New Characters

The year is 2502 E (emperors reign)  there are those that have become immortal through clone technology they change body to body including the emperor who in effect is over 2500 years. The universe is populated with only humans as intelligent life.   Where most of the trillions of subjects of USL are enslaved, indentured or serfs tied to a land that nobles fight over to relieve their boredom.  This is the united systems league where nobles get licenses to conduct war on each other, massive space stations populate many systems and man has been able to reach the stars.  Your team is comprised of "free men" though those in the group so far have gone for some interesting flaws.  The group is a band of mercenaries which I forget their name, something about fixing, I think.  They have been hired by Administrator Phelps Longnecker of DTR-405 Station through Peabody Pelwiski.  They have been sent to a the 4th planet in the DTR-479856 system.  A 1 G planet that is similar to Earth.  This is in what is classified as a developing system rather than a core or fringe system.  The group is to go to No Name It Village where they are to retrieve Agent: Mac Gregory alive.  They are aware that there are suspected rebels at that city that are not licenced to conduct war.  There are also many legal nobles fighting over different parts of the planet.  Since administrator is not yet a noble he does not yet have a license to conduct war so your team is going without any legal authority. The team has already been paid half of the 3,000.  Your characters are already on ship and part of the group for simplification.   Current characters: Captain with a space ship (Invasion class) Crazy MASKA Walker Fighter Operator Computer and security specialist  Combat Medic I have added character sheets.  The system is each attribute as a min needs to have 2d and at a max 4d.  A total of 18 gets spent across the attributes.  I have links on the sheet so you can see what skills are linked to what attributes.  Side note strength resits damage.  Character then has 7d for skills.  All of these can be broken up into pips where there are 3 pips to a die.  So 2 pips is +2 and 3 would be 1d6. There are advantages and disadvantages which have numbers next to them which signify the skills gained or lost for getting them.  Advantages always cost and disadvantages give more.  Shouldn't have more then 4d in disadvantages and should make cohesive sense.  Character can also start with a gun and armor and 560 credits.  Note if character has a side job as well that they will need to take care of or dedicated to the mercenary work. That should get you all started.  ping with questions or when you want me to review.

Is there technological no-nos in this setting, and does psychic powers exist?  Should I be afraid of mental inquisitors and brain harvesters?   Is there artificial intelligence?  Is everything wireless or is this Future 1980's?  There is immortality and downloading minds into clones, but what about robot bodies?   I noted laser weapons in the game.  If the firearm still the weapon of choice or did the noble art of dueling with energy swords over take ranged combat?

And I will need to get access to a character journal...

Ideas I had had about characters.  This is mostly so I don't lose them. Current Game Warden: Member of a monastic order that took over the care of the Baron's royal forest.  The order is charged with maintaing the preserve (could be as large as a planet), driving out poachers, and keeping the animals healthy. Others Idea: Librarian : member of the Great Library who tracks down information/books the library does not have a copy of.  The library doesn't share the information, but its important to its members that the Library has the information.   Priest of All Faiths : Priest who is equipped with cybernetics or drugs that strengthen those internal traits that makes the subject choose one religion over the other.  With a switch or a pill, the priest becomes a devout follower of one a a few select religions, make the priest an ideal religious counselor for many religions (but only one at a time). The 7th Son : A nano-knight that was way, way down the family line to inherit anything.  But, a star ship crash killed everyone between him and the title, making him the head of the house hold.  Now his younger siblings look to him as a source of guidance or as an obstacle to inheriting anything. Falconer : Manages the baron's hawk drones, expert hunter and game keeper.   Scribe : His job is to record history.  So he either has specially trained memory, or massive cybernetic memory that records his every sensation, in order for history to be recorded as accurately as possible.  Sometimes he has to do a memory dump to free up space. Professional Second : Some times a nobles or other person of importance (wealthy merchant, religious figure, etc) needs to duel some one. This person of importance isn't stupid/suicidal and hires (or provides generous gifts for) a well trained duelists as his second, whom will fight on his behalf. A small industry could be support the duelist trade, with schools teaching proper etiquette and blade work. Techno-wizard : based off the 'court wizard' troupe, this could be either the eccentric would blows things up or aged tutor that teaches royal children (if there are children) uncommon knowledge.  Difficult to work into an 'adventuring' group, though.

@Librarian, If a library doesn't share its information even to its own members, it's not really a library is it? It's more like a vault. @Priest, I kinda have difficulty comprehending how a cybernetic augment or drugs or pill can change someone's belief. @7th son, Star ship crash eh? Sounds like a sabotage if I've ever heard one :P

Librarian: This is a feudal system, right? Back in the old times, nobles could read, and had big libraries. But no serf, peasant or even educated merchant could just wander around in the stacks. Priest: this is either multiple personalities in a chip/chemically keyed/etc, or via certain aspects of the personality exaggerated or suppressed through neural cybernetics or chemicals. With the understanding a person chooses their religion based on first upbringing and family, and secondly by a few thousands experiences of their lives (meaning how close each religion is to what the person feels is 'true'). If some one is raised in a orphanage exalting several religions, those few thousand experiences might be able to be adjusted on the fly through cybernetics, mental conditioning, and drugs. I am pretty sure this is not how things really work, but I'm playing with science fiction. Seventh Son: Yes. And added Scribe

@Priest, sounds very much like mind control. I wonder if that's even a thing in this setting. Might need the word of GM.

So this is feudal and not medieval and so technology is something that is a norm in the society.  Mind control is a prohibited area of technological development without approval from USL and strict controls from the USL.  Some of the nanite and genetic engineering are covered by USL prohibitions and can only be researched by appropriate patents and controls from the USL.  Some mind control exists as in feel free to read the write up on slavery that is in game but the technology is lic through one company and not avail for seperate research.  Not that everything is followed strictly by the nobles and such but their ability to have clone technology that allows a continoues life is predicated on adhering to the rulings from the USL and edicts from the emperor himself.

The imperial founder was not and isn't a fan of religion as he was a technocrat himself back from old earth.  But of course religion exists and I have not really thought through what that would look like.  Before the emperor became just that he had to deal with fanatics back a few thousand years ago from earth.  As G corporation had a monopoly already on antigravity technology when the owner realized that he could really take over the whole world because they were able to attack from far above earth with impunity.  And so many nations caved as a rational survival instinct but there is always that country or dozen that is so zealous that it needs a good nuking to take care of it.  

John B said: The imperial founder was not and isn't a fan of religion as he was a technocrat himself back from old earth. Being older than dirt and a successful emperor, I imagine this ancient leader is well versed in using all the tools he can find, including those tools he doesn't like.  Worshipers of 'The Divine Kingdoms', a pantheon that has a strict hierarchy and exalts knowing one proper place could be tolerated, while followers of 'The Inner Way' and their belief no man is higher than another would be stomped out as quickly as possible. Of course, there could be the big three of today, and they just have changed with the times.