Scum and Villainy out-of-character (OOC) thread.

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Nobby-W

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This is the thread for out-of-character discussion of the Scum and Villany game.

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Tannhauser sector (new)

Isinor sector (new)
 
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Major inhabited systems in the local region

The game is set in the Tannhauser and Isinor sectors, on the margins of the Neutral Zone. Please excuse the Traveller format - I used a hacked about version of renderer I originally did for Traveller to produce the maps. I suppose if it's good enough for Kevin Crawford ...

-- Warning. Renders really badly on Internet Explorer. --

Tannhauser Sector

Tannhauser.pngSitting on the spinward edge of the Solar Commonwealth (usually called 'The Commonwealth') this has the bottom end of the Tannhauser gate. The Spinward part of the sector is in the neutral zone.

Major Polities

Hamashi
- Wealthy terraformed, main transit point on NZ route
Gehenna - Territory of Isinor, part terraformed
Eta Hamashis - Captured world on white dwarf
Sansha - Terraformed
Jilin - Vac worlds
Ezra's belt - A quasi-independent system with no naturally habitable worlds. It has a large smegulon population and a reputation for lawlessness.
Sarnath - Moons of gas giant
Denaspar - Gateway, garden world. Denaspar is the largest planetary economy in the region.
Cyrus - One of the major garden worlds in the region, Cyrus would be a major economy but it is wracked with a major civil war between loyalist and secessionist factions.
Keladan - Wealthy world, terraformed. Internal politics dominated by conservative (Filts) and progressive (Trews) factions. Noted for the dire quality of its right-wing tabloid media and occasional (and mostly futile) attempts at piracy suppression.
Qetesh - Desolate, failed terraforming, Prison colony?
Zeos - high population water world. One of three garden worlds in the sector.
Babachan - Terraformed world, partially successful with a marginal economy.
Yamagen - External colony, vac world, transit point
Chinthia - Wealthy, terraformed
Emilyse - Partial success terraformed

Isinor Sector
Isinor.pngSitting to the spinward of the Tannhauser sector, the Isinor sector is fully in the Neutral Zone. Rimward portions sit on the main trade route to Aferasi space.

Major Polities

Zinshou
- Terraformed colony world. Closely aligned with Karres
Lemuria - Garden colony world. First colony attempt failed; second colony attempt ca 2480 has been successful.
Yuncheng - Second generation terraformed colony world
Karres - Garden world settled early in the history of the region. Now the wealthiest system economy in the sector.
Daiora - Outer worlds left after primary collapsed to white dwarf. Mostly primary extraction industries. System has a reputation for lawlessness in spite of its proximity to Karres.
Henan - Habitation primarily on moons of a gas giant. Substantial smegulon presence.
Laureat - Colony world on a minor trade route. Terraformed in second generation.
Lushun - Terraformed world on main trade route. Original terraforming begun when colonisation project for Karres was initiated. Significant player in the main trade route.
Alvarre - Backwater planet with a partially successful terraforming effort.
Pandwala - Terraformed colony world
Rhaquos - Formerly a garden world with a native sophont population until a major extinction event ca. 1.7m years ago. The world is now marginally habitable, although smuggled artifacts make up a measurable fraction of the exports.
Maybeso - Population mainly lives in artifical habitats. Industry is mainly primary extraction with some manufacturing.
Isinor - local power, former regional govt seat. Now off the beaten track. Mixed

Key:

Orange - Government still loyal to Solar Commonwealth
Green - Territory of Hamashi
Purple - Territory of Isinor
Grey - Independent
 
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Common supplies

These are some small arms and common personal equipment. Unless otherwise noted, everything here is under 1 CRED.

Personal equipment
A non-exhaustive list of personal kit.
Light Armour: lighter body armour that can be worn under clothing. Less effective than heavy armour but it can be worn in the street.​
Heavy Armor: Really unsubtle, full body stuff. Stops a few bolts.Will shrug off a knife without noticing. Powered. Assists in movement. 2 CRED, 1 LOAD​
Communicator: Has a few bands, likely even a few encrypted. Works only when within orbit. 0 LOAD.​
Detonator: Extremely deadly explosive weapon. Fits in the palm of your hand and can be thrown. Takes care of those shielded doors that heavy blasters can’t handle. Illegal. You shouldn’t have this. No, really. 5 per 1 LOAD.​
Hacking Tools: Deck, splicing pliers, plugs and ports, keypad crackers, specialized software, custom-modified chips, rainbow dictionaries, automated exploits. What every growing hacker needs. 1 LOAD.​
Illicit Drugs: What’s your poison, space cowboy? For personal use, catching a dangerous bounty, or entertainment while traveling between planets. 0 LOAD.​
Medkit: Blood for a few common races, gauze, antiradiation injector, laser scalpel, antiseptics, thread, painkillers. 1 LOAD.​
Melee Weapon: Sharp. Blunt. Pointy. Stabby. Slicy. All different sizes. Some come with laser edges. Some vibrate…ooh. Batteries included. Small items like a knife are 0 LOAD. Larger items like a sword are 1 LOAD.​
Repair Tools: Things you need to fix ship engines, speeders, hovercars, and the like. Tools to hot-splice consoles and tweak machinery. Hammers, a welder, screwdrivers, wrenches, battery chargers, spray-painters. 4 LOAD​
Small Toolkit: Small toolkit of tools capable of minor repairs. Will fit into a personal load unobtrusively. 1 LOAD.​
Spacesuit: Some radiation protection, survival in toxic atmospheres, EVA. Half a day of oxygen (or other gas, liquid, or substance you breathe). 2 LOAD.​
Spy Gear: Disguises, voice modulators, mini-cameras, thermal scanners, false thumbprints, and audio filters. 2 LOAD.​
Survival Gear: Water canteens, mess kit, rations for a few days, shelter, first aid kit, tools and other items for shelter and survival in the wilderness. 3 LOAD.​
Climbing gear: Grapnel, rope, pitons, gecko feet and other items that a skilled user can use to scale a wall or cliff. 1 LOAD.​
Forensics gear: A portable kit of items used in crime scene analysis. Includes fingerprint collection and imaging tools, tools for collecting DNA and protein and various other surveying and crime scene analysis tools. 1 LOAD.​
Minor items
Small items that can be carried in a pocket (0 LOAD)
Torch: pocket LED torch bright enough to light up a room or cast a spot light. Some variants have a clamp that allows it to be attached to a weapon.​
Duct Tape: Duct tape is like the Way. It has a light side and a dark side, and it binds the universe together. 25mx50mm roll of aerospace grade duct tape that will stick in a wide variety of conditions.​
Multitool: pocket knife, screw driver and other tools in a handy folding package.​
Binders: Personal cuffs used for prisoner restraint or kinky sex (or both if you’re that way inclined).​
Handcomp: Personal computer and communicator. Can be plugged into a desktop workstation.​
Whistle: Acme thunderer. Yes. Really made by Acme.​
Binocs: For viewing things at a distance. Some models have low light capabilities.​
Imaging goggles: Low light goggles that allow the user to see in the dark.​

Small arms
Some small arms commonly found in the Neutral Zone.
Blaster: Common blaster pistol. Shoots bolts of high-energy plasma and makes a loud ‘zap’ sound. How do you customize yours? 0 LOAD.​
Burner: Traditionally a black market weapon adapted from civilian assault blasters cut down into a large pistol by removing the primary focusing coils. Very messy at short range, but the bolt disperses quickly. Although commercial versions are available now, pitched as a ‘magnum’ blaster, nothing screams ‘Thug!’ like a trad converted burner. Burners do +1 effect but armour has double effect. 0 LOAD.​
Tactical Pistol: Larger blaster with a rapid fire capability. Mainly intended as a personal defence weapon for naval personnel, they are popular on the black market (and the weapon of choice for drive-by shooting in some circles) - and normally illegal for civilian use. +1 die on attack when used on auto fire, but this will empty the magazine on a partial success or fail. 0 LOAD.​
Needle Pistol: Far more clumsy and random than a blaster, needle pistols fire a burst of small flechettes at about 1km/sec and put a surprisingly large amount of kinetic energy downrange. Adds +1 die to attack roll; partial success typically indicates something else got hit as well. 0 LOAD.​
Polygun: Small, non-metallic slug-thrower notorious for its ease of concealment. Sometimes called a fabber gun as street examples can be made from fabricator systems. 0 LOAD.​
Assault Blaster: Handheld blaster effective at longer ranges. Military variants are capable of rapid fire and add +1 die to the attack roll at close range, and are often illegal for civilian use. Fortunately, the trigger system can be swapped out on some models ... 1 LOAD.​
Blaster Rifle: Powerful blaster rifle effective against even heavy armour. Does +1 effect and ignores one point of armour. 1 LOAD.​
Coilbus: Traditionally a street weapon made from the force coils of a power hammer, although commercial variants are available. A coilbus will fire just about anything ferromagnetic, with nails, screws or ball bearings being the conventional payload. Commercial flechette, slug and other payloads are also produced. May be single shot or magazine fed. Adds +1 effect and +1 die to hit at close range. 1 LOAD.​
Stunner: Nerve induction stunner, firing a burst of energy that overloads the targets nervous system. Persistent memes associate this with a tendency to cause involuntary bowel movements in its targets, giving the weapon its alternate name of ‘Browner.’ Effective at short range. 0 LOAD.​
Heavy Stunner: Larger nerve induction stunner. 1 LOAD.​
Flamer: Portable flamethrower fires burning napalm under pressure, out to a range of 40-50m, fed from a backpack containing pressurised fuel. Adds +1 die to hit, burning for three turns, and can attack an area the size of a small room, leaving distinctive scorch marks and potentially setting the place on fire. After the first turn it ignores armour. Subtle, it ain't. 2 LOAD.​
Goober Gun: Fires a liquid polymer restraint based on a chemical known as P-GUBA. The liquid polymerises rapidly on contact with air forming a tough, sticky web that can restrain most sophonts. 1 LOAD.​

A bit harder to get
Heavier firepower for when you really need to put boot to arse. Generally not available on the open market and might need some contacts to obtain.
Heavy Blaster: Large support blaster that can be used as an anti-materiel or sniping weapon. Some models have a rapid fire setting that also fires as a blaster rifle with an additional +1 die to hit. 2 CRED, 2 LOAD.​
Rail Gun: Long range anti-materiel rifle firing a depleted uranium slug at around 5km/sec. Although it weighs about 20kg and must be assembled to fire, it will put surprisingly large holes in its targets. 2 CRED, 4 LOAD.​
Grenade Launcher: Fires 30mm grenade rounds with a variety of payloads. A single-shot version may be fitted to a blaster rifle; hand-held multi-shot versions are also available. 1 LOAD.​
Micromissile Launcher: Handheld rocket launcher firing guided or unguided missiles. 2 CRED, 3 LOAD.​
 
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Freeside Station

Freeside station orbits Babylon in the Ezra's Belt system. Originally built in 2561, it is a modular centrifugal gravity station of a type commonly built in that era. Stations of this type were built from modules that could be brought in with a freighter, and assembled with minimal in-situ infrastructure.

The station was originally built and operated by the Leyland-Futanari corporation, but it was replaced by the Prime A and Prime B stations, which were built and commissioned 40 years ago. The station was paid off, but then forcibly taken over by a local consortium using common salvage laws. The court case was won due to precedents in interstellar law that have allowed a lot of older installations to be taken over in a similar manner.

Now, the station is owned by the Freeside consortium, a collective society whose membership largely consists of Ezra's Belt inhabitants and smegulons. It has remained commercially successful as it has no capital to pay off, there is still a large after-market industry in services to maintain and refurbish these older stations. Because of its lower costs than Prime A and B it is widely used by free traders and independent prospectors, and is a transit hub for many shuttle and haulage services.

The strong smegulon representation on the consortium board mean that the station is a semi-official refuge for homeless smegulons, and has a large secondary population of both stated and non-stated transients.

1572870592170.png

Structure
Freeside is a contra-rotating centrifugal gravity habitat with two wheels. The main habitat is approximately 750m in diameter and consists of 36 modules each in two wheels. The habitats rotate approximately once every 60 seconds, giving a gravity of 0.5 G.

Central shaft
The central shaft is approximately 650m in length and houses internal storage and plant with docks, power plant modules, a central control station and fuel storage modules. The docks are not rotating and include several small shuttle docs and larger cargo docks. Most of the shaft is in zero-G although artificial gravity systems have been installed in the passenger transit facilities.

Modules
The habitat is constructed from prefabricated modules transported in-system and assembled in-situ. Each module is four stories high with a mezzanine storage level. Curvature in the floors leaves some space in the mezzanine floor and under each end of the outermost floor.

Hydroponics
Hydroponics modules are fitted outside the main habitats, and use the centrifugal gravity with a mirror array capturing sunlight and reflecting through windows on the inside of the modules. A variety of crops are grown, alongside spirulina tanks which are also used for sewage treatment. The life support for the hydroponics is self-contained within the modules, although oxygen and waste air feeds are passed through the modules to supplement the air scrubbers. Hydroponics produce about 15,000kg of oxygen per day, about 80% of the total requirements of the population. The remainder is supplemented with artificial life support.
The hydroponics modules raise the total width of the station to approximately 800m.

Plant
The habitats rotate on bearings with an electromagnetic suspension system. Gas seal on the bearings is done with a silicone ferrofluid mechanism. The suspension system protects the bearings from shock. Trim weights on the shafts are automatically adjusted to balance the rotation.

Docks
The docks sit at one end of the main shaft, and are mainly in zero-G with artificial gravity systems that can be turned on or passenger transit. Generally artifical gravity is kept off to minimise power consumption.

Cargo handling
Four cargo hangars support cargo transfer operations. These are kept in zero-G and open to cargo air locks and cargo transfer facilities. They can be depressurised but this is not normally done. A concourse in the main shaft allows cargo to be transferred between the cargo hangars.

Fuel tankage
A small fuel refining plant is fitted, along with some large fuel tanks. Most fuel is refined elsewhere and purchased, with the tanks providing storage. This allows Freeside to act as a fuelling stop.
 
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Ezra's Belt

0307 MSeq -I-RDQDR S-A ind

Ezra's Belt is in the Tannhauser sector, close to Denaspar. It has no central government, with most settlements run either collectively or by a corporation. Some quasi-state polities exist within the system. The economy is mostly mining with some industry. Food production is mainly through hydroponics and vat-grown protein. Total population of the system is approximately 40 million. Ezra’s belt seceded from the United Federation approximately 45 years ago. The system is notable for its large Smeg population.

Babylon (I)
________________
The innermost planet in the system, Babylon has a trace atmosphere and some water in the soil and locked up in ice caps. It is the primary source of water and oxygen in the system. Some permanent settlement exists on the surface, with hydroponic agriculture, mining and manufacturing being the primary industries. Population: 14 million.
The Belt (R)This is the main belt and is particularly rich in minerals. Prospecting, mining and some manufacturing take place in the belt. Population: 24 million
Epona (D)This has a trace CO2 atmosphere and a surface gravity of 0.6g. Some moisture is locked up in ice caps. The world has some mining industry and supporting industry. Population: <1m.
Grabthar (Q)This is the only gas giant in the system. It has three large moons and some smaller ones, plus a spectacular ring system.
• Dvorak (G)Thin ammonia/hydrocarbon atmosphere with a surface gravity of 0.35g. The planet has a liquid core due to tidal friction from the primary. Some mining and prospecting activity takes place on the moon. Population (est): 200,000 spread amongst various mining outposts.
• Nessus (A)Vacuum world with no permanent habitation. Nessus is locked in a 2:1 tidal resonance with Dvorak.
• Ixion (G)Thin hydrocarbon atmosphere with a surface gravity of 0.5g. Locked in a 2:1 tidal resonance with Nessus. No permanent habitation, although some prospecting activity is taking place on the world. A small monitoring station has been installed in orbit recently.
Enopius (D)Trace CO2 atmosphere with a surface gravity of 0.4G. No permanent habitation although some prospecting activity is taking place.
Outer Belt (R)This is another asteroid belt, with some prospecting and mining activity. Distance from the primary limits the economic viability.
 
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Links to character sheets, cheat sheets and resources




Discussion of effect, potency and item quality rules in Blades in the Dark.



Link to character summary sheet

Character sheet link farm

Smith Smith - https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/scum-and-villainy-out-of-character-ooc-thread.3696/post-130111

RuinZealot RuinZealot - https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/scum-and-villainy-out-of-character-ooc-thread.3696/post-130101

Stan Stan - https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/interest-check-scum-and-villainy.3654/post-129658

Séadna Séadna - https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/interest-check-scum-and-villainy.3654/post-129817

Bunch Bunch - https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/interest-check-scum-and-villainy.3654/post-129944
 
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Cyrus

0310 RG SRA-M-ADQAJAAQ DMR SC

Overview
Much of the Cyrus system are former outer system worlds and Oort cloud objects now warmed up substantially through the primary's evolution to a red giant. This has allowed a former icy ball to be warmed up enough that life began to form on it. Although a garden world with evolving life to begin with, Minor terraforming efforts have seeded more complex life and built a thriving ecosystem. It is estimated that Cyrus will remain habitable for approximately 250 million years. Total population is 900 million.

Politics
Cyrus has multiple nations, most of which have been kept in line by the Solar
Commonwealth, and a supra-national organisation called the System Administration that manages in-system traffic and trade. Major nations on Cyrus include:
  • Acadia: Population 160 million
  • Kalan: Pop 120 million
  • Zentsuji: Pop 90 million
  • Athabasca: Pop 75 million
  • Genesee: Pop 70 million

Civil wars
Pro unionist movements are pushing to unite the national governments and declare system-wide independence. Most major nations now have unionist movements, some of which have become militant.

Kelis (S)Orbiting the primary with a surface gravity of 1.2G and a dense atmosphere primarily composed of Carbon Dioxide. Due to greenhouse effect the surface of the planet is too hot to be habitable.
• Serra (A)​
Vacuum moon, tide locked to Kelis.
Cyrus Belt (R)
_________________
Asteroid belt orbiting the primary, originally a planet but broken apart. Significant mining activity within the belt is powered by stellar energy. Total belt population of approximately 20 million. Standard EVA suits are capable of supporting life in the belt.

Major colonies:
• Yuci: 2.5 million, on a tide-locked asteroid of 400km in diameter. Quasi-independent government administered as a commonwealth territory of Khuri.​
• Timinor: 2.1 million,​
• Lufeng: 1.8 million​
• Klecton: 1.2 million, considered the smallest of the fully economically independent colonies.​
Coronel (A)Small vacuum world just inside the habitable zone, on a 3:2 resonance with Cyris. Population: 15 million.
Cyrus (M)Natural garden Class M world with a surface gravity of 1.06G. Population 900 million.
Stations:
Laika Station - Modified Oneill type, 1.2x1.5km, Pop 100,000. L1 Placement
Imbros Dom - Modified Oneill type, 1.2 x 3km, pop 200,000. L4 placement
• Dosi (A)​
Cyris's primary moon, Surface gravity 0.1G, pop: 10 million.
Tiefa (A)Vacuum world with significant ice cover. Surface gravity 0.2G. Pop: 8 million
Darbodia (D)Trace atmosphere, primarily CO2, covered in water, CO2, Methane and Ammonia snow. Pop: 14 million with large smegulon settlement.
Serampore (Q)Large gas giant
• Nirou (U)​
Large moon with a dense hydrocarbon atmosphere. Surface gravity 0.6G. Population: 6 million.
• Tribsee (G)​
Small moon with trace atmosphere. Surface gravity 0.25G. Population: 1 million, mostly transient.
Omachi (A)Small vacuum world with snow cover. Surface gravitry 0.2G
Ratta (J)Small world with 0.5g surface gravity. No permanent settlement. Trace atmosphere but rich in halogens and halogen compounds. Eccentric orbit and exotic chemistry suggests the world was captured.
Stameris (A)Small world with 0.3g surface gravity. Methane, water, CO2 snow with some other chemicals. No permanent settlement.
Arcola (A)Small vacuum world with 0.2G surface gravity. Small mining presence with several old mines occupied by smegulon squatters. Total population: 250,000.
Tivoli (Q)Large gas giant.
• Nossa​
• Mechanus​
• Altern​
• Kremyon​
• Fonara​
• Rodniki​
 
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Rhaquos

0710 MSeq AA-L-RQDQQRQ MML ind

Introduction
Rhaquos in the Isinor sector, in the neutral zone. It has some small seas near the polar regions, covering less than 10% of the planet's total surface. The seas have very high salt concentrations, meaning that little but extremophile life lives in them. However, the seas do power weather patterns around the north polar region, bringing enough precipitation to the areas around them to support agriculture with relatively minor terraforming work. Most of the rest of the world's surface is arid or semi-arid land with very little surface water.

A lot of fossils can be found all over the world, including in the arid regions. This suggests that the world was much less arid up to about 1.7 million years ago when there was a major extinction event. The world was the home to a civilisation called the forerunners, which are thought to have died out in the same ecological disaster that rendered the planet arid.

Seneca (A)
__________________
Seneca is a small rocky planet in the innermost orbit of the primary. It has no permanent habitation, although there are some abandoned mining and research outposts. Occasional prospecting operations are carried out as the world is somewhat rich in rare earths.
Chasma (A)This is a larger vacuum world just inside the habitable zone of the primary. It has a small population of independent prospectors and miners, numbering about 10,000. Some quasi-permanent settlement exists to support this industry.
Rhaquos (L)Raquis has a small area of arable land near the north pole and a breathable atmosphere. With a surface gravity of 0.91 G, it is habitable to humans. Most of the surface away from the polar region is arid, although a small region on the south pole has weather systems with some rain. Some other regions on the world have subsurface water that can sustain agriculture and a few sterile high-salinity oceans. Population: approximately 70 million.
Inner Belt (R)The inner belt has some mining operations in it with semi-permanent habitats supporting the mining. Population: Approximately 100,000.
Elysium (Q)Elysium is a small-ish gas giant with a ring system and two major satellites
• Hormel (A)​
Hormel is a rocky vacuum world with no magnetic field. Due to radiation from Elysium it is considered too dangerous to inhabit. There is no permanent habitation.
• Triffid (G)​
Triffid has ice caps composed primarily of ammonia, methane and water, with some water ice covering the rest of the world. A trace atmosphere is largely composed of ammonia and methane. Some volatiles mining takes place on the world in support of the mining operations in the inner belt.
Aspous (D)Aspous has a trace carbon dioxide atmosphere with a surface gravity of approximately 0.45G. There is no permanent habitation.
Ophir (Q)Ophir is a large gas giant with four large inner moons, plus some minor satellites. It is much further out than Elysium and sits in a 2:1 tidal resonance with Aspous and a 2:1 tidal resonance with Arsinoe.
• Hubble (Y)​
The innermost satellite of Ophir, Hubble has a surface gravity of 0.6g and a dense atmosphere composed primarily of ammonia and methane.. The surface is covered in hydrocarbon-rich ice. Some surveying work has been done, but the distance from the inner belt makes the world marginally economic.
• Naktong (U)​
Naktong is a small-ish moon with a surface gravity of 0.4g and a hydrocarbon rich atmosphere. It is considered uneconomic due to the distance from the primary and there is no permanent settlement.
• Dolfus (G)​
Dolfus is a small satellite with a surface gravity of 0.25g and a trace ammonia/methane atmosphere. There is no permanent settlement.
• Duna (A)​
Duna is a small rocky moon with a surface gravity of 0.15g and no atmosphere. It was captured by Ophir and has a highly inclined orbit. The geochemistry of Duna is very different from the rest of the Ophir system and it is very mineral rich. Some prospecting and research work has taken place but the distance makes it economically marginal. There is a small transient population of prospectors and occasional mining operations.
Arsinoe (Q)Arsinoe is a small gas giant with two satellites.
• Rineheart (A)​
Small vacuum world with a surface gravity of 0.35g.
• Scholes (D)​
Small world with a surface gravity of 0.4g and a trace CO2 atmosphere. A significant amount of snow, mainly CO2 an Water sits on the surface. There is no permanent habitation due to the distance from the primary.
Outer Belt (R)This is another asteroid belt but distance from the primary limits the economic viability.
Ister (Q)Ister is a large gas giant, verging on a brown dwarf. It sits about 1/20 of a light year from the primary.
 
Denaspar

0404 A-M-LARAQ DML MSeq

The Densapar system was one of the first systems discovered by exploration on this side of the Tannhauser gate. The primary is an F7 main sequence star, with a world sporting a natural M-class biosphere with no further need for terraforming. Its habitability and proximity to the Tannhauser gate made it one of the first systems in the region to be colonised.

Today it is the largest single system economy in the region, with a population of approximately 2.5 billion. The system declared its independence from the Solar Commonwealth some 40 years ago and the naval contingent stationed there defected to the side of the independence movement. Denaspar was the first world to declare independenence from either the SC or UF, and has started a cascade of defections, particularly from SC space.

The largest single nation on Denaspar is Ilthar with a population of 360 million. Other major nations include Malastar (280 million), Seneca (240 million), Hyspero (190 million), Tantalus (140 million), Merovin (110 million) and Cimmeria (95 million).

The system has been settled for approximately 600 years. Like much of the region, it was settled by convicts and malcontents shipped offworld to get them away from the core worlds. Later on it became a popular colonial destination. The economy has substantially developed over the last 75 years and is well advanced in the process of making the transition to a major industrialised system.

Lamia (A)
__________________
A small, rocky world inside the Denaspar systems habitable zone, this is locked in a 2:1 resonance with Denaspar. The world is tide locked with some habitation in the twilight region. Most industry on Lamia is mining (the world has abundant supplies of heavy metals) and manufacturing. Total population: approx. 60 million.
Denaspar (M)Denaspar has a natural class-M biosphere and required minimal terraforming to be habitable. Surface gravity is approximately 1.03G
• Romulus (D)​
The innermost moon of Denaspar, this orbits at approximately 500,000km. It is relatively large and has a trace atmosphere largely consisting of CO2 with a surface gravity of approximately 0.22G. Substantial deposits of sub-surface volatiles power the local economy. Total population: approximately 60 million. Industry largely consists of mining and manufacturing. Volatiles from Romulus make up a large source of fuel sold here.
• Boho (A)​
Small moon with a surface gravity of approximately 0.05G. The world is in vacuum but has a population of approximately 20 million. Sits in a 2:1 resonance with Romulus.
• Stations​
Olympus Dom - Hybrid O'Neill type, 1.2km x 4km. L4 point of Romulus, pop: 1.5 million
Parnassus Dom - Hybrid O'Neill type, 1.2km x 4km. Under construction at the L5 point of Romulus.
Manley Station - older hybrid O'neill type, 1x1km. 1500km orbit, pop: 70,000.
Chesnokov Station - older hybrid O'neill type, 1km x 1km, 1,500km orbit. Pop: 70,000.
Kimura highport - starship docking and cargo transfer station in 1,500km orbit. Not fully self-sufficient but not a permanent habitat for most residents.
Dix highport - older high port in 1,700km orbit. Widely used by free traders.
Triton yards - ship repair and construction
Joetsu station - older M40 station in 1,500km orbit
Idaho station - M40 station in polar orbit around Romulus
Nyria port - high port in orbit around Romulus.
Cravic station - naval outpost in L2 point.
Vilsburg Station - high port in orbit around Boho
Hettingen (L)Marginally habitable world. Genetic traces of life on the planet indicate that it was probably seeded from single celled organisms that survived on debris thrown from a meteor impact on Denaspar, probably some 220 million years ago. Small saline oceans harbour enough life to keep a concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere. Surface gravity 0.7G, population: 75 million.
Some terraforming work has taken place on the world and it can support agriculture, although the climate is marginal.
• Lit (A)​
Small moon with a vacuum and a surface gravity of less than 0.05G. Small permanent mining settlement.
Jōetsu (A)Small vacuum world in an eccentric orbit, probably captured. Surface gravity is 0.2G. The world has a small mining industry and some populated cities. Total population: 2 million.
The Belt (R)The belt contains several large asteroid colonies and is home to a large number of current and abandoned mining and prospecting operations. Several former colonies have independent sovereignty, and the belt sports a significant population of Smegulons. Total population: approximately 20 million.
The largest asteroid settlement is Hierakonopolis with a population of 2.5 million.
Hunchun (A)A small vacuum world with a population of 2 million. Surface gravity is 0.1g. Hunchun has a well known prison colony called Napeville.
Terza (Q)Large gas giant in the outer system. It has three major moons.
• Finisterre (G)​
Surface gravity 0.3G, population: 6 million, methane/ammonia atmosphere.
• Neapoli (A)​
Surface gravity 0.2G, population 2 million, no atmosphere.
• Oyonnax (D)​
Surface gravity 0.4G, population 3.5 million, trace CO2 atmosphere.
 
The Tranquility


d557863-47250013-e321-4641-8c20-b51fc468e0fc.jpg
Totally not a far trader

The Tranquility (Originally designated the CS Melbourne) is ZU class transport, a type designed primarily for military use as a tactical transport in remote regions. The design is known for being tough, simple to maintain and reliable. Originally in SC service, the Tranquility was sold surplus through a broker.

Like some of its class, the Tranquility is fitted with a MILSPEC 17X201 sensor and avionics package, a 17C120 EW system and a 13K76 fire control system. These electronics packages were often fitted to interceptors and light warships, particularly on the export market. Although considered obsolescent, they are widespread through out the Commonwealth and former territories that replacement parts, plug-compatible modules and even outright copies made by third party sources are available on the market. Software upgrades are available on the grey market if you have the right connections.

The Tranquility also retained its countermeasures packages, although the weaponry (typically 2x twin Mk23 or single Mk30 blast cannon mounts) was removed. It also retains a hull ionisation system that substantially reduces sensor returns when active. The ship's paperwork is unclear about the export certification for these systems.

The ZU class is fitted with CG system that allows it to land in relatively poor conditions without the strong exhaust wash of a vectored thrust system. This makes the ship useful for rough field work and capable of landing in a wide variety of locations, although the CG system is heavy and uses a lot of power. On the plus side, the ship is fitted with a large power plant to drive the CG modules that can also power reasonably beefy energy weapons such as the Mk23 and Mk30 mounts described above.

The class is also popular with smugglers.

The ship has capacity for about 50 tons of cargo, or a small troop unit and their equipment. Internal fittings include equipment storage and a sick bay with two portable automed units and a CG litter to move them. The equipment storage can be considered to have any equipment item from the personal equipment and minor items list and this can be had as a zero-cost flashback if the party is in a vehicle capable of carrying the item or can otherwise carry the item within their LOAD limits. There is a small armoury with two assault blasters and half a dozen spare power packs in it; a needle pistol with a couple of spare magazines is concealed under a false bottom in the ship's safe.

The cargo bay also has space for a small rover. This is light 4x4 truck about the size of a SWB Land Rover. It is powered by an air-breathing fuel cell (which can be swapped out for an oxy-fuel system for vacuum use) and can carry either a ton or so of cargo or a party of 6 with their equipment.
 
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Region around Meridani and Acheron

MeridaniWastes.png
 
Need to absorb this thread and get in the mindset. I'll post tomorrow, Saturday at the latest.
 
MUSCLE

Name:
Will Ryle

Alias: Juice

Look: Scuffed work boots and long-sleeve shirts. Toned, but not overly muscled. He carries himself with a flat affect, alert but unconcerned.

Heritage: Wanderer- Will grew up in an orphanage. Fighting for scraps of food was a daily activity. When he was 16 he was dumped on the streets of Cyrus.

Background: Syndicate - Worked with small gangs, eventually made ties and joined the Cobalt Syndicate working as an enforcer. Most of the job was routine reminding people, some people just need to be reminded harder than others. He had a job talking to someone in front of their kid, unremarkable really, but it stuck with him. A week later he bought his way out of the Syndicate and left the city he grew up in.

Vice/Purveyor: Charity - Will donates a lot of his money and time to organizations that make a difference in the lives of orphans.

Stress: 6/9 Trauma: 0/3

INSIGHTXP: 0/6
DOCTOR
1HACK
1RIG
1STUDY
PROWESSXP: 0/6
HELM
1SCRAMBLE
12SCRAP
SKULK
RESOLVEXP: 0/6
ATTUNE
1COMMAND
CONSORT
SWAY
Playbook Advancement: 0/8




Starting Ability
Unstoppable
: You can push yourself to do one of the following: perform a feat of physical force that verges on the superhuman— engage a small gang on equal footing in close combat.

Special Abilities:
Wrecking Crew:
Your strength and ferocity are infamous. When striking in melee, you gain +1d. Whenever you spend a gambit in combat, you also gain +1 effect on that action.

Harm
3(N / A)Need Help
2-1D
1Less Effect
Recovery: 0/6



Armour: 0/1 Heavy: 0/1 Special: 0/1

Creds: 0
Stash: 0

Load: 3
Owned Gear:


  • Heavy Blaster
  • Needle Gun
  • The Right Tool, a Fine Vibro-Blade
  • Oliver, Detonator Launcher
  • Repair Tools
  • -blank-
Items:

"Friends":
+

Shostakovic Syndicate
- Worked with a few of their guys after I left Cobalt. Alright guys, same crap work.
-
Yazu
- The most crooked cop I've ever met. Will sell out anyone for a few creds.
 
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SCOUNDREL

Name:
Kal Wolffe

Alias: Canid

Look: Sandy hair and pale complexion. Well fitted Fine Cloak, opened white-collar shirt, mid-length scuffed leather boots and a wrinkled set of trousers

Heritage: Imperial - Kal's family hail from Cryus, born and raised. His father was a farmer, and his mother a politician for his local township on the planet, before the civil war. Citing local governance and a strong anti-Sol sentiment, Senator Wolffe was one of the infamous 'Cyrus Dozen' who staged a filibuster against a parliamentary action that was trying to quell any and all protests against the Earth governance. After that, the 'Cyrexit' Campaign launched in an effort to secede from Sol via governmental proceedings. Things deteriorated from violent protests to all out militia war between the two factions, and Kal's mother was caught in the cross fire when an extremist Sol supporter shot up a campaign trail. Kal left the planet not long after her murder.

Background: Academic - Kal's mother pressed him into studies. The classics of Sol, the modern treatise of colonist thinking, economics of running a township in the Neutral Zone. She had every intention of Kal getting into politics, but when Cyrus became a hotbed for extremist views, he shied away. Already having something of a penchant for partying with the famous Cyrus Brew (ale for what ails you), Kal scraped through University. He graduated mere months before 'Cyrexit' began to pick up steam, and struggled to find a steady position when the uncertainty of the situation knocked the economy as corporations began pulling out of the planet, including Kerbodyne Industries with whom Kal had earned a post-graduate position as a junior assistant to one of the Lobbyist satellite offices, leaving Kal quickly un-employed.

Vice/Purveyor: Stupor - Kal enjoys getting fucked up on alcohol (and other substances) to dull the existential pain. A bottle of Cyrus Brew is a taste he craves dearly since leaving the planet, and the civil war on Cyrus has hampered production.

Stress: 4/9 Trauma: 0/3

INSIGHT
XP: 0/6
1​
DOCTOR
HACK
RIG
1​
STUDY
PROWESS
XP: 0/6
HELM
SCRAMBLE
SCRAP
1​
SKULK
RESOLVE
XP: 1/6
ATTUNE
COMMAND
1​
2​
CONSORT
1​
2​
SWAY
Playbook Advancement: 0/8

When you play a Scoundrel, you earn xp when you address challenges with charm or audacity






Starting Ability
Serendipitous:
Your crew starts with +1 gambit when the pool resets.

Special Abilities:
Never Tell Me the Odds:
You generate gambits on desperate rolls. You may also generate gambits even if you spent a gambit.

Harm
3
(N / A)
Need Help
2
-1D
1
Less Effect
Recovery: 0/6







Armour: 0/1 Heavy: 0/1 Special: 0/1

Creds: 0
Stash: 0

Load: 3
Items:

  • Fine Blaster Pistol - Ornate, classic etchings that portray a barley field on Cyrus on the handle. Has an attached chain-charm with his family coat of arms, given to him when he graduated by his mother.
  • Fine Coat - A deep maroon coat, with a plush obsidian interior (displayed on the lapels). Has a lot of inside (and hidden) pockets for hiding things.
  • Communicator
  • Trick Holo-cards
  • Forged Documents - Mal Bestis
  • Mystic Ammunition
  • Personal Memento - a holophoto of Kal and his parents on his home farm on Cyrus.

"Friends":

+
Jahi - Smeg Info broker who works for 'The Outfit', she owes Kal a favour for when he got her a juicy tidbit about Prince Remakan's contributions to an extremist party on Cyrus.
- Khalid - Independent small-time Moneylender based out of Ezra's Belt, Kal owes him some CRED for passage off-station. They were classmates.

Brez - Smeg Ship Mechanic operating out of Ezra's Belt. She used to be on a crew with Kal and Ronnie.
Ronnie - Fellow smuggler operating in the Neutral Zone, Cyrus Native. He used to be on a crew with Kal and Brez. Currently works for the Commodore's Crew
Jolbert Wolffe - Kal's father, a prominent farmer on Cyrus. Tries to contact Kal to get him to come home.
Zerith - Bounty Hunting muscle from Hamashi. Kal managed to talk her down from bringing him for some inebriation charge over some drinks, a Holo-card game, and a shared job.
Andrej Kochanek and Roslyn Markovic - known in free trader circles as 'Roz and Andy', they are an independent owner-operated free trader pilot and captain respectively. Openly vocal about Cyrus independence, they are also rumoured to be involved in supplying pro-independence forces with arms and funding. Kal has worked a few jobs for them in the past.
Branden Rasmussen - A mysterious executive who interviewed the batch of recruits for the Kerbodyne Industries internship positions. He said that he 'sees something in you' to Kal and periodically keeps in touch with him. Enquiries about his identity and role withing the company have returned disturbingly vague results.
Martina Sepp - One time lover from a tempestuous relationship, who remained on Cyrus after Kal got away. She was involved in pro-independence activist groups and seemed to be getting involved with progressively more militant folk. Kal hasn't heard from her in a while ...
 
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MUSCLE

Name:
Will Ryle

Alias: Juice

Look: Scuffed work boots and long-sleeve shirts. Toned, but not overly muscled. He carries himself with a flat affect, alert but unconcerned.

Heritage: Wanderer- Will grew up in an orphanage. Fighting for scraps of food was a daily activity. When he was 16 he was dumped on the streets of Cyrus.

Background: Syndicate - Worked with small gangs, eventually made ties and joined the Cobalt Syndicate working as an enforcer. Most of the job was routine reminding people, some people just need to be reminded harder than others. He had a job talking to someone in front of their kid, unremarkable really, but it stuck with him. A week later he bought his way out of the Syndicate and left the city he grew up in.

Vice/Purveyor: Charity - Will donates a lot of his money and time to organizations that make a difference in the lives of orphans.

Stress: 0/9 Trauma: 0/3

INSIGHTXP: 0/6
DOCTOR
1HACK
1RIG
1STUDY

PROWESSXP: 0/6
HELM
1SCRAMBLE
12SCRAP
SKULK

RESOLVEXP: 0/6
ATTUNE
1COMMAND
CONSORT
SWAY
Playbook Advancement: 0/8

Starting Ability
Unstoppable
: You can push yourself to do one of the following: perform a feat of physical force that verges on the superhuman— engage a small gang on equal footing in close combat.

Special Abilities:
Wrecking Crew:
Your strength and ferocity are infamous. When striking in melee, you gain +1d. Whenever you spend a gambit in combat, you also gain +1 effect on that action.

Harm
3(N / A)Need Help
2-1D
1Less Effect
Recovery: 0/6
Armour: 0/1 Heavy: 0/1 Special: 0/1

Creds: 0
Stash: 0

Load: 5
Items:


  • Heavy Blaster
  • Needle Gun
  • The Right Tool, a Fine Vibro-Blade
  • Oliver, Detonator Launcher
  • Repair Tools
  • -blank-

"Friends":
+

Shostakovic Syndicate
- Worked with a few of their guys after I left Cobalt. Alright guys, same crap work.
-
Yazu
- The most crooked cop I've ever met. Will sell out anyone for a few creds.
Check out the LOAD values for items. That list is a default for what you're carrying rather than what you own (you can still record this). The Heavy Blaster is 2 LOAD (think: about the size of a Bren gun) and the Repair tools are 4 LOAD (large toolbox, perhaps fitted as a backpack for carrying). You've got 8 LOAD in that list, which is definitely in the not-subtle range (this has mechanical effects on a score).

The toolkit could easily go in the back of the rover; there is a smaller portable toolkit that allows minor repairs for 1 LOAD. You're probably better off leaving the heavy weapons in the ship or vehicle and retconning them in a flashback if you want to use them (they can have legal implications as well, especially if the party starts collecting HEAT). Take a look at the rules for LOAD and missions/scores.
 
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I wrote that with the intention that was my owned gear. Are we not declaring gear as we use it, but declaring it all upfront?
 
I wrote that with the intention that was my owned gear. Are we not declaring gear as we use it, but declaring it all upfront?
The game has a mechanic where you declare your LOAD before the job starts. As the Job progresses you declare which gear you are carrying as and when it becomes warranted. I think it's assumed that we have access to all this gear on our ship. The LOAD value itself is important as it is an immediate factor in how geared we look on the streets to security personnel.
 
I’m familiar with the rules.

So, would it work, Nobby, if I just changed that section to owned gear and make a new Items section?
 
I’m familiar with the rules.

So, would it work, Nobby, if I just changed that section to owned gear and make a new Items section?
That would be fine. Note if you've got anything dodgy in a public place like the vehicle or hotel.

Put in context, the ship is parked in what is essentially a regional airfield just outside Meridani. Driving there and back from Acheron would take maybe half a day.

To use the example of a heavy blaster, you could do a zero cost flashback if you had time to drive back and get it. Otherwise your flashback might come at a stress level and would might involve making up a back story about how you snuck it out and concealed its existence. This could be as simple as 'hidden under the back seat', but the mechanic is the point of stress, which might be waived for a creative explanation.

In unrelated news, I'm going out for a bit. Will post some stuff to the IC thread later this evening.
 
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So I’m apparently a noob and bad at searching the forum. How do I roll?
 
So I’m apparently a noob and bad at searching the forum. How do I roll?
In don't think there's actually a roller on the forum. I'll hunt for one that shows the individual dice.
 
We could do it the old fashion way where I say what I want to roll and you (Nobby) roll it and narrate the outcome.
 
My original plan was just to roll the dice. We can just do that unless some critical mass of folks want to use a roller app.
 
My original plan was just to roll the dice. We can just do that unless some critical mass of folks want to use a roller app.
I'm fine with you rolling dice.
 
My original plan was just to roll the dice. We can just do that unless some critical mass of folks want to use a roller app.
I'm fine with you making the rolls. If you can trust the DM, then there's no point in playing.
 
I'm fine with you making the rolls. If you can't trust the DM, then there's no point in playing.
Made a slight correction which I believe is what you meant.
 
Dobachan Robot

A claimed forerunner artifact claimed to be found at the Dobachan site ca. 2670. Found by Guozheng Zhang, it brought notoriety as most experts believed it to be a forgery. This ruined his career and he and the robot disappeared under mysterious circumstances a few years later. It has not been seen since.

Excavations at the Dobachan site continued until about 2715, with occasional parties investingating the surrounding area.
 
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Sparin

A Shasta (Major Aferasi tribal house) owned engineering firm best known for manufacturing small arms. They are one of the major suppliers of small arms into the Neutral Zone. Although Aferasi owned, Sparin make versions of their products with ergonomics for most sophont species, although the working parts tend to be interchangeable. Sparin products are generally regarded as a high quality brand.
 
Amarantin

Exxtinct Sophont race native to Raquos. They had a pre-industrial civilisation at the point of the major extinction event of 1.7m years ago. Some artefacts and sites have been preserved well enough for archaeological investigation.

Amarantin artefacts are regulated heavily by the Ministry of Antiquities on Raquos. Trafficking in unlicensed artefacts is illegal, and the ministry tends to be reluctant to grant export licenses on major items. This makes high quality Amarantin artefacts valuable amongst collectors.
 
Ono-Hentai corporation

Ono-Hentai is a Terran corporation that sells media, cyberspace and electronic equipment into the consumer market, plus a diversified range of other items ranging from medical sensor equipment to fire control systems and military electronics.. It is a ubiquitous brand in its consumer markets - think something like Phillips or Sony.
 
A brief history of the Leyland-Futanari corporation

The LFC was formed in the 22nd century as a consortium to tackle the large job of setting up logistics to support colonisation efforts, particularly on the far side of the newly-discovered Tannhauser gate. It was one of the big three (LFC, Tyrhennean and Arc-Gotha), that held a stranglehold on shipping logistics, terraforming and releasing land.

Citing 'administrative inconveniences', [1] in the biggest display of blatant regulatory capture in history, LFC bought its own sovereignty and became a full-fledged corporate state in 2443, domiciling itself on the Haven system, a garden world which it had managed to finagle outright ownership of. This also allowed themselves to distance themselves from bothersome commonwealth interference in their control of the commercial shipping and terraformed real-estate development.

This situation continued for about a century an a half until 2603, where the nascent Outworld Federation had put together a navy and taken control of their own worlds. In a push to establish a buffer region, the OF (later to rename itself as the United Federation) took Haven and proceeded to dissolve the legal entity known as the Leyland-Futanari corporation.

Commonwealth authorities, who were by now sick of LFC's bullshit, issued a diplomatic statement to the effect of 'Sorry mate - you're on your own. Maybe if you'd paid your takes we could afford a navy to come and bail you out.' They declined to intervene, negotiating a border that ceded Haven to the Outworld Federation. It is widely believed that this was also done as a warning to various other houses and corporate interests that were pushing for sovereignty.

The LFC was broken up, with various merchant ships and business units sold to third parties or management buy-outs (a process that went a long way towards financing the foundation of the United Federation). LFC had carefully finagled the terms of constitution of most colony worlds so that they did not have a central government but multiple state governments. This meant that their spaceborne assets - stations, ISRU fuel extraction plants and other assets - were not subject to having any obvious heirs to jurisdiction over them.

The lack of planetary governmental bodies was a major contributor to the 'sovereign space' doctrine of interstellar law. It also made many of the assets effectively up for grabs as they now had no legal owner or undisputed legal jurisdiction. By this point there were several generations of space-born (colloquially known as Smegulons) that had no nationality. These people became a significant factor in interstellar politics over the next century and a half, often acquiring de-facto control of these facilites. Smegs are known for refurbishing and keeping space stations and ramshackle bases going for decades or even centuries past their design life span.
_________________
1 - Contemporary critics suggested that the 'administrative inconveniences' mostly seemed to consist of occasional requests to pay their taxes.
 
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Hotel Dumarest

A large chain of mid-range four star hotels, often with branches around starports, stations and in tourist or business areas. Many cities in the Commonwealth and Neutral Zone have a Dumarest.
 
A. Bertram

A large chain of ship's outfitters, typically known as 'Bertram's'. One of the many spinoffs of the Leyland-Futanari breakup, Bertram's has outlets at most major starports, typically involving commercial outfitting and catering operations. Bertram's also has walk-in superstores at many starports with a particularly well-known branch near the old port in Moseli Startown on Denaspar. Most items a ship's crew might need can be purchased at Bertram's.
 
Zakila

A manufacturing firm based on Isinor best known for their mid-range to upmarket luxury ground cars, particularly off-road vehicles - although this is a minority of their product line. The luxury vehicles are exported quite widely in the Tannhauser and Isinor sectors.

Other product lines include trucks, agricultural equipment, machinery and various other engineering including a small aerospace unit.
 
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