Today, I'm going to post most of a section on one of the classes - the Blinkers mentioned earlier. First a skill tree, then notes on using the class, the sorts of unique checks they make, and so on.
Blinker
A. Astrasensation
The ability to sense and discern the nature of the Astra, detect fluctuations in the Astra caused by blink activity, and to detect that which lurks beyond the nature of reality.
1. Detection- Detects presents of Astra. Able to tell whether or not blinking is possible to and from your current location with a blink action called "Detect" (cost: 3) that will reveal whether the local Astra is connection Strong, Weak (hard to blink succesfully, takes more power and accuracy is more difficulty), or Nonexistent(can't blink). A Detect check provides a +10 circumstance bonus to all blink checks on the following round.
2. Perception (pre:A1)- The Detect ability now allows sensing blinks that occur nearby on the same turn... At the end of a turn you will be given a rough idea of the amount of power expended on blink actions that turn turn, plus 5 points for each flux point nearby, +-50 percent rounded down. This includes your own detect action!
3. Attunement (pre:A2)- Sense passive perturbations in the Astra field. You now choose to use the Detect ability as a passive action, with an additional +-5 variation added to each cost revealed unless you are idling in the Astra. This takes 1 less willpower and is thus much more difficult to detect, though it DOES result in a detectable action each turn. The circumstance bonus and check bonus for a passive Detect is reduced by half.
4. Refinement (pre;A2)- Detect now reveals the amount of power used this turn with a 0 percent variation, and allows a check recognize any blink action (difficulty 200-power used * 10) as an independent event and reveal that actions cost with a variation of 0 percent. +20 to Detect checks. Reveals how much Flux exists nearby. Detects circumstance bonus is increased by +10.
5. Recognition (pre:A4)- The Detect ability reveals the name of all independent events (Detect, Blink In, Blink Out) identified. +20 to detect checks.
6. Pressure (pre:A1)- Detect reveals the exact difficulty and cost of blink actions. +10 to Detect checks.
7. Probe (pre:A6)- Spending an additional 3 willpower when using Detect actively reveals if anything is idling in the Astra nearby and get +30 to Detect checks. If you are idling in the Astra the extra cost of probe is removed.
8. Disturb (pre:A7)- You gain "Disturb", the ability to create large fluctuations in the Astra. Add a Flux point to the Astra for every 3 points of power spent. Every Flux point increases the difficulty of all blink checks in the area by 5. Remove a flux point at the end of each round.
9. Expanded Awareness (pre:A2): Doubles the range of Detect. +10 to Detect checks.
10. Astra Eyes (pre:A9): Doubles the range of detect and Disturb, circumstance bonus for detect is increased by +10. +20 to detect checks.
11. Ghosting (pre: A8, A3): Gain the ability "Ghost" (cost: 3) Maintain a constant presence in the Astra, passively. This costs 1 power per round to maintain after initial use until ended. Maintaining requires passing of a zero difficulty blink check each turn. You count as idling in the Astra. Failing a check to maintain ends the effect and you take 5 damage.
12. Smoothing (pre: A7): Gain the ability "Smoothing" which allows you to spend 2 power to reduce the Flux at this location by 1.
13. Tranquility (pre: A3, A12)- Detection, Smoothing, Disturbance, Ghosting (initial casting only), and the probing modification all have their power cost reduced by 1. Other blink actions have their cost reduced by 1 as long as their is no Flux at the current location. Circumstance bonus from Detect is increased by +10.
14. Clairvoyance(pre:A10) - Detect, while in the Astra, reveals the physical space nearby. Circumstance bonus from Detect is increased by +10
B. Astragation
The ability to navigate the interstellar distances through the use of a ship's Blink System, From the working and programming of the Blink Engine itself to navigation through and accommodation for the vagaries of intersystem Astra.
1. Symbols(pre:A1)- Introductory understanding of astra navigation. Allows reading and writing of blink engine programs, changing of a blink engines program to another loadout that has been recorded or memorized, and to attempt to remember astragational maps.
2. Algorithms(pre:B1)- The ability to do basic astranavigational mathematics allows for ability to program a blink engine to enter the Astra, idle for a period of time, and then emerge, without destroying the ship. Astra drift still occurs when this happens.
3. Calculations(pre:B2)- Allows calculation of a blink program to jump to another area within system, so long as an astragational map of the system has been memorized.
4. Combinatorics(pre:B3,A8)- +20 bonus to calculations. Allows adjustments to a running program, while in the Astra, to reduce drift.
5. Integration(pre:B2)- +40 bonus to calculations.
6. Differentiation(pre:B2)- +40 bonus to calculations.
7. Topographics(pre:B4,A3)- +20 bonus to calculations, allows complete elimination of drift so long as corrections are made each turn.
8. Methods(pre:B1)- +50 bonus when reading and writing blink programs.
9. Memnomics(pre:B1)- +30 bonus when attempting to remember and recall astragational maps.
10. Tabulation(pre:B9)- +30 bonus when attempting to create, remember and recall astragational maps.
11. Surveying(pre:B9)- +10 bonus when attempting to remember and recall astragational maps, allows creation of astragational maps. This allows "skipping" - a sequence of alternating blinks and mapping efforts used for exploring new territory.
12. Intuition(pre:B3,B11,A13)- Allows navigation without an astragational map, and the creation of a very limited Astragational map from within the Astra. +10 to all blink checks.
13. Sensor Bridging(pre:B4,A8): Allows making a Detect check to compensate for damage to the Blinknet. If the check is passed, the damage can safely be ignored by spending a point of willpower per round. +10 to Detect checks.
14. Gap Compensation(pre:C??): Allows making a Blink check to compensate for a malfunctioning blink engine. If the check is passed, the damage can be safely ignored by spending a point of willpower per round. +10 to Blink Out and Blink In Checks.
15. Emergency Modulation(pre:B14,B15,B8): Allows a Blink check to eject a ship from the Astra, regardless of damage to the systems. +10 to all blink checks.
C. Astraportation
The personal access of the Astra, this allows moving oneself and a bit more relatively short distances very quickly.
1. Blink(pre:A1)- Introductory understanding of personal blinking. Allows the use of "Blink Out" action, to enter the Astra at the beginning of the character's next turn. At the end of the round in which they enter the Astra, they are automatically ejected. These abilities create blink field which extents at most three feet out from the body. Upon returning from the Astra a character suffers from Disorientation - they may not take any passive actions, and gain a -100 to all checks, until the end of the round.
2. Blink Control(C1)- Allows the use of the ability "Astral Anchor" ability, which allows a character to remain in the Astra indefinitely. Note: Characters can not breathe while in the Astra, and they do not regain Power. Also allows the use of the "Blink In" action, which allows a player to manually inject themselves and their blink field back into the Aether at the beginning of their next turn. +10 to Astraportation checks.
3. Aetheric Anchor- When creating an Astral Anchor, you may spend an additional 5 power when casting, and an additional 1 power per round, to eliminate drift for this field completely. Prevents use of the "Move" action on this field as well.
4. Field Projection - Doubles the range of the blink field.
5. Field Extension - Doubles the range of the blink field.
6. Field Manipulation - Allows "shaped" blink fields with concave curves, at an additional difficulty of 50. +10 to Astraportation checks.
7. Field Exclusion - Allows the creation of "holes" within a "shaped" blink field. Each such hole adds 25 to difficulty. +10 to Astraportation checks.
8. Field Discontinuity - Allows the creation of multiple disconnected fields within range. Each additional field adds 25 to difficulty. +10 to Astraportation checks.
9. Rapid Insertion - You may choose to have the Blink Out action happen at the end of this round. +10 to Astraportation checks.
10. Instant Insertion - You may choose to have the Blink Out action happens immediately at the end of turn. +10 to Astraportation checks.
11. Adaptation - You no longer suffer from Disorientation when emerging from the Astra. +10 to Astraportation checks.
12. Astral swimming - Allows use of the "Move" ability while in the Astra, up to 10 ft (of Aether). Costs 2 power. Causes 1 drift. For 1 additional power and 3 additional drift, you may add 90 ft to this Move action.
13. Astral flight - For 2 additional power and 10 additional drift, add 500 ft to your Move action.
14. Streamlining - Reduce the power cost of Moves by 2 and the drift penalty
15. er and 10 additional drift, at 500ft to your Move action.by 1.
16. Astral Hooks - Allows hooking your Astraportation costs to a Blink Battery for 1 power as a passive active, drawing from the batteries power supply instead of your own. If you're still present, you can choose how much power the Battery contributes and may choose to contribute your own power in it's place without removing the hook.
17. Battery Security - Allows you to key a unique signature into a Blink Battery, making it so that only you can use it.
18. Field Modulation - You may change the shape of a blink field you control at will while in the astra, so long as it holds the same contents. Useful for making re-insertions of difficulty blink-outs much easier, or for the creation of discontinuous fields for difficulty Blink Ins.
19. Field Transference - You may create an additional Blink Field while in the Astra through the use of the Blink Out ability (and with the same delay), and move objects from one overlayed blink field to another at the cost of 1 power per transition as a passive action. This allows, for example, the ejecting of particular items from the Astra without leaving yourself (create a new field, do not anchor it, move several items into it) or the stranding of items in the Astra (with the aid of a Battery) while you return to the Aether by moving yourself to the unanchored fields. Also allows you to escape being trapped in another Blinker's field, or to eject yourself from a Blink Engine's field. You lose control of a field you've created if you drift out of it, although obviously you will drift with whatever field you currently belong to.
20. Flux suppression - +30 bonus to flux suppression. You may choose to apply a 25 percent reduction in power signature for attempts to Detect this blink action.
21. Wake minimization - +30 bonus to flux suppression. You may choose to apply an additional 25 percent reduction in power signature.
22. Silent Blinking - +40 bonus to flux suppression. You may choose to apply a flat reduction of up to 15 to your power signature.
23. Second Nature - You may use any Astraportation ability as a passive action. You may only use one Astraportation ability per round.
Rules for Blinking, Astra, drift and navigation
Blinking involves entering the Astra, and emerging in another location in the Aether. Distances work differently in the Astra, as does time - the effect for short hops into the Astra can be near instantaneous travel from one point to another over short distances, and greatly reduced times for intersystem travel. Those skilled in sensing and manipulating the Astra can blink themselves and other objects along with them short distances, but too long spent in the Astra is dangerous for a persons health, and no human has enough power to fuel the jumps between systems of interstellar travel - instead, they guide machines called Blink Engines, which are tied into an Aethership's blink array and provide power and precision for an Astragator to use when navigating between systems.
Navigating the Astra, however, is not easy - it is a formless space that behaves nothing like the physical world, and pushing objects through it is as much an art as a science. A specialized branch of mathematics is used to describe and chart the Astra, but this can only describe a route in broad strokes - a calm mind and a gentle touch must be used to assure pinpoint precision. The longer a person or ship spends in the Astra, the more they experience Drift. Blink engines are built to automatically counteract such drift where possible, but over the long distances they can end up miles off target. In the void of the aether that doesnt matter as much, but trying to blink in close to a planet from out of system can have lethal results. Most ships, instead, use a series of jumps, jamming between positions to insure that the closer they get to their destination the shorter the hops that are used and thus the smaller the resulting drift.
When emerging from the astra into an object, a certain amount of force will be expended to push that object out of the way - if it can't, the force will instead attempt to emerge into another location. The Astra prefers a path of least resistance, which is why there are less fatalities while blinking than might be expected. However, it is not perfectly safe - once a Blinker has attempted to emerge from the Astra back into the Aether, very few can abort the process, and its not unknown for the path of least resistance to end up fusing an emerging blinker and a brick wall, or depositing half of him on each side. There's also the danger of getting turned about while in the Astra, which combined with a short blink that ends up several feet above the ground can easily result in a broken neck. The longer a trip and the more mass carried (and power expended), the more drift a blinker should expect to experience. Certain structures can be designed to help guide a blink safely, although such locations must be careful not to guide multiple Blinkers into the same exact location. Much like with ships, personal blinking over longer distances is more safely accomplished through a series of shorter blinks to minimize and compensate for the Drift.
Blinkers must also deal with locations where the connection between the Astra and the Aether is weak, and work around locations where it is nonexistent. Some places in the Astra are also "rougher" than others - the Astra in this locations actually moves and flows, creating an effect called Flux which makes all blink activity more difficult. Some Flux is simply random fluctuations in the Astra, and this type is often created by gravity wells and as a side effect of blink activity. Out in the void, however, there is a more predictable type of flux known as Astral Currents - skilled Blinkers can make use of these currents to reduce the time spent in the Astra, so long as they are able to handle the complexity of the Flux and account for the drift in their desired direction when making their calculations. Preprogrammed routes can not safely take advantage of these currents without constant corrections, meaning a ship with a skilled Astragator can complete in days journeys that would take another ship weeks.
Personal blinking within a Current is not recommended, as even a few moments in the Astra can give a hundred feet of drift in the direction the current pulls you, drift well beyond the ability of most Blinkers to compensate for, throwing you outside your ship and into the void.
Blink Engines have a limited amount of power stored inside them, and this power can only be recharged by a knowledgeable Shaper. The precision and power of Blink Engines vary depending on the model and the quality of the sensor array that aids in Astra detection and ship encapsulation. A damaged Blinknet or malfunctioning Blink Engine can tear a ship apart when entering or emerging from the Astra, but is more likely to simply lead to additional drift or disallow the ship from entering or leaving the Astra at all. A skilled Astragator can compensate for this damage.
While navigating the astra, it is vitally important that any sort of non-blink magic be avoided, since it causes terrible flux. The magic itself is almost guaranteed to fail. This means that that any physical adjustments that are required need to be handled mechanically from inside the ship (which introduces multiple additional failure points and is expensive) or manually by crew exiting the ship and making the required adjustments, which is more common. Such adjustments are not terribly common - the blink engine mostly uses the BlinkNet to amplify and focus the power rather than guide it - but it can be beneficial to tune the equipment for maximum efficiency. Equipment can be tuned following a Detect check, and gives a +20 bonus to all blink checks for the next ten rounds, and a +10 bonus for the next twenty after that. Remember that the crew who make the adjustments will need instructions in advance - CommNets are one of the many things that do not work in the Astra.
Flux in general is a side effect of blinking - whenever using a Blink action, make a flux suppression check vs power used plus the current value in the instability bank to avoid creating flux. If this happens, add the power instead to the instability bank. At the end of each round, reduce the instability bank by up to 50 power. Blink engines have a native flux suppression skill of 50 - a skilled blinker can use their own skill instead.
Note that power does not regenerate while in the Astra.
Abilities, and Calculations, and Results:
Detect (Cost: 3) - Checks to identify blink events are of difficulty 200-(power spent * 10). +50 bonus to checks when idling in the Astra.
Read Program
Write Program
Remember Map
Recall Map
Calculate
Blink Out (Cost: 5)
Creates a field field of desired shape and size within range.
At the beginning of your next turn, all objects within the field automatically enter the Astra.
Range includes caster and up to 3 feet from the caster's body.
Costs 1 additional power for every 15 pounds brought along in addition to the caster.
Basic Difficulty: 50 (failure results in wasted power and no effect)
Basic blinks assumes a simple continuous convex surface - a sphere, box, ovoid, or similar shape around the caster. More complicated blinks require advance study and will result in additional difficulty. It also assumes that no substance will be torn apart tougher than air.
A weak connection to the Astra may increase the difficulty to up to twice normal, or make blinking outright impossible.
Astral Anchor (Cost: 3) - Attach to a blink field you control. Requires 1 power per turn to remain active, but does not require an active involvement. This blink field does not automatically eject from the Astra.
Blink In (Cost: 3) - Manually eject from the Astra at the beginning of your next turn. Has same difficulty as Blinking Out for the given Blink Field.
Move (Cost: 3) - Move 100ft (aether equivalent) through the Astra.
Drift(passive) - Every turn spent in the Aether causes 1 point of drift.
Blink In - Blinking in costs 1 power for every 10 pounds brought along. Difficulty is base 50 and failure results in no effect.
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Topic: Pen&Paper Roleplaying: Swords and Sorcery in Space - AetherJam (Read 2362 times)