Each planet lies
in distant skies;
what sets them all apart?
And who can tell
what secrets dwell
within each hidden heart?Bending Space & Rhyme In the far future, a crew of explorers are sent to the distant stars to find what mysteries they contain. Everything they discover on their noble quest they send back to their expectant employer, who weaponizes it for the Cantonic War. But the team do not worry themselves with this as they wander the endless stars on a mission of their own: In their waking dreams, they had felt a force pulling them towards a distant cluster; when the corporation hired them to travel, it was more than just a coincidence. Something has lead them here - something that wants to be found - and they will find it.
This is a sci-fi RPG with a focus on rhyme, rhythm and poetry. You don't have to consider yourself a poet or be good at writing poetry to play, but you should enjoy reading it, because they'll be a lot of that in here.
You are a group of hired explorers tasked with landing on planets, analyzing & cataloging their unique properties, then scrounging together enough fuel to leave. Secondary objectives include not getting killed by xenophobic aliens, space pirates, and eldritch monsters that man cannot comprehend.
However, deep within your hearts is another objective, unrecognized and unquantified by your corporate employer. It is your passion, the call that has drawn you to this corner of the Galaxy; it is your desire to find the what it was that guided you here, haunting your dreams with visions since the moment you arrived. The ship has been acting stranger each trip - you are close.
Name: this is the future, but keep in mind that you're from earth
Description: physical description, bio, and other fluff go here; no in-game effect
Scores: 19 points; 1 to 3 per score; see below
Strength (x)|Coordination(x)|Eyesight (x)
Fitness (x)|Reflexes (x)|Hearing (x)
Resistance(x)|Speed (x)|Olfaction(x)
Special Equipment: see below
Your scores represent your character's physical attributes, and are used to A) determine whether you succeed in a related task, and B) determine passive abilities. Mental attributes are not used, because your success in mental tasks will be determined on your actual ability to solve them. When attempting a task, a d6 is rolled for each point in the related score, and the results are added together. If they equal or exceed the difficulty number, you succeed. Sometimes, multiple difficulty numbers will exist, representing various degrees of success. A score of 2 is considered average for a person in their prime. Keep in mind: each score will be important to survive.
Strength: How hard you hit; How much you can carry at most; How much exhaustion you suffer from carrying a certain load.
Fitness: How much you can be exhausted (by carrying, attacking, running, suffocation, etc) before it matters; How quickly you recover from exhaustion.
Resistance: How well you resist poison and disease; How quickly you recover from poison and disease; How much pain you can take before it matters.
Coordination: How accurate you are; How well you can do fine manipulation (such as surgery, pick-pocketing, repair, etc).
Reflex: How well you can dodge; How quickly you can react; How well you can balance.
Speed: How quickly you can act; How quickly you can move.
Eyesight: How well you can see.
Hearing: How well you can hear.
Olfaction: How well you can smell.
To help you in your mission, your team has been given four pieces of unique equipment. When making your character you may choose to be in charge of one of them. Be careful: To prevent the enemy from getting their hands on your equipment, it has been programmed to respond to you alone. Once the game has started only you (or an alien wearing your skin) can use your chosen equipment.
Reference Analysis Array
Although mainly contained in a heavy unit strapped to your back, this equipment also extends into a detachable sensor wand slotted into the right side, and a readout screen worn on your left wrist. When used, the Reference Analysis Array compares the intrinsic rhythm of the predesignated reference (inserted into a slot in the back of the unit) to the intrinsic rhythm of an object touched by the sensor wand, and defines that object by analyzing their association.
-Before you can use this equipment, you must insert a sample into it, which will act as the "lens" through which objects will be analyzed.
-While a sample is inserted, all analyses carried out will be of how the analyzed object relates to the phenomena represented by the reference.
-To analyze an object, touch the sensor wand (a half meter rod) to the desired object.
-You can upload any data from this equipment to the ship's database while you are in the ship.
-Removing a sample will erase all data from this equipment.
Auditory Recorder
Comprised of a small pack on your back with an omnidirectional microphone, and a readout screen on your wrist, the Auditory Recorder is lighter than the Reference Analysis Array. It's capability of recording, separating, and storing sounds make it a very multi-faceted tool. To make the most use of its abilities, a module socket is located near the bottom of the pack, allowing the Auditory Recorder to be employed for various uses. Currently, a Translator module is installed, which automatically recognizes and analyzes the base rhythmic pattern of any language, then transmits a translation program for it to all nearby headsets and communicators.
-Activate this equipment (using a button on the readout screen) to record all nearby sound.
-You can upload any data from this equipment to the ship's database while you are in the ship.
-After an hour of audio has been recorded, earlier audio will begin to be replaced with newer recordings.
-The translator module allows players to understand and speak the translated language, but only in rhyme.
Wave Energy Rifle
Even though this is a strictly non-hostile mission, you have been provided with this equipment to defend yourself against any threats you encounter. The Wave Energy Rifle is the size of a the antiquated ballistic rifle, but approximately twice the weight (therefore: 5.5 kg), and can be slung over your back when not in use. It must be recharged after each shot. To charge the Rifle, you must recite a rhythmic chant into the mouthpiece on the chamber, which converts it into its wave energy equivalent. Variations in the chant affect the qualities of the resulting wave.
-Input an original poem to charge this equipment. You must use the same metrical foot (2 or 3 syllables) throughout the whole poem.
-In the metrical foot, for each unstressed syllable before the stressed, add 2 to the accuracy roll. Each one after it determines the beam's duration (instant, 1 sec, 2 sec).
-For every set of rhymes, increase the damage dealt by the beam.
-For every metrical foot per line (on average), the charge lasts for 5 seconds before being lost.
-If the inputted poem does not make sense, the charge fizzles.
Chemical Fabricator
Since the ship uses up all its fuel each trip, you must refuel it with the Chemical Fabricator before you can leave. This suitcase-sized apparatus has a funnel on one end, a nozzle on the other, and a readout screen on the side. Any chemical or organic substance placed in the funnel is immediately converted into a material of your choice, be it fuel, oxygen, or any scanned template. Anything so fabricated can be poured through the nozzle or removed through a hatch in the bottom. Different materials will be more easily fabricated by certain compounds.
-Before adding any compounds, select what you want to fabricate.
-To select a material other than fuel or oxygen, insert that material to be scanned as a template, erasing any previous template.
-The percentage of required fuel (100% max), the minutes-worth of any oxygen (2 hrs max), and the weight of any other material (6 kg max) will be displayed.
-You may inject any fuel from this equipment into the ship while you are inside of it, and inject oxygen into a nearby oxygen tank at any time.
-All fabricated material is ejected through the hatch if a new material is selected.
This a list of all the general equipment that you have access to. There is an essentially unlimited amount of it on the ship. At the start of each mission - before leaving the ship - specify which of these you are taking with you, and how much you are taking.
Jumpsuit: A basic piece of clothing which offers a small amount protection, but is fairly light. It has a pair of pockets.
Heavy Jumpsuit: A padded jumpsuit. Bulkier and warmer, but hardly any more protective. Has a pair of pockets to keep your hands warm.
Spacesuit: Like the jumpsuit, but designed for more extreme environments (such as the cold vacuum of space). It offers a decent amount of protection, but reduces your Reflex and Speed scores by 1. If attached to gloves, an oxygen tank, and a helmet, the suit will be sealed.
Skinfit Gloves: Offer a small amount of protection without preventing you from using your Special Equipment. They also reduce all rolls for fine manipulation by 1.
Space Gloves: Offer a decent amount of protection, but prevent you from using your Special Equipment and reduce your Coordination score by 1.
Oxygen Tank: Fairly heavy, but can store up to 3 hours worth of oxygen. Can be carried or worn on your back.
Space Helmet: As metal shell with a small view port, it is both heavy and durable. However, it cuts off your peripheral vision, and reduces your Hearing and Olfaction scores by 1 (and prevents Olfaction if your suit is sealed).
Respirator: Filters out most dangerous particles. Can be attached to an oxygen tank to directly inhale oxygen, instead. Worn on the mouth.
Communicator: Can amplify your voice to 3 times its normal volume. Can translate your speech to any alien language that has been uploaded. Worn on the mouth. The battery lasts for 12 hours.
Headset: Allows you to talk to and hear anyone within 3 km. The microphone also translates any alien language that has been uploaded. The battery lasts for 8 hours.
Backpack: Allows you to carry a large number of small or medium sized objects. Worn on the back.
Satchel: Allows you to carry a fair number of small or medium sized objects. Worn around the waist.
Space Ration: A bland, waxy brick. Feeds you for a day.
Canteen: Holds up to 5L of liquid. Quenches you for a day. Can be worn around your neck.
Binoculars: Magnifies everything to 8 times the size. Can be worn around your neck.
Flashlight: Illuminates anything within 400 meters. The battery lasts 1 hour.
Electric Lighter: Lights a small fire. The battery lasts forever.
Battery: Required by any electronic device except Special Equipment.
Pocket Multitool: 10 in 1 collection of tweezers, bolt-cutters, grippers, chisels and other handy tools.
Scalpel: Can create surgical cuts or rapid blood loss, depending on how its wielded.
Needle & Thread: Patches up clothing or skin.
Cauterizer: Burns the skin and induces blot clotting. The battery lasts for 100 uses.
Painkiller: A small bottle of pain-reducing drugs. One pill per dose. Overdose causes drowsiness and vomiting.
NOTE: Including Special Equipment, you can wear three items on your back at the very most (the Reference Analysis Array and the backpack count as two items). You can wear any number of things around your neck. You can wear a (normal or heavy) jumpsuit underneath your spacesuit. Other than that, you cannot wear more than one thing for a specific location.
-IcyTea31
-AzyWng
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Topic: Bending Space & Rhyme SIGN-UPS OPEN! (Read 935 times)