“They say space is the final frontier. Frontiers are filled with danger, from the outlaw after your purse to the bear after lunch to the cold winters after nothin' but your soul. Going by that definition, you are in a frontier alright. And with all the problems a frontier has, it will no doubt be final, for you at least...”
Colonel Zero UEE, in a famous speech given to the first Frontier Patrol.
The world of Man is ever expanding. It has been, ever since we found ourselves in this world. New technology, discoveries, or resources are found that pushes those boarders farther away, but they are always there. It looks like there will always be. Even now, we managed to push it back thousands of thousands of light-years, and folks like you seem to find yourselves in just another frontier.
After the invention of the HR engine, humanity scrambled to the vast space that was opened up to us, working to gobble up the new information and resources we could never have imagined before. Who could resist the siren song that had driven men away from home for centuries, the call of money? It was a “gold rush”, on a massive scale. Still is. It is hard to deplete the resources when they are so prominent. Even the massive waves of men are dwarfed by their scale, ants pulling apart a mountain of sugar.
For whatever reason, you are a Frontiersman. The tools of the trade, your own personal ship, a six shooter, and whatever else you manage to find. You may wonder why revolvers are so popular among frontiersman-but the answer is quite obvious to those who have been there. In the end, it shows their philosophies and why they have a general lack of advanced technology. In general, it boils down to “The less small mechanical parts, the better.” To start with, the HR engine generally messes with small mechanisms. Autoloaders also eject a casing, which can be deadly if you leave them floating around your ship. They are less affected by strange gravity, especially with all the modern enhancements. Easy to repair, simple machines. In the end, if you ask five different Frontiersman you will get five different answers. I said it was obvious to those who had been there; I didn’t say they knew why.
For whatever reason you came out here, you find yourself in a place called the Hub. A small, dusty planet in the middle of nowhere. It is the last place you are guaranteed a cold drink, warm food, and a safe place to sleep. For a petty sum, you can find almost anything here. Perhaps most importantly, you can find your fellow Frontiersmen. Rumors, money, and even contracts slip around this planet like the wind. If you want to find the best place to go and who to go with, this is your stop.
I’m sure you will find out the rest yourself. Good luck, partner.
Character sheet:
Name: Cosmetic. Whatever you want, most standard names haven’t changed too much.
Backstory: Also cosmetic. Helps to explain who you are, what you are, where you came from, etc. If you were driven to the Frontier by something you would rather not publicly talk about, you can always send this part by PM.
Inventory: What items you have. You can start with one weapon of your choice, and as much assorted equipment as you want. Things like cloths are free, much more than that and I might have to veto. You also start with 500$, which you may use to buy something useful in the Hub.
Now for the crunchy stuff!
Status: Healthy (Everyone starts out at healthy, and progressively gets worse as they are shot/stabbed. Other effects like “Hungry” or “Drunk” will also appear here.)
Skills and stats: The skills and statistics govern how good you are at something. You get 20points to spend on stats and 40points to spend on skills. You can put a maximum of 10 points into a stat or skill. When I roll, I add the skills and the stat together to see how good you are at any given action. The stats are shown first, with the skills that fall under them shown under them in an indent.
Marksmanship:
Handgun:
Sniper:
Shotgun:
Rifle:
Heavy:
Explosive(Land):
Space Machinegun:
Space Rockets:
Space Shotcannon:
Misc Space Guns:
Melee:
Stabby things:
Smashy Things:
Slashy things:
Other Things:
Close Space Combat:
Social:
Bartering:
Leadership:
Convincing:
Threatening:
Friendly: (Since it is not obvious from the name, it is used to make allies of NPC’s)
Dictator: (Darker version of Friendly, NPCs become allies out of fear or want of power. Friendly would be standard RPG hero recruiting NPCs, while Dictator would be the Outlaw Gang leader)
Mechanics:
Drive Land Vehicle:
Drive Spaceship:
Repair Land Vehicle
Repair Spaceship:
Spaceship Maintenance:
Robotics:
Dodge:
Cover Tactics:
Close Space Maneuvers:
Spaceship Maneuvers:
Melee Dodge:
Vehicle Dodge:
Ally Dodge:
Your Spaceship:
A cowboy is nothing without a horse, and a Frontiersman is dead without his ship. Each Frontiersman’s ship is unique, not because they are high-quality masterwork equipment, but because the standard ships are so modular that anyone can change them to fit their purpose. Just like you, your ship has stats that must be filled out now. They are a bit simpler, but will affect the outcome of space battles on top of your stats. You have 60 points to spend on your ship, and must have at least one point in each one for your ship to work. Otherwise, there is no maximum that you must have.
Weaponry: How much weaponry your Ship can hold. Your ship starts with enough cheap weapons to fill every slot. If you have 12 points in this stat, you can fit 2 weapons worth 6 points each, 1 weapon that costs 12 points, 1 six pointer and 2 three pointers, etc. You do not need to have every slot filled, but having empty slots provides no benefits.
Size: How big the ship is. Gives passive bonuses to all the other stats, as well as having more room non-mechanically and generally allowing you to do more in it while not in space battles or otherwise using it mechanically. Let’s you fit more armor, bigger engines, more guns, and even better computers. Of course, in return, you are a bit easier to hit. A size 1 ship would essentially be a pod with no room to stand up, while a size 50 ship would have room for everything from a fully stocked kitchen to an exercise room to a pool.
Armor: How well defended your ship is, either by shields or heavy plating. This is rolled to protect you from enemy attacks. Unlike Weaponry, this skill doesn’t require additional components to function and is a natural part of your ship. It automatically acts when you get shot at.
Maneuvering: How well the ship can move, dodge enemy attacks, and generally not stand still. Gives bonuses to your dodge abilities while also making you harder to target in combat. Outside of combat, it shows how gracefully you get around obstacles and move, as well as how fast your ship goes when not using its HR engine.
Computer Systems: How advanced and powerful your computers are. Can give bonuses to the others much like size, but must be activated and has to be rolled. For example, you could order your computer to help calibrate your weapons or divert power to shields, increasing your aim and armor temporarily. Having at least one point lets you do things like access the local internet and communicate, while high levels might even be an advanced AI! Unlike the others, this is not required.
Special: As I said before, each ship is unique. This stat is open, allowing you to make special additions as you see fit. I will have to approve them, of course, but it adds a personal touch that helps you connect with the machine. Like Computer systems, this is not required, and most NPC ships will be lacking this. When you put points into "Special", you decide what this unique component is and put points into it. For example, you could put "Special: Cloaking Systems 20" to have a powerful cloaking system equipped to your ship. You can have more than one Special, but each one has to be payed for separately.
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Topic: Final Frontier: Spaceships and Six Guns Game Thread *SPLITTING THE FELLOWSHIP* (Read 3767 times)