142.16 HAVE STARSHIP--WILL TRAVEL by Roger Myhre NOTE: This document was first printed in KU #5. It has not been updated Since then. A few Vargr careers do give access to ship DM's, but the rulebook do not = mention anything about Vargr. For rules on generating Vargr characters yo= u = should look up my article in KU #4. If you don't have it, you may order i= t = from me, sending me an IRC. What other publications say. As stated in other publications from both GDW and DGP Vargr ships are = available in two ways: Steal a starship. Maybe the most difficult and most risky. Usually it is = necessary to cross a state border to get the ship re-registered. In the = current situation in Gvurrdon this is not too hard as the Freedom League = or = more commonly named Corsair's Den accepts almost any ship into their regi= stry. = However any ship registered here are not welcome in Gvaeknoks Trade union= =2E Hunt down a patron and serve him or her until the ship is paid down in fo= rm = of favors. Easier and less risky than the first method. Especially if the= = party is well skilled in various areas of need. A new way to get a new ship is to travel into the wilds and find a ship = there. This is very risky, and the ship will not be welcome and blown to = bits = if found out. However there will not be any outstanding debts in either m= oney = or favors. Only outstanding maintenance, and the risk of a virus infected= = craft that just has been waiting on this occasion. Characters and TNE. During play, the players may adopt one of the above mentioned methods for= = acquiring a starship. But what of the characters that gain starship DM's = during character generation? First of all DM's for starships are gained a= s = mentioned in the characters chosen career. Give additional DM for every = second point of CHA above 10. Thus CHA of 12 gives plus 1, CHA 14 gives = plus 2 and so on. This additional starship DM is earned each term in the = career. This DM can only be earned in a career that makes it possible to = get = a starship DM such as Aristocrat, Trader and so on. The players may not spend money to get additional DM's. For region DM's u= se = the table on page 38 in the rulebook. However Gvurrdon gives a DM of -5. = As = there is no financing debts, the value modifier can be used like this: - For each point reduced the Wear Value increase with one, to a limit of= = eight. - For each point increase the age of the ship with 5 years, to a limit o= f 40 = years. For every 5 year roll one D20. If the roll was 5 or less the we= ar = value is increased by one. - For the remaining points is the point value of work the characters has= to = do before the ship is fully theirs. Whenever the characters perform a = mission for their patron, this remaining value modifier should at leas= t = decrease with one. How much the decrease should be is up to the refere= e. = A rule of thumb is that more important, and dangerous the mission is, = the = value should be decreased accordingly. Characters from Gvurrdon. The maximum TL of the ship is depending on where their patron is from. Th= is = is determined by the Charisma of the party leader. The patron is from the= = same interstellar allegiance. Maximum TL's is as following: - Thirz Empire 13 (15) - Thoengling 13 (15) - SoE 13 - Gvaeknoks Trade Union 11 - Kedzudh 12 (16) - Corsair's Den 12 - Others 11 The values in parantesis can be selected if none of the value modifiers = are = being converted to age or wear value. For SoE and Corsair's Den the TL ma= y be = raised by one if none of the value modifiers is used to raise the age or = increase the wear value. A party leader from a non-aligned Vargr worlds m= ay = select any system within six parsecs from his home system to get the ship= =2E = For every 10 years the ship is aged, the tech of the ship is decreased by= one. Run away. When the enforcement of the law in Gvurrdon is erratic, and the loyalty i= s = shifting constantly, what is then stopping the characters to just run awa= y = with the ship? Nothing? Wrong. It's out of character. Remember that the = characters has found a high charismatic patron to supply them with a ship= in = change of their service. The patrons CHA is the party leaders CHA+2 or tw= elve, = whichever is the greatest. Vargr always try to find a high charismatic = individual to join to increase their own charisma, unless they are high = charismatic themselves. Which means that they will be gathering followers= =2E = Thus the party is bound to work for their patron until they has paid up = enough favors. However if their patron decrease in charisma they might le= ave = without paying down the ship. For the procedure for this is as follows: - For every 14 days of game time roll one D20 and compare with the patro= ns = CHA. If the roll is higher than the patrons CHA it is decreased with o= ne. = If the roll is 1, the CHA is increased with one, to a limit of 15 (F).= = If the CHA of the patron is equal to or less the party leaders CHA th= e = party may split away from the patron. If the patrons CHA is larger tha= n = party leaders CHA after the decrease, the part leader roll the followi= ng = task: Difficulty, CHA Difficulty is as following: One level of difficulty for each level of difference between the two = persons. Starting with difficulty level Average. If the task increase = beyond Impossible it is not possible to break away. So when do the party leader roll this task? Whenever party hears that the= ir = patron has decreased in charisma from news casts or by personal experienc= e. New patrons. In the event that their patrons CHA decrease to 11, and the party has not= = broken away from their patron, a new vargr has taken the pilot seat in th= e = organization, and thus owning all the valuable things to their old patron= This include the ship to the players they are working on. This new patron= = will have CHA of 11+D6 to a limit of 15. And add one to the players value= = modifier of the ship. this means that the players must work more to down = pay = the ship in turns of favors. Doc 142.14, Date: January 15, 1994 BUILDING THE PERFECT DOG by Roger Myhre This document has been an article on KU #4. Since then I have changed the= rules a bit, and modified the careers. This document will be upgraded as = new special careers pop up. As the Traveller: The New Era (TNE) do not include Vargr character genera= tion I will = present some rules here that I think will be of use. Note that GDW may ha= ve = other plans for Vargr character generating. As the Vargr is quite close t= o = humans (not counting looks, ancestry and behaviour) their skill will be q= uite = like. And I won't introduce any new skills. THE STATS Vargr got the same stats as humans, with one exception. Vargr do not have= = Social status, but their Charisma rating is the measure to find where the= y = stand in the Vargr society. A Vargr with high Charisma will attract other= = Vargr for followers. So put a '-' in the Soc box on the character sheet. = The = stats are rolled as following. STR 2D2-2, AGL 2D6, CON 2D-2, INT 2D6-1, = EDU 2D-1, CHA 1D6. If the total stats are less than 33, the player can add the difference to= the = character stats, with these exceptions: CHA=A0cannot be increased to more= than = 3. Any other stat cannot be increased beyond 11. The 33 limit is lower th= an = the limit in the rulebook of 36. The reason for this is that the Vargr is= = generaly weaker than an average human. When calculating the weight of a Vargr use the same formula as for humans= , = but the base weight is 70Kg. Making generally Vargr smaller than Humans. = The = base weight is the same for males as for females. For hand combat damage = factor is the same as for humans, but add 1D6 damage each time the Vargr = elects to use his or hers claws. For using the claws the skill is as for = unarmed combat, Unarmed Melee skill which all Vargr characters start with= at = level 0, Leadership is also a skill they start with at 0. SELECTING CAREERS The Vargr can use all the careers in the book except for "Hiver Technical= = Academy". There are some consideration to Vargr when they are generated. = Firstly their Charisma rating is a measurement of how successful a given = Vargr is. The Charisma rating may go up and down during generation.For CH= A = beyond A the cost is doubled. Thus it cost is 2 points from A to B. But l= oss = of one point in CHA brings you automatically from B to A. In some careers= = there is possible to make a big enough mistake that you are thrown out. T= his = is true to all military careers. This does not however stop the character= = generation, the character just has to enter a new career, but not a milit= ary = one, if he or she makes the continuity roll. Even if you are thrown out f= rom = a career, you always finish the term before you enter a new one. CHA is increased/decreased like this: +1 If promotion is made. +1 if 12+ is rolled. Cumulative with above modifier. And promoted an = additional rank. -1 if the promotion roll is missed by 4 or more -2 and demoted if the roll is natural 2 regardles of DM's. Not cumulat= ive = with above modifier. Holds true for both special duty and promotion ro= lls. = If a natural 2 is rolled twice in a given military career the characte= r is = thrown out at the end of the term. If your character is from Society of Equals in Gvurrdon, he or she must m= ake = a special roll to be rated equal. This is essential to enter the followin= g = careers: Any military officer, Diplomat, Lawenforces or Aristocrat. Difficult, Willpower This task is rolled before the character generation is started. If the ro= ll = is a catastrophic failure roll 1D6 and divide the result on the STR, AGL = and = CON stat. Reduce the stats accordingly. This is damage taken from the tes= t. = Example: A player rolls 4 on the die, when he has failed. Thus the stats = has = to be reduced with one each. For the remaining point the player may choos= e = which stat to reduce. CAREERS: **Oruelaen** Psionic forces of Thirz Empire in Gvurrdon. Thirz empire has a special fo= rce = of psionic agents. They are not secret agents as portraied in movies, but= = rather a information gathering group for the King in Thirz Empire. Not mu= ch = are actually known about them publicly, so a lot of myths has been spun = around them. All sophonts that are citizens of Thirz Empire may apply. Th= ey = will be tested for potentiality before they are admitted. For ranks use A= rmy = table in the rulebook. All who are admitted start with rank E5 Sergeant. = Rank O10 General is not available for playing characters when King Thir h= olds = this position. As the force is small and there is only possible to get = promoted when a operative dies or quits, the agents start at Enlisted ran= k, = no matter what kind of academies or careers they have attended before. Th= ose = who are admitted get a Cha+1 PREREQUESITES: PSI strenght of 8+, and at least one of these abilities: = telepathy, Teleperception or any useful arcana. = Citizen of Thirz Empire. FIRST TERM: COMMISSION: 10+, +1 if CHA 6+ SKILLS: Psionics-2, Determination-2, Gun Combat-1, Perception-1 SUBSEQUENT TERMS: = COMMISSION: 8+, +1 If CHA 6+. The character becomes an Officer. Rank O= 1. SKILLS: ELISTED: Psionics, Determination, Unarmed Melee, Gun Combat, Percep= tion OFFICERS: Psionics, Determination, Space vessel, Gun combat, = Unarmed Melee, Perception ALL TERMS: SPECIAL DUTY: Spacehand, Crime, Social Science, Vehicle, Tactics, = Interaction. PROMOTION: 8+, +1 If CHA 6+, +1 if INT 8+ CONTACTS: Military, Government (Officers only), Intelligence, Academ= ic. = Roll 10+ on 2D6 for the contact to be from outside the Thi= rz = Empire. OTHER EFFECTS: +1 per term as officer for scout/courier ship. Money is = calculated from CHA stat not Intelligence. Use Advanced = stellar as base when calculating money. Initiative is = rolled 1D6 **Aristocrat** As an aristocrat you know how the interstellar governments in the extents= is = working. And if you are lucky and use your skills properly, you might be = able = to carve out a place for your own. PREREQUESITES: CHA 8+ or Population of 6 or more. Must not have been thro= wn = out of a military career. FIRST TERM: SKILLS: Charm-2, Interaction-3, Social Science-2, CHA+1 SUBSEQUENT TERMS: SKILLS: Charm, Interaction, Fine Arts, Determination, Economics, = May trade in skill levels for CHA increase. ALL TERMS: SPC ADVENTURE: 7+. Spacevessel, Perception, Unarmed Martial Arts, Vice, C= rime CONTACTS: Government, Military, Intelligence OTHER EFFECTS: +1DM per term for yacht. Whenever the CHA stat is reduced = below 8 the character may not continue this career. Note t= hat = CHA may not get above 15 or F. **Fair Witness** This career are only open to citizens of Thoengling Empire in Gvurrdon Sector. A Fair Witness (FW) is a profession where a Vargr, or some other = sophont has gone through a training, giving total recall. FW is pledged t= o report whatever it observed when on duty. Most FW is working free-lance, = but need a permit to do so. There is almost impossible to bribe a FW to tell something else, that the FW did observe. The reason for this is that the = job itself gives quite good economical freedom, and Charismatic standing amon= g the Vargr. A FW will never offer an oppinion, nor a theory when on duty. = Or = speak his or her meaning when recalling something they observed while on duty. Thus if asked why a person acted has he did, the FW cannot answer this, but only tell what the person did. The FW will recall what he saw, heard, smelled, felt and so on. A FW may be hired by anyone, but as they = get better, their fee increase accordingly. FW are often used when deals are been made, or when there is need for a independent witness in a certain process. When an obervation is going to be made, let the PC roll an imprint task, using observation as asset. Base difficulty should be difficult, adjusted= depending on the situation. When the given situation is to be recalled later, a new task is rolled. The difficulty on this task depends on the success level on the prior task. Asset: Observation Imprint Success Level Recall Difficulty ----------------------------------------------- Outstanding Success Routine Success Difficult Failure Formidable Outstanding Failure Impossible More than 1 year ago +1 level of difficulty Recall Success Level How much was recalled? --------------------------------------------- Outstanding Success 100% Success 75% Failure 50% Outstanding Failure 0% For more information on Fair Witness, read "Stranger in a strange land" b= y Robert A. Heinlein, a must read for a SF fan. PREREQUESITES: INT 9+, Citizen of Thoengling Empire, No criminal career prior to this. FIRST TERM: CHA+1, INT+1, EDU+1, Observation-2, Interaction-2, Willpow= er-1, Vice-1 SUBSEQUENT TERMS: SKILLS: Social Science, Perception, Interaction, Charm, Fine Arts,= Skill levels may be traded for CHA ALL TERMS: SPC ADVENTURE: 9+, Cha+1, Crime, Determination, Gun Combat, Vice, Economi= cs, Physical Science, Melee CONTACTS: One contact per term from either: Goverment, Legal, Busine= ss OTHER EFFECTS: Roll 1D6/2 for initiative. Calculate money from either CHA= or Observation asset, wich-ever is the highest. = VARGR VERSUS OTHER SOPHONT INTERACTION First time a non Vargr character is interacting with Vargr NPC's or other= = Vargr characters, divide that characters CHA with 2, and drop fractions. = The = result may not be below 1. Note however that this will reduce all assets = EXCEPT language skills. For the character to increase his or hers CHA to = normal level follow the general CHA increase and decrease rules below. Th= e = opposit is also true when a Vargr are going to interact with humans for t= he = first time. Note that both of these cases relates to Humans in a Vargr = dominated society, or Vargr in a Human dominated society. CHARISMA INCREASES AND DECREASES When a session is over there should be checked if the leader of the group= , = the character with the highest CHA, will increase his charisma. The = difficulty level is up to the referee. But I will give a few pointers. Asset: Leadership. The session was an outstanding success Average The group met its goals in the session Difficult The group barely made the goals Formidable The group made only a few of its goals Impossible If any of these tasks are a catastrophic failure the leader loose 1 point= of = Charisma. If the leader has CHA of A or more increase the difficulty with= = one level. The difficulty levels should be modified with how difficult the adventure= = was. If the adventure was an total failure, the character must roll a = formidable task to prevent Charisma decrease. If that roll is a catastrop= hic = failure, the leader loose 2 points of Charisma. The leader may also by commendate or reprimand the others in the group, a= nd = thus increase or decrease the CHA of these characters. The leader may onl= y = commendate a character if he himself got a CHA increase, but he may repri= mand = a character whenever he wish. But reprimand a character without reason wi= ll = have counterproductive results, and the referee should penalize this. One good roleplaying tip is that the referee places the players in clockw= ise = fashion, with the highest CHA rated character to the left of him. Wheneve= r = there is an important decission to be made, ask the leader first. Ignore = the = others for a while. If the leader is hesitating, this can mean a loss in = Charisma specialy if other players start to come with solutions. This is = to = simulate that the other Vargr always look to their leader. If the leader = fails the others may take command. The referee should be a bit careful wi= th = this approach though. The player may not be good at roleplaying in this = fashion, so the referee should give him more time than a player that got = good = abilities at this type of roleplaying. Whenever 2 players got equal or a difference of one level in Charisma a = Charismatic struggle erupts. The leader must then roll a difficult leader= ship = roll to stay in position. If the roll fails, the two players change posit= ion. = If a catastrophic failure is rolled, the leader loose 2 CHA points. The referee may also increase or decrease the CHA of characters during pl= ay, = to give them a feel of how successful they are. However this should be us= ed = sparingly. If a player shows some initiative, and do something daring and= = succeeds he should be awarded. In doubt let him roll a difficult task. = Equally he should loose Charisma if he does something and fails, especial= ly = if he endangers the mission and the adventure group. Other uses of Charisma is that a high Charisma Vargr will always reduce t= he = Initiative to the opposition by one to a minimum of one, if they are of = lower Charisma. If the Charisma to the leaders of the two groups are equa= l, = let the player roll a difficult leadership to gain the upper hand. If thi= s = fails the opponent get the upper hand. When calculating loss of initiativ= e to = combat damage use the original initiative. Remember these rules is only valid in a Vargr society. A human will have = a = hard time to prove herself, but when she gets the wheels turning, there m= ight = not be anything stopping her. Note that If the non Vargr character increa= ses = her Charisma above her original level it is returned to normal when = interacting with other non vargr characters or NPCs. BRIBING VARGR This may sound easy, but many has fallen into the trap, believing the Var= gr = nature is working for them. What they do forget is that do not oppose to = the = Charisma of the clerk in front of them, but the Charisma of his superior = officer or leader. An example is maybe in order. Lets say an Vargr journalist is working on = a = special report, and need graded information from the police. Offering mon= ey = for bribery is pointless. As for most human societies social status is = measured by the wealth you got. This is not the case with Vargr. To a Var= gr = you have to offer increase in Charisma. Money is something that comes alo= ng. = Money is not as important for a Vargr as for most human cultures. Money i= s a = tool nothing more nothing less. However money should be offered in the br= ibe, = but the amount never is large. Its just a small contribute for the servic= e = rendered. So the journalist must actually make up a case were he can prov= e = that the police officer will increase in Charisma if the journalist is = successfull in his investigation. Remember that Vargr are pack animals op= posed = to humans which are more invidiualistic. A Vargr will always view a certa= in = action in the light of what the group will gain by that given action. Eac= h = individual Vargr always try to improve their status within a group. This = sound contradictory, but viewed from the human point it is, but for the V= argr = it makes sense. If the indiviual Vargr feels that he or she will gain = Charisma to belong to that group it will be loyal to it, and do whatever = is = in her power to increase the group Charisma. Going back to this journalis= t, = he must convince the police officer that the whole department will gain b= y = giving the information he needs. In most cases a person trying to bribe a= = Vargr only have to go up against the closest leader to the Vargr trying t= o be = bribed. The difficulty is such a bribery attempt is rarely easier than Difficult.= If = the group leader of the opposition are of lower Charisma it might be easi= er. = The difficulty level should also be adjusted to how the bribing player is= = arguing, and how he or she present the deal. There is also possible to buy information on the street by Vargr. In thes= e = cases money have more to say, when this kind of information is bought fro= m = Vargr that never are attached to a group over long period of time, and th= us = do not have the neccessary group loyalty, except for its own day to day = survival. =A9Roger Myhre, 1993/1994 --IMA.Boundary.781274721--