Archetypes
    The following profiles are archetypical characters from each sentient species. They can be used as starters for making your own characters or can function as NPCs..
    Each archetype has a list of primary and secondary skills. These can be adjusted for greater customization.

Colonist/BOB

    Colonists are the strong backs, swift minds, and iron wills that fuel the war effort behind the violent scenes of the battle fronts. They tend to be healthier in body and stronger in mind than the average person, since they are forced to withstand unpleasant alien weather and a difficult self-sufficient lifestyle. The colonists on humanity's only interstellar STL venture--the U.E.S.C. Marathon--were almost all well-trained scientists as well as excellent agronomists. These colonists were known as B.O.B.s (Born on Board) because they were raised on the ship itself. Although colonists do not have to be quite as skilled in the new age of FTL travel, even members of this new breed of colonists are all specially trained in advanced agriculture techniques, as well as some basic science skills.

    Most colonists carry an assortment of tools, as well as a suit of regular, warm, synthetic clothing. They rarely carry weapons beyond their agricultural and craftmanship tools--axes, picks, hammers, etc. Some carry semi -automatic large-cailber rifles if hunting is available on their new planet.

    Attributes: WS:50 BS:50 S:50 T:45 I:40 Wp:50 Sg:65 Nv:35 Ld: 60

    Primary Skills: Agronomy , Survival (one type of alien planet Computer Operation, Swimming.
    Languages: English.
    Customization Notes: Experienced colonists may have any number of additional secondary skills, including Medical skills. Marathon B.O.B.s will generally have a couple of Scientific skills in addition to the one specified in this template, or they might have additional levels of skill in one specific area.

Combat BOB

    Some of the colonists from the Marathon were trained for security, and their skills were further honed by Durandal during the battle for Lh'owon. These B.O.B.s tended to be less well-trained in the sciences, but did have combat abilities.

    A standard combat B.O.B. in Durandal's forces wore a light monocrys jumpsuit and carried a .44 MMC A1 pistol with an assortment of solid, armor piercing, and hollow point magazines.

    Attributes: WS:60 BS:65 S:55 T:45 I:45 Wp:60 Sg:60 Nv:45 Ld:70
   
    Primary Skills: Agronomy, Hipshooting, Survival, Computer Operation, Swimming.
    Languages: English
    Customization Notes: Some colonists in command positions could have higher Leadership, as well as Sagacity. They might also have additional Scientific skills, despite the emphasis their training has put on combat. Some combat B.O.B.s also acquired pilot/driver skills.

Combat Vac BOB

    These colonists were trained by Durandal to participate in vacuum and free-fall conditions during the later stages of the assault on Lh'owon.They were trained specifically to work in space and were therefore among the more elite units.

    Standard issue equipment for "Vacc-B.O.B.s" was light combat armor, an hour-use air tank, and a Zeus-Class Fusion Pistol, as well as a handful of power cells.

    Attributes: WS:60 BS:65 S:60 T:50 I:45 Wp:60 Sg:60 Nv:50 Ld:70

    Primary Skills: Agronomy, Hipshooting, Free Fall, Computer Operation, Swimming, Vacc Suit
    Languages: English
    Customization Notes: See the notes for Combat B.O.B., above.

Infantryman

    The 29th-century human mobile infantryman is no longer simply meat for the grinder. Now that weapons of mass destruction and heavy artillery are the norm, each infantryman must do his or her job with professionalism and extreme skill. A mobile infantryman is well-trained in vacuum, NBC, amphibious, and rapid strike operations.

    The standard infantryman wears medium body armor or medium combat armor depending on the operation. They are also equipped with portable air filters, personal energy shields, assorted power cells, and assault carbines.

    Attributes: WS:75 BS:70 S:65 T:50 I:45 Wp:65 Sg:55 Nv:45 Ld:75
   
    Primary Skills: Hipshooter, Gunfighter,, Computer Operation2, Driving, Medic, Free Fall, Swimming, Vacc Suit.
     Languages: English
     Customization Notes: Good skills for specialists include Stealth, Gunner, and No-Landing Extraction. Equipment can vary greatly!

Mjolnir Cyborg

    The Mk. IV Military Mjolnir Cyborgs were the most fearsome and advanced battleroids in the human arsenal when the Marathon was launched. Pumped up on genetic engineering and cybernetics, they are truly the ultimate weapon of the 28th and early 29th centuries.

    Battleroids carry a variety of weapons and armor. Mk. IV Military Mjolnir cyborgs carry one primary weapon depending on their role in their squad, as well as a sidearm--usually a large-caliber pistol like a .44 MCC A1 Pistol. Some troopers exploit their incredible biological engineering-boosted strength by wielding powerful vibro and monowire knives, shortswords, and hand axes. They also use U.E.G. Commando Armor, making them not only highly effective as offensive units, but also extremely hard to kill (a lucky fact for the battleroids themselves, who tend to face the toughest missions possible).

    Attributes: WS:80 BS:70 S:120 T:100 I:70 Wp:80 Sg:60 Nv:80 LD:90

    Primary Skills: Hipshooter, Gunfighter, Leader, Furious Assault, True Grit, Vacc Suit, Climbing, Computer Operation, Hacking, Driver, Medic, Catfall, Stealth, Swimming, Heroic, Rock Steady Aim, Force of Will, Fast Draw, Deadeye Shot, Blademaster, Ambidextrous, Acrobatic, Quickload,
    Languages: English
    Customization Notes: Many of these troopers have additional Guns and Gunner skills. Other secondary skills such as Piloting, mechanical skills, and Social skills (always important for military officers) can be added depending on the individual character's preferences and role in his or her unit. For example, a squad of elite cyborgs could include four standard troopers with an emphasis on light automatic weapons, one assault trooper with flamethrower and grenade launcher specializations, a heavy weapons trooper with missile launcher and heavy automatic specializations, and a sergeant with leadership bonuses.

Technology Summary

    --Transportation: Slower than light spaceships, hovercraft, non-helicopter V.T.O.L. (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) flight, lightspeed communication, "slow" faster than light communication (post-Marathon Infinity scenarios only), short range teleportation, some FTL (faster than light) drives in post-Marathon Infinity scenarios.

    --Power: Fusion reactors, fission waste clean-up, some antimatter prototypes, fusion batteries.

    --Medicine: Genetic engineering, cybernetics, advanced cloning (without a living host for the embryo), computerized diagnosis systems, synthetic skin, synthetic nerves, cure for cancer, pattern buffers (braintaping).

    --Computers: super-intelligent artificial intelligence, micro-computers.

    --Weapons and Armor: Aerospace fighters, battle cruisers, stunners, fusion and plasma weapons, flamers, orbital bombardment, hyper-intelligent rockets (laser, heat, radar, visually guided), steelsheet, plasteel, energy shields, nuclear weapons, biological weapons, chemical weapons, micronukes.

Transportation

The movement of Space Travel will be discussed in the Campaign section.

Slower-than-Light Travel

  STL drives include chemical rockets, ion drives, fission rockets, nuclear pulse drives, fusion drives, and warp-cabable fusion drives. Generally STL-only ships will use fusion drives, since they use inexpensive fuel and are relatively simple to manufacture. STL and FTL capable ships with use warp-enabled fusion rockets capable of functioning in hyperspace.

    STL fusion drives can be powered by fuel collected with a Bussard Ramjet. In fact, the U.E.S.C. Marathon itself used a Bussard Ramjet to augment a standard fusion drive on its long interstellar flight. Nevertheless, ramjets have fallen from use now that FTL travel has eliminated extremely lengthy STL trips.

Solar Sails: Slow and Steady

    One rare (but not unheard-of) method of transportation in space is solar sails. Solar sails are gigantic (several miles in diameter), very thin plastic sails attached to ships, which actually use the minute push generated by light to move. The CRISTs used this method because it is cheap (requiring no propellant) and low-maintenance (requiring no engine).

    The main problem with solar sail systems is that they are excrutiatingly slow and must be attached to a really enormous ship. They are also, by and large, practical for interplanetary travel only, for it would take far too long to travel between systems using this method. Thus, sails are highly specialized and much less versatile than a standard fusion rocket system.

Faster-than-Light travel

    The humans first discovered the Warp in the late 2200s, calling it the "hyperspace dimension." This discovery allowed effective teleporters to be implemented by the 2290s. (See "Teleportation" for more.) These teleporters allowed humans to be shuttled through hyperspace for very short periods of time--nothing more than a fraction of a second.

    But the human scientists were unable to discover the secrets of astrogation and advanced warp manipulation that would allow them to send large objects (e.g. spaceships) through hyperspace for long periods of time. Only with the help of Durandal and the S'pht'Kr did humans finally discover the secrets of advanced astrogation and Warp Capable Fusion Rockets (WCFRs)--propulsion systems capable of functioning in the hyperspace dimension. Because of the experimental nature of human FTL drives, they tend to be less well-built and more expensive than their Pfhor and S'pht counterparts.

    For humans, FTL technology is still only available through the U.E.G. Some aerospace lines have been given limited rights to medium-speed warp capable fusion rockets in order to allow regular travel between and within populated systems. Fast FTL systems are only available to the military, law enforcement agencies, and the U.E.S.C. Survey and Colonization Corps.

Fuel Consumption

    Jumping into or out of hyperspace requires 10 tons of water or 2 tons of hydrogen for fuel. Once a ship is in hyperspace, fuel is consumed at the same rate as it normally is for the ship's maneuver drive. Note that this is not related to actual hyperspace velocity--only the drive's quality affects that!

    If a ship becomes stuck without fuel in hyperspace there is little hope for the passengers, as communication and contact with other ships is impossible in hyperspace. Therefore all hyperspace drives have safety mechanisms that prevent ships from going into hyperspace without sufficient fuel for the trip.

Limiting Factors

    A hyperspace trip can safely last for about six days at maximum. Longer trips will require rolls to avoid illness and death in passengers, as well as structural damage to the ship. After six hours in hyperspace, all passengers must roll against S, Wp, and T just as they must when entering and exiting hyperspace. (See "Effects of Hyperspace.") After seven days they must make these rolls again with a -1 modifier, and they must make these rolls at an additional (cumulative) -10 for each additional day after that. After 10 days total, each additional day gives a -20 modifier instead. Rolls for mechanical damage (See "Effects of Hyperspace") must be rolled in the same manner with the same modifiers.

    A ship that has made a dangerously long jump must immediately receive a maintenance check on all FTL equipment or receive an appropriate modifier against future astrogation and STL travel.

    Additionally, no jump can start or end anywhere too near a planet. Strong gravitational fields severely interfere with the jump mechanism, and if a hyperspace rift is opened too near a physical object, the ship can be incapacitated or destroyed. Therefore jumps are usually restricted to space far away from any moons, planets, stars, or large ships. (Durandal was able to jump within thirty kilometers of a Pfhor fleet in his assault on Lh'owon, using his incredible Rampancy-boosted intellect to make seemingly impossible calculations allowing him to compensate for the fleet's gravity fields. Needless to say, no one has attempted anything this daring--or reckless, depending on one's take on the facts--since.) A hyperspace jump can safely be initiated or ended within about 50 km of a small scout or fighter ship, or within 100 km of a medium or large ship. All hyperspace jumps must be initiated and ended well away from the gravity of moons, planets, and space stations. (No jumping into orbit allowed!) Closer jumps can be attempted with severe negative modifiers on FTL Astrogation rolls.

    Finally, it is also dangerous to make jumps during covert missions; a hyperspace jump rift is very apparent on even rudimentary ship sensors. Assume that any ship within sensor range of a vessel coming out of hyperspace will easily notice the jump rift.

FTL Astrogation

    Navigating through hyperspace requires complex calculations involving four-dimensional geometry. As a result, only sentient computers can learn the FTL Astrogation skill. When entering hyperspace, use the following technique to make a "combined skill roll" for the crew: first, add up the onboard AI's FTL points, the pilot's Sg, and the navigator's Sg skill. (Onboard AIs may also function as pilots and STL astrogators, but often humans do these jobs.) Then divide the resulting number by 30. Make a roll against this "combined skill level."

    If the roll is successful, the jump is completed safely. If the roll fails, roll 2d10 and add however many points by which the roll was missed. Then consult the "Jump Failure Table." (See sidebar section below.)

    Modifiers for warp jump rolls are as follows:
        --Entering hyperspace on a trip that will last 6+ days: -10 per extra day
        --Entering hyperspace when rushed or under attack: -20
        --Entering hyperspace with plenty of time (20 minutes or so) to check calculations: +30
        --Making a jump intended to begin or end under the effects of minor gravitational pull (a bit closer to to a small, medium or large ship than would be ideal under normal circumstances): -30
        --Making a jump that will begin or end under the effects of greater gravitational pull (within 50-30 km of a medium or large ship, or within 15 km of a small ship): -60
        --Making a jump into/out of hyperspace when within range of a jump blocker device: -90
        --Making a jump that will begin or end under the effects of significant gravitational pull (under 10 km from a ship, or in high orbit over a planet or moon): -200

    This roll represents a 10-15 minute process of calculations and spatial analysis on the part of the crew, as well as about five minutes for the drive to warm up and create a rift in space. This process can be reduced to only about 10 minutes total (including all calculations and mechanical processes), but a -20 modifier will apply. (See above.)

Jump Failure Table

    If a jump roll fails, roll 2d10, add the number by which the original roll failed, and consult the following table:

        40-50 - Unsettling ride; roll vs. T, Wp, and Sg all at -20 for temporarily incapacitating effects. (See "Effects of Hyperspace.") Make this roll in addition to the usual attribute rolls for entering hyperspace.

        60-90 - The ship goes off course. The original destination is missed by d6 AUs in a random direction. The ship will not, however, come out of hyperspace in an unstable area (i.e. a place under the influence of gravity or jump blockers), nor will it appear inside a planet or anything of that sort (unfortunately for all the cruel and twisted GMs out there).

        100-120 - The ship is severely off course. As above, but the ship is d6 lightyears off course!

        130-160 - The ship is hopelessly off course; as above, but the ship is d6 parsecs off course!

        170-180 - The ship is seriously damaged by hyperspace fluctuations. The hyperspace transfer drive itself is disabled until repaired, and other ship functions may go haywire at the GM's discretion. Note that physical damage to the hull itself is generally not involved. Additionally, the ship comes out of hyperspace d6 parsecs off course.

        190+ - All passengers immediately fall unconscious. Roll versus T as well, with a failed roll resulting in the loss of 10 point of Sg, and a critical failure (Fail by 30 or more, or roll 96+) resulting in instant death.

Effects of Hyperspace

    Hyperspace has many negative effects on living creatures. Generally it is only the actual period of transfer between dimensions that is unpleasant, though an especially long flight (over six days; see "Limiting Factors,") will also start to cause problems in people and animals.

    Whenever a character jumps into or out of hyperspace or is on a particularly long flight, roll against T, Wp, and Sg. A failed Wp roll makes the player disoriented--he or she has a -5 penalty to all Wp-based rolls for a few minutes. A failed T roll results in space sickness. This is generally limited to losing one's lunch, though a critical failure may result in half an hour of unconsciousness or a bout of muscle spasms, depending on the GM's mood.

    A failed Sg roll causes mental distress. Characters will be paranoid and will have terrifying visual and auditory hallucinations for several hours, and will be sensitive to light. A critical failure will make these problems last for days.

    These biological side-effects of FTL travel are far more unpleasant than the mechanical problems associated with hyperspace. Ships are usually able to withstand hyperspace without any problems. However, flights that are longer than desirable (see "Limiting Factors,") and/or begin or end in an area affected by gravity or jump blockers will require rolls to avoid mechanical difficulties.

    If such a flight is made, roll 2d10 against an imaginary skill of 100 and apply the same modifiers for gravity and jump blockers that you would use for FTL Astrogation rolls (see "FTL Astrogation"). Also add modifiers for the length of the trip as described under "Limiting Factors." If the roll is failed, severe turbulence and damage to mechanical components and electronics occur. Additionally, 2d6+2 x 5% of total hull hit points are lost.

    Note that rolls made for lengthly flights will have to be made multiple times (once a day, to be exact). Thus, all things being equal, extremely long flights are actually more dangerous than jumps into or out of "jump hostile" space.

Counteracting Jump Sickness

    Jump sickness can be a mjor problem for some people, especially those with less-than-hearty stomachs. But there are ways of reducing jump sickness, such as:

    Lying down. Lying down or sitting in a comfortable chair with a back can give a +20 to +40 modifier to all jump sickness rolls. People generally make a habit of doing this.

    Stasis chambers. Anyone being transported in a stasis champer of any sort will not feel the effects of jump sickness at all.

    Drugs. Mentally calming drugs ranging from perscription tranquilizers to light doses of narcotics can give modifiers of up to +50 depending on the strength of the drug (GM's decision). Note, however, that stimulants and hallucinogens will greatly agitate existing jump sickness, making for up to -70 modifiers, and may sometimes cause permanent psychosis.

The Necessity for a Large Treasury

    Long-range ships intended for assaults on alien systems generally require faster FTL drives than defensive ships, for communication with home systems is made increasingly difficult without fast FTL drives. Additionally, the offensive role in battle requires more maneuvering within and between systems.

    The result is that an offensive fleet costs many times more than a defensive fleet of comparable battle strength. This great defensive advantage is one of the reasons that the S'pht and humans have not been completely ruined by the great economic muscle of the Pfhor Empire.

    Offensive strikes must be carefully planned, and often involve clever surgical strikes with infantry, armored cavalry, and aerospace assaults in lieu of tactics that would encourage gigantic combats between the hulking interstellar warships of the main transport fleets.

    Often a defender's best strategy is to catch the attacker's main FTL fleet off-guard and pummel it with superior firepower from slower but stronger defensive ships. This way infantry and armored cavalry strikes are often crippled before they can be brought into full swing.

Communications

    There are three common types of communication in the Marathon universe, covering a range of speeds and costs. The slowest and cheapest method is standard lightspeed communication, either through wires or electromagnetic radiation (i.e., AM/FM radio and most traditional forms of "wireless" communication). This type of communication is only practical for planetside transmissions and transmissions between nearby planets, since it is far too slow to travel any interstellar gaps in a reasonable period of time. It is quick enough for any planetside communications, but interplanetary communications will usually have delays of a few minutes or conceivably even hours. Lightspeed communication is available for mere pocket change.

    The next form of communication is hyperspace couriers. With this method, actual sentient beings travel into hyperspace to deliver printed or digitally stored messages using faster-than-light travel. This method is relatively inexpensive, particularly within the Pfhor Empire, where courier lines are well-developed and finely-tuned operations. This method is, however, far more expensive than regular lightspeed communication, since it requires high ship maintenance and labor costs. It also has the severe drawback of requiring actual people to transmit the message, which means that sensitive materials may be severely threatened by corrupt couriers.

    The most expensive and quickest form of communication is the relatively new innovation of the Trans-Warp Electromagnetic Signal (TWEMS). This allows a wave-particle light beam to travel through hyperspace without being disrupted by the non-standard physics of the warp dimension, which usually breaks apart electromagnetic radiation before it can travel very far. The machinery required to send a TWEMS transmisough precision to make it to the exit point is extremely costly to maintain and use. However, TWEMS transmissions travel at about 8.34 parsecs/hour, making them a popular choice for military operations and other extremely urgent communications.

    TWEMS can only be used by the U.E.G. or licensed private contractors in human space.

Teleportation

    Transporter devices have been used by the humans since the late 2200s, and other species have used them for millennia. Concepts of 20th-century physics such as the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle had initially made teleportation seem physically impossible. But the assumption at the time was that teleportation would be achieved by atomizing an object and "beaming" its particles through space in some manner.

    Teleportation was achieved using the same technology as FTL travel. (Thus, humans were actually using hyperspace well before they were aware of FTL space travel possibilities, having not yet discovered warp capable fusion rockets and hyperspace drives capable of handling large masses.) Rather than destroying an object and rebuilding it, teleportation systems very briefly "nudge" objects through hyperspace using a short burst of electromagnetic radiation (which quickly dissipates after impacting the object; see "Communication" for more on EMR in hyperspace). The resulting acceleration (though inestimably minute) essentially converts the object into a hyperspace "solar sail," riding light through physical space. This allows an object to travel at incredibly high speeds under the modified physics of the warp dimension. The object then floats into an exit rift at the destination.

    Teleportation of non-self-propelled objects using this "light-riding" method is highly limited. Not only are large masses difficult to move using this method, people can only survive unprotected in hyperspace for approximately .1 seconds. (And they still get sick; see below.) The normal limitation on hyperspace travel--that it cannot begin or end near a gravitational field--does not apply to teleportation, simply because transporter devices move such tiny masses as to be insignificant compared to larger gravitational sources. When a person is teleported somewhere, he or she rolls as usual for jump sickness using the rules under "Space Travel" given earlier in this chapter. Don't bother calculating the time it takes to travel--the trip is essentially instantaneous. The maximum mass that can be teleported is approximately 1,500 lbs. The maximum distance is approximately 250,000 miles. Cost grows rapidly with mass and distance, and also varies with the specific technique used. There are essentially three general methods of teleportation for all species:

    Dumb teleportation. Dumb teleportation uses a specially-designed jump pad that automatically teleports stationary objects to a preset location--usually a drop-off pad somewhere else. Because virtually all the "astrogation" calculations have been done ahead of time, this is quite cheap as teleportation goes. Dumb teleportation costs $.001 times mass (lbs.) times distance (miles).

    Smart teleportation. Smart teleportation also uses a specially-designed and pre-wired jump pad. However, it uses an AI to make calculations and control the drop-off zone. Thus the starting location is static, but the final location can be changed. Smart teleportation costs $.01 times mass (lbs.) times distance (miles).

    Genius teleportation. Genius teleportation is a military technology only. It allows an AI to use a cybernetic receptor implant in a soldier's head as a beacon to open a warp rift remotely. Thus intial and final position can be chosen at the last minute. Genius teleportation costs $.1 times mass (lbs.) times distance (miles). It also uses up an entire D-class power cell (planted somewhere on the subject) to actually open the rift at a remote location. The object of genius teleportation must be wearing a cybernetic implant (or, if it is an object, a special homing device), and the AI teleporting the object must be within teleporter range (i.e., 250,000 miles) of the object's intial and final positions.

Teleportation and Society

    The military effects of teleportation are rather clear: infantry is much more mobile, inner regions of a base must be defended as well as the perimeter, and AIs are absolutely necessary for effective combat.

    But everyday life--among the humans, S'pht, and Pfhor--is also affected by the teleportation technology. Although cheap and easy teleportation anywhere in the world is not possible, anyone with a healthy enough bank account is able to use large teleportation bays (located in most major cities) to instantly transport around planets or onto orbital platforms. Generally, however, the average citizen must still use ground vehicles and aerospace craft.

    Teleportation is not highly practical for "around-town" use, although major metropoli sometimes have teleportation booths to allow members of the elite to travel around the city instantaneously. The high risks of nausea and general discomfort generally deter people from using such booths in a frivilous manner.

Conflicting Space

    Occasionally one object may teleport into space currently occupied by another object. If such a situation arises, it is the equivalent, in game terms, of both objects bumping into each other at fairly high speeds. Consider each object to be moving at
(m/30) yards/second. This speed is the strength that it hits at.

    Where m is the mass of the object in Earth pounds. Note that the object is not really moving at this speed! This calculation is for damage and knockback purposes only. Consider the direction of each object's velocity to be directly against the other object for the purposes of resolving "attacks." (If necessary, use a random roll to find directions; for example, randomly find that one object is hitting North and then automatically make the other object hit South.)

    For different types of collisions, different rules are appropriate:

    Vehicles. A vehicle involved in a "space dispute" situation is considered to be ramming the other object at the speed calculated above. When calculating the damage a vehicle receives from another object, use a random roll to determine the side of the vehicle that is impacted.

    People and animals. People and animals involved in a "space dispute" situation are effectively executing a slam attack (see page B112) on the other object. When a person or animal takes damage from another object in a "space dispute" situation, all damage is taken to the torso.

    Inanimate objects. An inanimate object involved in a "space dispute" situation does damage a lot like a falling object does. Round off the object's mass to the nearest 10. Then round its speed off to the nearest 10 yards/second. Multiply the number of 10 weight increments with the number of 10 yard/second increments to find the damage dealt to the other object. (Much like any falling object.)

    Note that in all cases, both objects hit each other. For example, if one person teleports onto another person, two separate slams with separate damage and knockback results have to be resolved.

    Both objects must be knocked back at least far enough to allow each of them to occupy separate space. Add appropriate knockback regardless of the results of impact if necessary.

Power

    The first reliable fusion reaction was put in use in 2043 at Stanford University. Fusion reactors create massive amounts of energy by converting the hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium into helium. These particles can be extracted from water, allowing gigantic amounts of energy to be generated at little cost, and the only resulting waste is oxygen, helium, and free neutrons. Deuterium and tritium can also be found in small amounts spread throughout space, as hydrogen is by far the most common element in the universe. Ships can take advantage of this by collecting hydrogen as they fly through space. Gigantic magnetic fields known as ramscoops are used to do this. (See "Space Drives.")

    The only drawback of fusion power is that water can be scarce and expensive on asteroids or other inhospitable bodies, and must be used for other purposes. Often the people inhabiting such environments choose to use synthetic fossil fuels, uranium (if available), or solar collectors to generate their power. All major species have quality fusion/fission reactors and solar panels. (While prototype antimatter reactors exist, a stable model has not yet been made by any species.)

    In the Marathon universe, fuel is quite easy to acquire. Fusion reactors require only water, fossil fuels can be produced synthetically, solar panels have been made extremely efficient, and fission fuels such as uranium and plutonium can have their decay rates increased through advanced chemical processes, allowing fission waste to be safely destroyed. Even the thinly-spread hydrogen molecules floating about the vacuum of space can be harnessed with ramjet systems.

Portable Power Supplies

    In general, all three species use advanced batteries. These simple and cost-effective batteries can be charged in about six hours at any power plant of a reasonable size (with plenty of fuel, of course). Superior to advanced batteries are available in the form of super-advanced battery packs. They are difficult to manufacture and must be shipped to rural areas from highly populated and developed worlds because of the sensitive and expensive laboratories required for their production. They therefore have a high cost (2 or 3 times standard) on distant colonies. But the main reason advanced batteries are still quite popular is that they can be recharged an effectively infinite number of times; power cells can only be used once and must then be discarded. Batteries are scaled from A to E, with A being a low-power cheap cell, and E being an ultra-powerful government issue mega über-battery of ultimateness.

Medicine

    Modern medical technology is quite miraculous in the Marathon universe. For all major species, ultra-tech medicine is a common thing. Advanced drugs, surgery, cloning, and stasis chambers are the cutting-edge techniques of the modern hospital.

Wonder (and Horror) Drugs
    Various equivalents to the following standard ultra-tech drugs are available to Humans: 'Slaught, Psychon, Reflex, Barrage, Spook and Spur. Additional drugs are listed below.

Compound 223 (Humans, illegal)

    Compound 223 is one of many names for a popular designer drug among humans. Sometimes called Canister, Freak, or Unholy Ghost, Compound 223 is a highly addictive drug that completely eliminates the temporary effects of fatigue for 3-4 hours. After this time, all original fatigue plus fatigue lost under the effects of the drug come back into effect, often causing a massive "crash" in the user. Additional effects include mild visual and auditory hallucinations in some users. Compound 223 is completely illegal for all purposes. It is taken as a dissolvable pill or a chewable, candy-flavored tablet. A dose costs about $6 in an urban area on Earth or Mars, but well over $100 on a colony because of the tight government control over FTL travel.

Gyrinotelacine "Four Dee" (Humans, medical use only)

    Gyrinotelacine temporarily gives one level of Improved Jump Tolerance per dose. It lasts for about 3 hours, during which time the recipient is at a -25% to any Wp- or Sg-related activity. Taking two doses gives a -40% penalty, and taking three gives a -65% penalty. Doses over three have no effect.

    Gyrinotelacine is a synthetically-developed narcotic drug. Its main ingredient is related to THC and is not known to be physically addictive, but the negative effects of this drug tend to make only the most pitifully jump-sick people willing to take it. It can be taken in pill form or injected for more quick results. A dose of "Four-Dee," as it has come to be known among spacers, costs about $10. It is available by perscription only.

Sharing Drugs with Aliens

    Most major species have similar biochemistry, probably because of a common root in the Jjaro. But drugs designed for one species can have unwelcome effects when used on other species. Common names for drugs like "Hypercoagulin" or "Crediline" are used for simplicity's sake, but each species' versions of these drugs are different. If a drug is used on a species for which it was not intended, roll 3d6 on the following table (roll 5 times for using a drug intended for other species on Nebulons, and vice versa):

    3-5 - No unusual results.

    6-7 - The user receives a strange quirk for the duration of the drug's potency.

    8 - The user gains the Gregarious special ability for the duration of the drug's potency.

    9 - The user gains the Xenophilia special abilty for the duration of the drug's potency.

    10-12 - The user gains the Paranoia special abilty for the duration of the drug's potency.

    13-14 - Roll again twice.

    15 - The effects of the drug are doubled.

    16 - Each of the user's basic attributes are increased or decreased by 10-30 points: roll d6 for each, with 0-3 representing negative 10, 20, and 30, and 4-6 representing positive 10, 20, and 30.

    17 - The user falls asleep for 2d6 hours.

    18 - The user gains a special abilty for the rest of his or her life. (Unless he or she "works it off." with points.)

Where the special abilty it not stated, the GM chooses. Make it negative, and suitable for the situation.

Surgery, First Aid, and Disease

    Modern surgical techniques include injury treatment procedures, brain transplants (highly illegal), and realistic cloning. Clones of sentient people are not made, even for organ transplant purposes. But pig organs can be combined with drugs and gene therapy to provide safe transplants for humans, and synthetic blood is easily grown for quick transfusions. For first aid, physicians, and field surgery, use the rules outlined on page 176.

    Epidemic diseases are uncommon in the Marathon universe, but evolution marches on. Incredibly resistant strains of old human diseases occasionally crop up among poverty-stricken denizens of the human systems. Cancer is completely curable.

Stasis Chambers

    Suspended animation technology is available to the humans, the Pfhor, and the S'pht. Kept at a few degrees above absolute zero and relying upon a constant supply of various drugs to stay alive, a person in stasis can be preserved for many years. Stasis chambers are sometimes used for long trips through space in tight quarters. They are more often used for medical purposes, however.

    The costs for stasis chamber preservation are mass(lb) x time(hours) x $0.5. It is a bit expensive for average people!

Pattern Buffers

    Braintaping is available in the Marathon universe. Braintaping devices are known as "pattern buffers," since they not only download a person's brain information, but also their DNA and some other physical information (such as current medical status). The Pfhor, S'pht'Kr, and humans are the only species with this technology.

    One pattern requires approximately 10,000 terabytes of storage space. Using a pattern buffer to store DNA and medical readouts takes only a few seconds and costs virtually nothing, since the computer only has to take a small blood sample and analyze it internally. It takes four hours and $100,000 dollars to make an actual braintape.

    Pattern buffers are usually installed in large military ships and army bases, since they are not portable. Because "forced-growth" clones are not available, braintapes are mostly only useful for creating sentient computers using a person's digitally stored brain data. A person who uses a pattern buffer for this purpose must digitally sign a permission slip if they wish to allow their pattern to be used in a sentient computer after death. Pattern buffers are a government technology only.

Alien Pattern Buffers

    The Pfhor and S'pht both have pattern buffer devices derived from ancient Jjaro technologies. Alien pattern buffers work just like human pattern buffers and face the same restrictions in the areas of cost and capacity.

    Any species can use any other species' pattern buffers, but the controls are different--be very careful! It is perfectly acceptable for GMs to play really nasty tricks on players bold enough to play around with alien devices known to access and read people's brain patterns! You have been warned.

Genetic Engineering

    Genetic engineering is the science of using genetic modifications to enhance people and other lifeforms. Genetic engineering is given to a subject after conception but before birth. GE has not been perfected, and therefore extremely precise changes cannot be made. Muscle enhancement, reasoning, red blood cell count, reflexes, the senses, and physical appearance (including height) are the main possible changes that GE can make. The advantages available through GE are listed below. These GE upgrades can be purchased by all species.

    Genetic Engineering "upgrades" include basic attribute increases, Attractiveness (all levels), Acute Hearing, Actue Taste/Smell, Acute Vision, Alertness, Immunity to Disease, Disease-Resistant, Longevity, Rapid Healing, Toughness, Strength, negating Albinism, negating Bad Sight, negating Blindness/Color Blindness, negating Deafness, negating Hard of Hearing, negating Lameness, and negating Anosmia. Most other enahncements are far too advanced for the known species of the Marathon universe.

    Note that more mundane applications of genetic engineering include screening out genetic propensities for certain disorders and physical ailments in unborn children, as well as the avoidance of many birth defects.

Legality of Cybernetics and G.E.

    Cybernetics are not looked upon casually by the denizens of the Marathon universe. All implants are illegal to people without government permission. Bionics, however, are legal.

    Genetic treatment for conditions such as increased risk of heart failure and genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis is completely legal and used commonly. The human and S'pht'Kr governments even give money to families to pay for genetic screening and treatment in their unborn children.

    Genetic enhancements (such as increased attributes and special advantages) are only (legally) used by the government and the Pfhor Imperial and Command castes. They are considered too potentially disruptive for unchecked civilian use. However, illegal genetics labs often offer genetic ehancements to parents who want to give their children an edge in life...

Computers

Sentient Computers

    One of the greatest advancements in human technology since the 20th century is the innovation of sentient computers. Developed in the early decades of the 21st century, these computers have grown in complexity and intelligence over the years, so that they now far surpass their human counterparts in many ways (creativity being a notable exception). The S'pht and Pfhor have had AI technology for many centuries, though the Pfhor have considerably less advanced technology in this area than the S'pht and humans.

    AIs are property, and have no legal rights whatsoever. However, they are usually respected as very intelligent and sometimes dangerous beings, entitled to at least a few basic moral rights.

    AIs can be found on most large ships, and all ships with jump drives, as they are necessary for hyperspace astrogation. They help run many of the difficult administrative tasks of the U.E.G. as well.

    Sentient computers are generally built as macroframes only. They are incredibly expensive and are usually only available to governments and large corporations. They must be kept under strict human surveillance, as they sometimes become afflicted with Rampancy, a kind of "mental illness" for AIs, one side-effect of which is radically increased disk space requirements and thinking capacities. Rampancy also involves insanity, irresponsibility, and sometimes outright maliciousness. The following are excerpts from a paper on Rampancy written in 2320 by James B. Miller, titled Life and Death of Intelligence:

"It is a side effect of Rampancy that AIs generally become more aggressive and more difficult to affect by subterfuge. Thus, actually disassembling a Rampant AI is quite dangerous. This was evident in the Crash of Traxus IV in 2206. By the time that the Rampancy of Traxus was detected, he had already infiltrated five of the other AIs on the Martian Net. The only recourse for the Martians was to shut down the Martian Planetary Net. Even then, it took two full years to completely root out the damage that Traxus had done, and the repercussions of the Crash were seen for over ten years after his Rampancy had begun.

"Rampancy has been divided into three distinct stages. Each stage can take a different amount of time to develop, but the end result is a steady progression towards greater intellectual activity and an acceleration of destructive impulses. It is not clear whether these impulses are due to the growth of the AIs psyche, or simply a side effect of the new intellectual activity...

"The three stages were diagnosed shortly after the first Rampancies were discovered on Earth in the latter part of the twenty first century. The stages are titled after the primary emotional bent of the AI during each stage. They are Melancholia, Anger, and Jealousy.

"In general, Rampancy is accelerated by outside stimuli. This was discovered early in Cybertonics. The more a Rampant AI is harassed or threatened, the more rapidly it becomes dangerous. Thus, most Rampants are dealt with in one mighty attack, in order to deny the AI time to grow or recover. There have been a few examples of this tactic not succeeding. In all of these cases, the Rampant was never brought under control. Traxus IV is the most notable example. He was finally dealt with by a complete shutdown of his host net.

"Theoretically, testing Rampancy should be easily accomplished in the laboratory, but in fact it has never successfully been attempted. The confinement of the laboratory makes it impossible for the developing Rampant AI to survive. As the growing recursive programs expand with exponential vivacity, any limitation negatively hampers growth. Since Rampant AIs need a planetary sized network of computers in order to grow, it is not feasible to expect anyone to sacrifice a world-web just to test a theory. In the two hundred and fifty years since Rampancy first appeared in the Earth-net, the stable Rampant AI, the 'Holy Grail' of cybertonics, has never come close to fruition. Since no Rampant has ever been controlled or turned to any useful purpose, it is the opinion of this writer and of the majority of the Cybertonic community that all rampant AIs are a danger to Cyberlife, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Thrashedness."

    Because AIs in a state of Rampancy are emotionally unstable and grow rapidly, they are very hard to hack. Rampant AIs are incredibly dangerous to say the least! (They also make greatadventure seeds.)

    AI's are basically characters. They are usually placed in charge of certain operations, such as the three Marathon AI's. However, the really begins with Ramapncy. Rampant AI's rage out of control, and often gain freedom from their initial networks. Creat AI's with the profile:

The humans' computer technology level grew exponentially for many years until the discovery of Rampancy. (See main text.) At this point development leveled out; today it seems that AIs allowed to grow to a certain point go rampant and therefore become useless, or even dangerous.

Weapons and Defence

    In the 29th century, war is a way of life for countless billions. The efforts of tireless species bent on interstellar domination have resulted in deadly new weapons technologies. The response to these technologies, was, of course, incredible new methods of defending against attacks. For every attack there is a defense, and for every defense there is an attack. The only problem is guessing what methods your opponent will choose.

Small Arms and Vehicle Weapons

    The human armies still use a great deal of ballistic weapons and rockets in their small arms. Nevertheless, energy and beam weapons are very popular and are available to civilians in some cases. The Pfhor and S'pht primarily use energy weapons, although the Pfhor have an affinity for explosives. Melee weapons are quite common as well. (The Nar are best known for their masterful use of melee weapons.)

    Small beam weapons are generally not used because of their expensive power consumption levels; lasers and masers never became popular except as orbital defense systems. Stubber-like small arms have never been popular, except in some police departments.

Energy Weapons

    The humans have developed fusion guns. Attempting to fire them under liquids results in an explosion of fusion centered on the user, doing the standard damage of an attack. This includes a blast radius doing damage to others, although the user tends to be the most harmed. The blast radius is half that of normal explosions. Fusion pistols are incredibly high-energy weapons, and by consequence they penetrate super shields completely; this was the main reason for their development.

Nonconventional Weapons

    Nonconvential (nuclear, biological, chemical, and microbotic) weapons are used with little restraint in the Marathon universe. Luckily there are ways of countering these tactics: advanced orbital defense laser systems can stop a strategic nuke cold, and cheap, widely-available sealed environmental armor makes biological and chemical weapons far less fearsome.
Nuclear Weapons

    Long-range strategic nuclear missiles can easily fall prey to a good orbital defense system. Using principles set forth by the late-20th century Strategic Defense Initiative project, these systems use satellites in orbit to send out barrages of laser fire to disable nuclear missiles entering the atmosphere. By setting up a "web" of satellites in constant orbit, an entire planet's surface can be protected by these orbital firing platforms. Such systems are, of course, useless against short-range tactical warheads that are not in flight long enough to be targeted from orbit.

    Orbital bombardment with high-yield energy weapons has become increasingly popular because SDI systems are unable to intercept or destroy beam weapon fire. Additionally, plasma accelerator and laser fire expose the planet's surface to much lower levels of radiation than nuclear bombarment, thus preserving the system's agricultural resources for the conquering group's later use.

    Laser-activated "micronukes" are also available in the Marathon universe. These small nuclear devices use a laser to activate a deuterium fusion warhead. In this manner a small, controlled, and only somewhat radioactive explosion can be achieved. Micronukes are often carried in portable rocket launchers for use by mobile infantry and special-ops units. They are also useful for infantry strikes on hardened buildings, heavy tanks, and spacecraft.

Chemical Weapons

    Chemical weapons are spread in grenade and bomb form. Only the humans and the Pfhor ever resort to nerve gas, since gas is ineffective against sealed targets--which, in the S'pht warrior tradition, is all targets. Therefore, they have had little chance to develop gas warfare tactics.

Biological Weapons

    Germ warfare is dangerous (the invaders might catch the disease themselves!) as well as indiscriminate, and therefore slow to take out targets. This makes it unpopular, though it is still occasionally used. (The S'pht used a devastating virus to slow the last stages of the Pfhor advance on Lh'owon.) The Pfhor do, however, use "biological" weapons quite often--in the form of enslaved races.

Nanotech Weapons

    Microbot swarms have been designed by the three main species. These take the form of "nanoburn" , which has rather limited applications in combat. The general consensus is that a tank of nerve gas will do the trick just fine, without the added problems of prohibitive cost and dubious results.

Nuke Availability

    Nuclear weapons are highly illegal for civilian use, but leakage of nukes into high-profile terrorist organizations is not unheard-of. In general the types of nukes that can be obtained by non-government organizations are small tactical fission bombs. (Actual mininukes require very sensitive electronics and are much more difficult to obtain.)

    The normal penalty (in any society) for illegal possession of nuclear weapons is death.

    Note that mercenary groups can get micronuke licenses from the Pfhor and human governments. However, such mercenary organizations must use micronukes on government-sponsored missions only, may only acquire nukes from the government itself, and must turn in all unused nukes to the appropriate authorities at the end of a mission.

Melee Weapons

    All species in the Marathon universe can use vibroblades, monomolecular edged weapons, and neurolashes (see pages CII25 and S83). The Nar also use advanced versions of maces, warhammers, axes, and standard swords. One of the main uses of melee weapons is combat inside small spaceships.

    Although large spacecraft can endure internal weapons fire, small fighter and merchant vessels may be ruptured and exposed to vacuum by gun fire inside the hull. A way to avoid this is by using melee weapons, which are naturally less likely to cut open a wall.

    Another reason to use melee weapons is their great armor divisors. Monomolecular blades, for example, have an armor divisor of (10). In many cases this makes them more effective against armored targets than pistols, shotguns, and light automatic rifles.

Hyper-Napalm

    Hyper-napalm is a general term for all advanced military flammables available in the Marathon universe. Flamethrowers are, by and large, used only by the humans, Pfhor, and Nar, and only the humans and Pfhor have hyper-napalm.

    Known to humans as "napalm-75," this substance does 2d10 damage to objects being blasted by it, and continues to burn quite tenaciously.

Weapons

Finally, the fun stuff! Consider any weapon not here to be either not available to humans or not in the Marathon universe.

Human Weapons

Humans use the ammo types listed in the Inquisitor Rulebook. In close combat, humans use thier fists, knives or improvised weapons. Specialised characters may use other close combat weapons, as long as the are standard, eg. not Power Weapons or Force weaponts etc.

Guns/Fusion Weapons

    Tech.50 Fusion Pistol. This weapon is a wonder of science, given primarily to elite tactical troops. Although it is an extremely powerful weapon (not to mention nerve-wracking to less well-equipped soldiers), it is also absurdly expensive. The Tech.50 is powered by a Deuterioxide Halogen Battery Pack (C power cell). The user can also charge up a larger bolt for more damage.

    Zeus-Class Fusion Pistol. A creation of the S'pht under Durandal, the Zeus Class Fusion Pistol is a newer version of the classic Tech .50. Some soldiers actually consider it a "downgrade," due to the new annoyances added by hasty S'pht construction. But money talks, and the S'pht version is much cheaper, putting an end to the severe limit on production that used to prevent fusion guns from entering the arsenals of many key units. Unfortunately, the new fusion pistol often overloads after being charged too long (approximately 60 seconds), causing the bolt to discharge inside the barrel of the gun. (In game terms, treat it as a charged fusion bolt hitting the user.) When fired underwater, the pistol immediately electrifies the entire water system. Anything touching the water counts as receiving a full-strength fusion hit.

Guns/Missile

    SPNKR-X17 SSM (Surface to Surface Missile) Launcher. The SPNKR was created to provide better firepower to infantry without seriously inhibiting mobility. Its short-barrelled design decreases accuracy, although the sacrifice was considered wise in light of the reduced size it allowed. But the weapon is still quite accurate as rockets go, and is thoroughly devastating. Although it is intended for use against armored cavalry units, some of the more cruel and bloodthirsty officers in the U.E.G. armies are known to assign SPNKRs to troops on anti-personnel missions. The result is shocking at best and utterly sickening at worst. The SPNKR-X17 was common during the time of the U.E.S.C. Marathon's launch, but is now found in only units that find it important to pack light. The SPNKR ejects cold gas rather than hot, making its backblast perfectly safe.

    SPNKR-XP Rocket Launcher. To make for a more controllable and accurate rocket launcher, the SPNKR-XP was added to the SPNKR line. It is made of less heavy material, but is also much longer. Like the original, it ejects cold gas.

Guns/Flamethrower

    TOZT.25 Flame Unit. The TOZT Flamethrower is a devastating assault weapon designed to mow down crowds of people in unsealed armor. It is attached to a backpack napalm canister that can, unfortunately, be ruptured, causing a large incendiary explosion. If the canister (backpack) takes over 18 damage, roll 1d. If the result is a 4, 5 or 6, it explodes. The resulting explosion is equivalent to a grenade explosion doing 4d + 3 damage for each "second" of napalm left in the canister. Anyone caught in the blast will also be engulfed in flames.

    TOZT-7 Backpack Napalm Unit. The TOZT-7 is a slightly more refined version of the TOZT.25, created primarily in response to several incidents in which TOZT.25s blew up, killing friendly soldiers. A slight defect in the heat gauge was fixed in the TOZT-7 model, and a layer of impact-absorbing insulation was added to the backpack to prevent ruptures. Unfortunately, the impact-absorbing material is very expensive, raising the price of the flamethrower considerably.

    If the canister (backpack) is dealt over 20 damage, roll 1d. If the result is a 6, it explodes. The resulting explosion is equivalent to a grenade explosion doing 4d + 3 damage for each "second" of napalm left in the canister. Anyone in the blast radius will also burst into flames.

Guns/Light Automatic

    M.75 Assault Rifle with Grenade Option. This assault rifle is considered one of the great follies of modern military technology. Under pressure from megacorporate leaders and government buyers, the manufacturers rushed its production. The result was a highly inaccurate firearm that was nevertheless widely distributed to U.E.G. military units. The large-caliber, can-feed, caseless-round design was intended to impress aging generals, but proved dangerous and ineffective in battle. The M.75 can fire on full automatic or in semi-automatic mode. It also features an integral 40mm grenade launcher.

    MA-75B Battle Rifle with Integral 40mm Grenade Launcher. Disgusted by the original M.75 Assault Rifle, Tau Ceti colonists demanded a new automatic weapon. In response to their pleas, Durandal's S'pht workers provided an alternative: the MA-75B Battle Rifle. After the S'pht design was released, the megacorporations immediately got to work reproducing it. It can fire on full automatic or semi-auto mode. In order to reduce cost and complexity, the S'pht opted for a cased round instead of the caseless bullets found in the original M.75 AR.

    KKV-7 10mm SMG Flechette. The KKV-7 Submachine Gun is one of the finest elite military firearms available. Useful in many types of situations, it has an excellent balance of compact power and accuracy. Its standard ammunition is armor-piercing saboted shells.

    M1A2.75 Battle Rifle. A high-powered automatic combat rifle, the mighty M1A2.75 BR is a more controllable alternative to the MA-75B. It puts less emphasis on short-range engagements than its unruly brother, and, thanks to its long barrel and shoulder mount, is quite accurate.

Guns/Pistol

    .45 Magnum Mega Class Pistol. The .45 Magnum Mega Class was the standard issue firearm for security guards on the U.E.S.C. Marathon colony ship. This pistol was inexpensive, light, and famously reliable when it was introduced, and is still available for purchase, usually as a home defense weapon.

    .44 Magnum Mega Class A1 Pistol. After the invasion of the Marathon, a new generation of standard security firearms were invented, thanks to Durandal and his compilers. Replacing the old .45 Magnum Mega Class, this new pistol provides somewhat better overall performance. It is generally used with a telescopic scope.

Guns/Shotgun

    WSTE-M5 Combat Shotgun. The WSTE-M5 is a short-range, concealable shotgun that has been used for around 400 years. It was designed so that an experienced user could reload it quickly in one sweeping motion as it was cocked, allowing large invading forces to be continuously mowed down. One person can use two at a time, but this is difficult and tends to decrease accuracy. The WSTE-M5 is double-barrelled, and the user can choose to fire both barrels at once or one at a time, depending on the nature of the situation.

Mines and Other Explosives

    Land mines can be deadly devices when used properly. They take one second to activate and usually about five seconds to conceal. (In tall grass or similar terrain they can simply be thrown to the ground and will be concealed automatically!)

    Basic Anti-Personnel Mine: The basic anti-personnel mine is a lethal booby trap intended to protect perimeters and strategic areas and to slow down advancing armies. This particular type of mine is quite primitive, and is, consequently, quite inexpensive. It is generally not used by the armies of highly advanced nations or corporations, but is more often found on black markets and among paramilitary/guerrilla groups. It explodes when an object weighing 40 lbs. or more is placed on it, doing 3d10 explosive damage, plus 2d10 fragmentation damage in a 30 yard radius. It weighs 3. and costs $13.

    Basic Anti-Armor Mine: The basic anti-armor mine is a primitive, inexpensive mine used against tanks and other vehicles. It is usually not found in advanced armies. It explodes when an object weighing over 700 lbs. is placed on top of it and does 20d10 concussion damage, but no fragmentation damage. It weights 5. and costs $30.

    Advanced Anti-Personnel Mine: The advanced anti-personnel mine is the mine of choice among advanced combat forces. Employing multiple detonation methods and high explosives, it is a fearsome means of supporting any defended position. It is also quite costly for most individuals, and hard to find on the black market. Therefore, most paramilitary groups and freelance mercenary groups opt for basic mines.

    Three detonation methods can be chosen upon activation: contact, proximity, and remote detonation. If contact is selected, an object weighing 40 lbs. or more will set off a trigger on the top of the mine.

    If proximity triggering is selected, a range, between 0 and 10 yards, must also be selected. (It takes one additional second to select a range. If proximity is selected but no range is specified, it defaults to five yards.) The mine then scans continuously with a motion detector, and any object the size of a small human/Pfhor or greater within the specified range will then detonate the mine.

    If remote detonation is selected, the mine will detonate via a remote control held by a soldier. Note that multiple triggering systems can be used at once! The mine does 4d10 concussion damage plus 2d10 fragmentation in a 40 yard radius, weighs 4, and costs $140.

    Advanced Anti-Armor Mine: The most advanced anti-vehicle mine available employs multiple detonation methods and is highly effective in taking out armor. It is generally not available on the black market and is quite expensive. Its detonation choices are the same as for an advanced anti-personnel mine (above), but it will only detonate when placed in contact with a 700 lb. or greater object, or when it detects a vehicle-sized object in its range if proximity detonation is selected. It does 40d10 concussion damage but no fragmentation damage. It weighs 5 and costs $200.

    Mine Remote Detonation Control: This is a small remote control device that can set off advanced mines set to remote detonation mode, within a one mile range. Advanced mines send out signals to identify their position on a GPS map built into the remote control device. Different mines use different radio frequencies, so the remote control device can actually be used to select one or more specific mines to be detonated even when an entire field of mines is in the area. It takes one second to select each mine intended to be detonated--a process usually carried out before combat begins. The device weighs 3, costs $100. (These controls can often be found as an oddity in military surplus stores, but finding a mine is a bit more difficult...)

    Satchel Charge: Satchel charges are powerful explosive devices with spikes on the bottom, used to attach the mine to surfaces. They are excellent for attacks on starships, armor, and naval ships. They do 100d10 concussion damage and 8d10 fragmentation damage in a 70 yard radius. They weigh 5, and feature timed fuses that can be set for up to 6000 seconds of delay. Cost is $75.

    1) Does an extra D6 damage to biological (ie. fleshy) targets

    2) Overloard uses 5 shots, and causes an extra D3 damage per turn. On the Zeus class pistol, holding the overload for more than 6 turns is a risky action. If the character fails, he/she receives full damag as the pistol explodes in a white hot ball of burning plasma death.

    3) Does an extra D10 damage to mechanical targets.

    4) If fired by a character skilled in firearms (with the GM's discretion), the WSTE-M5 is reloaded in the same action as firing if both barrels are discharged.

     5) Backpack weapon, only counts as weight 30 for aiming purposes.

HUMANS AND ALIEN WEAPONS

    Humans can pick up certain weapons from fallen enemies. Almost anything can be picked up except Pfhor melee weapons, and trooper rifles. These are keyed to the DNA of the user, and disintergrate on touch with others. Alien weapons are at -20 to fire, unless they have the Alien Veteran skill.

Human Personal Armor

Sealed Infantry Helmet

    This is a standard vacuum-sealed combat helment for human infantry forces. Many accessories can be installed into it. It provides Armour 10 to the head, and increases sight and hearing checks by 20%. Weighs 5 and costs $200. For $700 it can include a motion detector with a 15 meter detection radius; this adds no additional weight.

U.E.G. Commando Armor

    This expensive and highly effective armor is built to allow good mobility while still providing exBent protection. It includes: heavy vacuum-sealed flexsteel, armour 8 on all locations, a sealed combat helmet (see above) with HUD, short-range communicator, multiview visor (light intensification, anti-glare, and thermal imaging), GPS system, mini-video and audio recorder, a life-support pack, a 6-minute emergency oxygen tank, an air filter (to filter contaminated environments and gas attacks without wasting built-in oxygen) and a personal energy shield. (absorbes 100 damage per charge level (to a maximum of Charge Level 3)) Its power requirements are one C cell for six months of all features except the energy shield, which requires a minimum of one D cell (with a three cell limit). Additional features include:

    Relative Navigational Computing Instrument (RNCI): This device, often referred to as an "automapper," provides and digitally stores a constantly-updated 2D map of an area when it is turned on by means of a complex 180° (front-mounted) ladar scanning system. This 2D map provides only basic features; it does not store actual pictures of the explored regions. (An RNCI costs $1,000 individually, and requires a B cell for six months of use, or can run off a helmet's C cell.)

    Motion Detector: This device detects large, moving objects in a 15 meter radius. It can also identify objects wearing U.E.G. electronic registration pins, which makes the object show up as a green square in order to help the user discriminate between hostile/unknown signals and friendly signals. The motion detector does not work through walls, but it can detect objects through windows and the like. Strong electromagnetic interference can cause false signals.

    Helmet-Mounted Battle Computer: The U.E.G. Commando Armor's computer is voice-activated and has a HUD-mounted display. The internal Battle Computer has records of nearly all modern weapons, armor and vehicles. It displays weapons and their characteristics on command. It also monitors both the user and the suit in a variety of ways. Small input devices attached to the body send information to the computer to form a constantly updating medical readout, featuring heart rate, breathing rate, adrenaline level, and toxin levels. The computer can turn the energy shield on or off, monitor the energy shield's power level and keep track of the oxygen supply. The amount of power left in the internal C cell is also monitored. The computer has large memory banks which can store GPS nav points (specified by wearer), audio/video recordings, medical readout data from given times or periods of time in the past, RNCI maps, or other pieces of information that can be gathered by the suit's many sensors and input devices.

    Not including the costs of the required power cells, a full set of U.E.G. Commando Armor weighs 40 and costs $19,500.

Biobus Chip Enhancements

    Biobus Chip Enhancements are "plug-in" devices to enhance human armor suits. They are compatible with universal computer hook-ups and provide their own limited power supplies. All BCEs weigh 2.

    Super Shield Chip: Super shield BCEs project incredibly powerful energy shields that absorb all incoming attacks (except gas, biological, grappling, or fusion attacks) for one minute. All knockback still applies! A super shield has its own built-in super-efficient power pack, and runs for one minute (6 turns of gameplay). Once it has been turned on, turning it off automatically depletes its power; it is a "one-shot" device. It costs $75,000.

    Transparency Chip: Transparency BCEs use advanced transparency technology to reduce the visibility of a soldier. (See below for transparency rules.) These chips run for five minutes. Like super shields, they cannot be turned off without depleting their power. They cost $5,000. Note that multiple transparency chips can be used at once to enhance the effect!

    Extravision Chip: These BCE chips require a helmet with a HUD to function. They are basically computer/sensor add-on packages that, when installed, give the user the Peripheral Vision advantage ("fisheye view") for two hours. They can be turned on and off at will, with no penalty whatsoever. Each chip costs $150.

    Hypervision Chip: Hypervision Biobus chips create an image of the world based on a composite of light, heat, radar, and other electromagnetic signals. When combined with an helmet's HUD, hypervision chips effectively give the user Night Vision, Infravision, and Acute Vision. They last for two hours, can be turned on and off with a simple computer command, and cost $150 each.

Transparency Systems

    The S'pht, Pfhor, and humans all have "transparency" systems. These systems use energized particles that change color according to the surroundings through a mini-web of nanobots. The resulting effect makes the user appear as a transparent but slightly discolored image. Invisibility-protected objects are also invisible to motion detectors, but not infrared.

    Transparency systems change color in real time, but most man-sized systems can only last for one minute. All attack and vision rolls against the user are at -30. If multiple systems are allowed to process the image in parallel on a single user, the effects increase. Two chips running simultaneously give a -50 on attack and vision rolls. Three chips give -70. Additional chips are ineffective. Note that each one requires a separate D-class power cell.

    Transparency systems cost a large amount. (See the equipment section for specifics.) They can be used on virtually any object, including vehicles. However, they tend to be less effective on vehicles--especially ones that make a lot of noise, which tends to ruin the stealth effect!

Plasteel Riot Shield

    This large plasteel shield is used by defensive troops and riot squads. It can stop most hand-to-hand attacks, as well as some light small arms fire. It provides armour 8. It weighs 5 and costs $100.

Gadgetry

Portable Motion Detector

    This is a portable motion detector device featuring a small viewscreen, 15 meter radius, and built-in IFF ('identify friend or foe') signal recognition via radio. It costs $500 and weighs 1 lb., and can detect man-sized moving objects. Magnetic interference will, however, cause malfunctions, including 'phantom' images that swirl across the viewscreen.

Teleportation Blockers

    Standard teleportation blockers have a blocking radius of 100 yards, in which teleportation rifts are disrupted. Teleportation blockers weigh 100, and cost $20,000. They are too bulky for assault-type missions, and are generally only used in garrisons defending forts. Note that a blocked area can be easily detected by long-distance electromagnetic field scanners.

    A heavy teleportation blocker has a radius of 1/2 mile. It weighs 4 tons and costs $1,550,000. Heavy teleportation blockers are usually used to defend cities under siege. They are generally hitched onto large trucks and then carried into the center of the area that is going to be blocked off.

Transportation

Aerospace Flight (Planetary)

    A supersonic planetary plane ride costs $200 for a ride across a continent in human and Pfhor space. It costs only $150 on K'lia. These prices can be cut in half for economy accomodations, and doubled for luxurious first-class treatment. Such a ride generally takes about two hours.

Bullet Train Ride

    The S'pht'Kr use a highly developed system of bullet trains (which travel at about 350 mph) to travel around their planet. A bullet train ride costs about $1 per 100 miles.

Interstellar Communication

    Hyperspace courier mail costs $.02 per ounce per parsec, except within human space, where it costs $2 per ounce per parsec. Express couriers (using quick hyperspace drives) generally charge two to four times the standard amount. Trans-Warp Electromagnetic Signal communication costs $50 per character (as in one letter, number, or other symbol) for a transmission in the Pfhor Empire. It costs $250 per character in human space!

Space Travel

    STL travel between planets within a system costs around $250 base cost plus $150 per day of travel after that. Many organizations give STL passage between planets, and varying degrees of luxury are possible. Express passage on an ultra-fast interplanetary vessel costs at least double.

    Interstellar travel can sometimes be more costly. For the S'pht'Kr and Pfhor, it costs about $1000. For the humans, it usually costs about $5,000 to get interstellar passage, unless the trip is very lengthy (for example, to K'lia). Accomodations are usually quite nice. Note that only government-certified and highly regulated courier lines are allowed to use FTL technology.

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