your level Tests a session.


Legitimate Professions: 


  1. Mercenary: Can Execute NPCs. Pick a target. Your next successful attack against them is instantly fatal. You may do this level times a session. 

  2. Loveable Rogue: Pick a target. Roll twice on each side of the Random Reaction table selecting the combination for your relationship. You may do this level times a session. 

  3. Bureaucrat: +1 to three Social and Knowledge Skills. One of those is Easy for you. 

  4. Technician: Two Technical Skills are Easy for you. +1 to two Technical Skills of choice. 

  5. Delegate: +1 to a Social and Knowledge Skill, a weekly stipend of 500 credits and a Spaceship or Vehicle with a total Attribute score of 10 (with no one Attribute over 3).

  6. Pilot: +1 to Pilot and Mechanic. One of those skills is always Easy to you. A Spaceship a total Attribute score of 14 (with no one Attribute over 4). 



Outlaw Professions: 


  1. Underworld Mercenary: One of your arms is replaced with a weapon of your choice, you get +1 to that skill and tests with it are always Easy. You also only have one hand. 

  2. Motorhead: +1 to Drive and Mechanic. One of those skills is always Easy to you. A Vehicle a total Attribute score of 14 (with no one Attribute over 4). 

  3. Genemix Pet Owner: Get the referee to determine two random animals.You have a loyal pet that is a combination of those two animals. It has Health equal to your level +2. You get +1 to the Animal Handling skill and it is always Easy for you.  

  4. Tech Testing Unit: You are covered in scars and empty augmentation sockets. Any augmentations you have spark electricity. You may pick an extra augmentation at character creation

  5. Datagrid Cultist: Your datagrid avatar is wreathed in occult symbols. You may test your Computing skill to have your Datagrid avatar disappear from other digital entities for d6 plus level rounds.

  6. Alien Worshipper: You know of beings of great paracausal power. As long as your shrine is maintained all Luck tests are Easy.  


Near Humans: 


  1. Synthoid: Vat grown organic life form with an AI consciousness. Can be resurrected at a cost if nanochip in brain recovered. 

  2. Android: AI consciousness in a semi organic/mechanical body. While closely resembling humans they are manufactured to be easily distinguishable (visible wires, antennae, uncanny too smooth or jerky movements). Implanted Comlog, all Datagrid Tests are Easy.

  3. Robot: AI consciousness in a purely mechanical body. +2 to Body (to a Max of 5), and the Robotics skill is Easy to you. The First Aid sill does not heal you but Mechanic does.  

  4. High Gravver: A human evolved from living on a high gravity world. Squat and incredibly thick muscled. +1 to Body and one non-combat physical skill is Easy to you.  

  5. Low Gravver: A human evolved from living on a low gravity world. Very tall, thin and strangely alluring. +1 to Mind and one non-combat mental skill is Easy to you.  

  6. Alley Mutant: Your warped visage and bubbling flesh make you repulsive to others, Diplomacy and Intimidate are always Hard. But you have + 1 to either Mind or Body and may pick one Paracasual Skill at character creation. 




Skills: 


Ranged Combat Skills: 


  1. Plasma Sniper : Ranged, On a successful attack, choose where you hit the target. The Referee determines the impact.

  2. Plasma Repeater: Ranged, You may attack three times a turn.

  3. Plasma Pistol: Ranged, Attack tests are Easy if the target is in the same room (within reason). Can make a second, non Easy, attack a turn. 

  4. Heavy Plasma Repeater: Ranged, A successful Body test is required before an attack test can be attempted. A successful attack can hit up to 6 targets (or less than 6 targets hit up to 6 times total). Takes d6 rounds to reload.  

  5. Rocket Gun: Ranged, A successful Body test is required before an attack test can be attempted. Hits all targets who are nearby to each, doing 4 Health damage. Takes 2d6 rounds to reload.  

  6. Bow: Ranged, spend d6 hours to prepare 2d6x2 specific arrow heads agreed upon by the referee.

  7. Grenades: Ranged, A successful attack can hit up to d6 targets, doing 3 Health damage. Individual grenades must be found, purchased, or made using the Explosives skill. 

Melee Combat Skills: 


  1. Plasma Torch: Melee, A successful attack can hit up to 4 targets who are nearby to each other.

  2. Plasma Shield: You focus on defending for a Turn. On your enemy’s next Turn, any Tests defending yourself have +1 to Body and are Easy.

  3. Vibro Knife: Melee Attack. After a successful Attack, your target bleeds profusely from wound, automatically losing 1 Health each of subsequent Turn until death (or wound stanched).

  4. Laser Sword: Melee, On a successful attack, you choose to remove a target’s limb or appendage. The Referee determines the impact. Can make a second attack a turn which is Hard. 

  5. Laser Dagger: Melee, You may attack three times a turn. 

  6. Electro Club: Melee, after a successful attack against a target, they are stunned for d6 turns. 

  7. Unarmed Combat: Melee, When a target drops from 1 to 0 health from an Unarmed Combat attack, then they may be unconscious rather than dead. Can attack two times a turn.  

Technical Skills: 


  1. Hide and Sneak: You can quickly vanish and sneak around undetected.

  2. First Aid: You can increase a target’s Health by 1, to a maximum of 4.

  3. Robotics: You can build, rebuild, modify behaviour of, etc, robots. Provided requisite materials available. Your Robots have Health equal to your level and you may control half your level (round down) golems. Robots take d6 minus PC level hours to build and the Referee determines the impact of the material used in their creation.

  4. Electronics: You can build and modify electronic devices. 

  5. Mechanics: You can build and modify mechanical equipment.

  6. Heavy Machinery: You can operate large scale industrial machinery.

  7. Explosives:  You can blow stuff up, outside of combat. Requires explosive material, which you also know how to scrounge together. 

  8. Poison: You can poison people, outside of combat. Requires poisonous material, which you also know how to scrounge together. 

  9. Lock smith: You can open and manufacture physical, non electronic, locks. 

  10. Tracking: You can find physical things that are lost or are actively avoiding being found.

  11. Climbing: You are able to scale sheer surfaces without equipment.

  12. Planetary Navigation: You know the quickest and easiest way to get around planets. 

  13. Planetary Survival: You know how to endure and overcome the elements in an atmosphere. 

  14. Space Survival: You know how to endure and overcome the harsh vacuum of space.

  15. Engineering: You can modify vehicles and spaceships 

  16. Mechanic: You can repair the Health of Hulls of vehicles and spaceships by 1 up to a value of 4 


Social and Knowledge Skills: 


  1. Diplomacy: You can convince people to do things they wouldn’t normally do.  

  2. Intimidate: You can terrify people into doing things they wouldn’t normally do 

  3. Interrogate: You know how to extract the information your target would prefer to remain secret and unknown. May involve violence and torture, but not necessarily.

  4. Biology: You understand the workings of the natural environment. 

  5. Civil Engineering: You can modify, rebuild and manipulate the built environment.

  6. Xenobiology: You understand alien lifeforms.

  7. Chemistry: You understand chemicals including how to synthesize and combine them.

  8. Linguistics: You understand a lot of languages and can acquire new ones.

  9. Economics: You understand how money and exchange work. And, how to use it to your benefit.

  10. Contacts: You know people who can help you with supplies, intel, backup, etc.

  11. Surgery: You can perform invasive medical procedures, life saving or otherwise. First Aid is required to improve the Health of a target. 

  12. Beast Empath: You can give commands to, have basic communications with and understand the intentions of beasts, alien or otherwise.

  13. Analyse: You can take the measure of living, or otherwise animated, creatures to work out their strengths, weaknesses and special powers and You can deduce the purpose and powers of exotic, mundane and magical equipment, contraptions, devices and the like.

  14. Religious Knowledge: You understand how systems of worship and worldview work, and how they can be warped and taken advantage of. 

  15. Law Knowledge: You understand how legal systems work and how they can be warped and taken advantage of. 

  16. Underworld Knowledge.You understand organisations that operate outside of the bounds of the law. Their rules, history, politics, etc.  


Computing Skills:

  1. Computing: You can operate, program and reprogram computer software. The computing skill adds to a Player Characters cyber health, up to a value of 5. 

  2. Hack: You can seize control of digital entities using the Datagrid. When a Player Characters Hacks a digital entity to 0 cyber health, they gain control of that digital entity for their Hack skill value in rounds. To Hack a Player Character tests their Hack skill. If successful the target reduces their cyber health by 1. 

  3. Firewall: You can protect against hacking.  A Player Character may erect a firewall around a digital entity target by spending a round doing a Firewall test. If successful the target is immune to hacking for the next round. If the test is a failure there is no protection granted. 

  4. Datagrid Search: You can find information and digital entities on the Datagrid. 

Vehicles and Spaceship Skills:


  1. Pilot: You can fly and fire weapons in spaceships. 

  2. Drive: You can drive and fire weapons in land bound vehicles. 

  3. Interstellar Navigation: You know how to plot points of travel in warps, wormholes and hyper space. 



Paracausal Powers: 



If your PC rolls doubles on 2d6 at character creation, they have Parcasual Powers (space magic). Along with the mundane skills they pick at character creation and levelling up, they may increase their skill in the following Paracausal Power skills. At character creation they pick two skills and assign one a value of 2, the other a value of 1. Each time they level up they may increase two Paracausal Power skills by 1. They may use one of these increases to learn a new Paracausal Power which has a value of 1.  


  1. Summon Emotion: Flood a sentient being’s mind with an emotion you choose. Higher level PC’s summon stronger emotions.

  2. Summon Element: You can summon a fist-sized ball of an element you’ve seen before whose potential size doubles each PC level. The elemental ball is vivified after leaving your hand.

  3. Meditate: You can center your connection to the paracausal, after successfully meditating your next d6 Paracausal Power skill Tests are Easy.

  4. Paracausal Heal: Restore a target’s Health by 2 (up to a value of 5).

  5. Curse: You make all Tests against a target Easy. A PC may have a maximum of their level Curses active at once.

  6. Resurrect: You have half your level attempts to restore a recently deceased target to 1 Health.

  7. Astral Travel: Your consciousness can leave your body as a Health 1 incorporeal shimmer that floats freely through physical barriers. A Test is required to both leave and return to your comatose body. Parcasual attacks harm the shimmer - its destruction causes you 2 Health damage and reattaches your consciousness in d6 Turns.

  8. Dead Whispers: You have half your level attempt to communicate with a deceased target that you have some form of the remains of. Unfortunately, the dead are often enigmatic and bewildering.

  9. Paracausal Cleansing: You can remove magical, psychic, or otherwise non physical ill effects from a target.

  10. Manipulate Mass: You can manipulate physical objects from afar. At level 1 you can manipulate a fist size amount of mass, this amount doubles every PC level. 

  11. Look Beyond the Veil: You may ask the Referee a question they must answer truthfully.



Augmentations: 


Utility Ware: 

  

  1. Vatflesh Pumper: Implanted glowing beige canisters. Can automatically heal own Health by 1 up to 4 times a day . 

  2. Solar Cells: Implanted black rectangles along neck and shoulders. Eliminates the need for food and drink. 

  3. Metal Lung: Chest replaced with metal barrel implant. Provides protection from atmospheric hazards and an internal supply of oxygen. 

  4. Flesh Compartment: A cavity installed into the flank or torso. Allows the nigh undetectable stowing of guns and gadgets. 

  5. Synth Nanozymes: Microscopic chemical factories installed into gut flora. Allows the cheerful digestion of almost any inert substance. 

  6. Exhausts: Circular exhausts, powered by arm writhing tubing connected to a gut based nanonuke. Allows the summoning of flames or freezing gas. Flesh of hands replaced with temperature resistant metal claws.  


Core Ware: 

 

  1. Cyber Brain: Heavy datagrid booster bolted to base of skull. Powered by sapping power from muscles elsewhere in body. Any mental tests are now Easy, all physical tests are Hard. 

  2. Cyber Arm: All tests, outside of combat, involving the arms are Easy. 

  3. Cyber Legs: All tests, outside of combat, involving the legs are Easy. 

  4. Extender Claw: Torso stowed cybernetic claw. Can grab targets at a distance of 3 rooms away. The user’s Body attribute is the claw’s strength. 

  5. Cyber Jumpers: Vaguely insectoid metallic legs, tests involving jumping are double Easy. 

  6. Resonic Dampener: Vibrating hyperplates installed into torso. In the first combat per day all the user’s and their team mate’s tests attacking or defending against enemies are Easy. 


Info Ware:  


  1. Cyber Tentacle: A metal handed, thick, articulated cable that functions as an additional/replacement arm.  

  2. Digieyes: Implanted skull nodules. Provides a datagrid overlay to the user’s visual feed. All tests involving the visual analysis of the physical world are Easy. 

  3. Eyeball Drone: One eyeball replaced with a mechanical hover eye. Has visual feed to a controlling Datagrid device. Can be detached from skull and flown to a distance  of around a half a planet . 

  4. Perma Tracker: A hive of 6 injectable nanodrones implanted into chest. When drone attached to a target, user can intuitively sense target’s exact location, galaxy wide. Recovery of a drone requires invasive surgery. 

  5. Dark Wave Emitter: Crystalline screens implanted along head and shoulders. Can drench a room in utter light or utter darkness once per day (can always supply torch levels of light).

  6. Wasp Drone: A fleshy injector microdrone implanted into shoulder. Drone can fly to and inject a target 2 times a day , causing their next d6 tests to be Easy or Hard.


Tech Ware: 


  1. Brain Slave Unit: Wireless connection established between brain and a vehicle/robot/spaceship of choice. User can send  a command to the linked entity, while also moving and taking another separate action in a round.  

  2. Brain Jack: Wired connection established between brain and a Datagrid device. Allows up to 3 Computing, Hack, Firewall or Datagrid Search tests in a turn. 

  3. Skill Jack: An A.I control unit is implanted into skull, accompanied by an invasive body wide network of wires. Reduces Body by 1 but allows user to learn new skill with a value of 3. This skill may not be raised any higher. 

  4. Avatar Spoofer: Several nodules installed into skull and wired to Datagrid device. Allows the summoning of d6 copies of user’s avatar in Datagrid once per day. Copies have a digital health of 1 and are always hacked before the user’s real avatar. Copies have no power in the Datagrid outside of camouflage. 

  5. Multi Arm: Arm replaced with metal transforming gauntlet of tools. Any test involving physical labour are Easy. 

  6. Spider Gearing: Cybernetic legs terminating in fully operable hand like claws. These can be used as arms. Two spindly support armlets also installed into spine make any climbing test Easy. 


Warp Ware: 


  1. Voice Modulator: Neck replaced with an electronic audio system wired to brain. User can replicate any voice or noise they have heard with a successful Mind test. 

  2. Multi Visage: Defining features of face shaved away and replaced with a morphing system of holograms wired to brain. User can replicate any face they have seen with a successful Mind test. 

  3. Plastic surgery: Make yourself artificially more attractive. Makes Negotiation tests Easy. 

  4. Shifting Skin: Warping holographic camouflage tattoos injected into skin. Controlled via Datagrid device. Makes Sneak and Hide tests Easy but Negotiation tests Hard.  

  5. Pheromone Expulser: Replenishing gas canisters implanted into neck. Allows the user to re-roll a random reaction roll d6 times a day .  

  6. Smoke Expulser: Vented gas barrell implanted into belly. Once per day can fill a room with thick smoke, allowing the user and any companions to visually disappear. 


Conflict Ware: 

  

  1. Weapon Jack: Wired connection established between brain and a  weapon of choice. All tests with that weapon are Easy.  

  2. Dermal Plating: Metallic plates implanted all beneath skin. Body tests when defending are always Easy, but Sneak and Hide tests are always Hard. 

  3. Auto Injector: Implanted vials of replenishing chemicals. All Tests in user’s first combat per day have +1 (to a maximum skill/attribute value of 5) 

  4. Self Destruct Button: A micronuclear bomb is installed into torso. Detonating it does 10 damage to up to 6 targets and eliminates the user. 

  5. Horror Surgery: Utter disfigurement while maintaining all functional ability. Makes Intimidate tests Easy.   

  6. Mind Blaster: Skull implanted, speaker-like, psychic amplifiers. Test Mind to absolutely terrify up to d6 nearby enemies. Has d6 charges per day .




Equipment and Economy: 



Most basic equipment needed by Player Characters will be near at hand, available for purchase or theft. Advanced and restricted equipment is much rarer.   


Basic Equipment: These items will allow Player Characters to use their skills. 


D6 Examples: 

  1. Datagrid devices

  2. Chemicals 

  3. Industrial tools 

  4. Drone/Robot parts

  5. Jackhammer 

  6. Surgical equipment 


Advanced Equipment: Gear that provides additional benefits to successful Attribute or Skill tests or lessens the negative impact of a failed Attribute or Skill tests. Additionally, this gear may be of such a high quality that it may make tests in a specific skill Easy for Player Characters. Such items will have a  limited number of charges or uses. Items like this will be very hard to come by.

  

D6 Examples: 

  1. Knowledge skill database module 

  2. Micronuke powered industrial exosuits 

  3. Datagrid device with A.I assistant 

  4. Holographic camouflage suit 

  5. Pilot autocorrection A.I 

  6. Automatic diagnostic medical scanner 


Restricted Equipment: These pieces of equipment are so advanced and so well made that they grant the Player Character a +1 in a specific skill. Items that increase the values of either Attributes or Skills are incredibly powerful. Include them in your game very rarely, if at all. 


D6 Examples: 

  1. Brain jacked targeting module

  2. A.I guided autotool claw 

  3. Datagrid entity empowering code 

  4. Drone automechanic 

  5. Digital synaptic amplifier 

  6. Target seeking grenades  


Extremely rare Paracasual Equipment also exists, which breaks the normal rules of reality 


Combat Equipment: Player Characters begin the game with any specialised weaponry they are skilled in. As all other weapons do 1 damage in Frass Galaxy a comprehensive weapon list is unnecessary. Armour does exist, but is classified as either Advanced or Restricted equipment, and is suitably difficult for Player Characters to get their hands on. Additionally armour requires a certain amount of training to equip. 



  • Plasma Barrier: 5 Plasma Points that are reduced (untested) instead of wearer’s Health when damaged. Can be worn with other forms of armour. Need training in 2 Combat Skill and 2 Technical Skill to wear. Recharges daily.

  • Light Armour: +1 to Body value when defending in combat.  Need training in 3 combat Skills to wear  

  • Combat Armour: Body tests when defending in combat are Easy. Needs training in 4 Combat Skills to wear 

  • Power Armour:  +1 to Body value when defending in combat and Body tests when defending in combat are Easy. Needs training in 6 Combat Skills to wear. 


The Highest value a Skill or Attribute can have is 5. Additional points are stacking ranks of Easy. 


The Economy: The hypereconomy of Frass Galaxy defies a codification of pricing. The only goods available for purchase are those that would be classified as “Basic Equipment”. Restricted and Anointed equipment is priceless/unavailable for purchase. 


If Player Characters are wanting to buy or sell Basic Equipment, The Referee estimates a price in credits (using equivalents from the real world), assumes that as the price, then rolls on the following tables:   


d6

Buying 

Selling 

1

Free for a favour or half price 

Merchant will pay double 

2

Half price 

Merchant will pay full price

3

Normal price 

Merchant will pay full price but only in store credit 

4

Normal price and a favour or double the price 

Merchant will pay half price 

5

Double the price 

Merchant will pay half price but only in store credit 

6

Triple the price or a job

Merchant will pay nothing 






Vehicle and Spaceship Attributes:



PC operated vehicles and spaceships have the following Attributes:   


  • Plasma Barrier:  Plasma Points that are reduced (untested) instead of Hull when damaged in a turn. 1 Plasma Point will absorb all damage received in a turn. Recharges daily.

  • Hull: Metallic chunks of 5 Health. Once all the Health in a Hull has been lost the next chunk begins to be damaged. If there are no more Hull points the vehicle is destroyed. Weapons that affect more than one target can damage multiple Hull points on the same ship. 

  • Weapon systems: The number of weapons that can be installed into a spaceship or vehicle. 

  • Passengers: The number of passengers that can be aboard. 

  • Cargo: How many Galactic Pallets worth of cargo the spacecraft or vehicle can haul. A Galactic Pallet is a room sized hover crate filled with trade goods.

  • Body: Engines, handling, amenities, etc.  

  • Mind: Scanners, database, wiring, electronics, etc. 


Special power/s: Additionally, spaceships and vehicles may have special abilities or skills. 


Hyperspace Jumps: To travel through hyperspace a spaceship must make a successful Mind, then Body test before the jump is initiated.




Notes: 


  • The restoration of PC Health and Hull is at Referee discretion. Some suggestions: Camping restores Health to 3. Resting in accommodation with rudimentary amenities restores Health to 4. Resting in luxurious accommodation restores Health to 5. Getting repairs at an outer rim, under-resourced workshop restores the Health of all Hull to 4, whereas repairs in an Imperial workshop restores the Health of all Hull to 5. 

  • A PCs maximum Attribute or Skill value is 5. Skills or abilities above 5 become Easy (stacking to Double/Triple Easy if needed). Only very rare paracausal equipment would allow this to happen as levelling up only allows a max value of 4 and having a +1 from your background allows a value of 5.

  • Avoid having PCs roll for rudimentary Tests with foregone conclusions, only Test dangerous, difficult and/or otherwise life-threatening events.

  • Failing Tests outside Combat should have negative consequences. For example, a PC failing their Intimidation Test likely causes the target to attack. Failing Combat Tests already wastes a Turn.

  • An Ordure Test can be used to determine if the world changes in the PCs favour—the lower the result, the more favourable. 

  • PCs can not attempt specialised actions with associated Skills without requisite training. A less effective, more general action may be covered by an Attribute Test.





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