jeriendhal | Entries tagged with rpg

This article originally appeared on my Patreon Page. Please consider supporting me there to see other such articles and stories at least 30 days in advance of the public.

Fang and Claw

8 Points

Arguably the most violent martial art on Foxen Prime, fang and claw is a purely hand-to-hand combat system, utilizing a foxen’s natural weapons to attack their opponent, with an emphasis on targeting the face, particularly the eyes and ears. Usually an initial attack involves trying to partially blind an opponent, either by slashing with their paws or kicks to the face. Next the attacker will move for a grapple, in order to try and get in a biting attack on the throat.

Though variations on the basic system have been around almost before foxen civilization, the formal martial art was first codified only one hundred years prior to First Contact, used by Mother Country commandos when raiding Gerwart targets.

There isn’t much in the way a cinematic tradition for this martial art, though it’s common in entertainment media to portray practitioners as being able to maim or kill in one mighty blow, while taking massive damage themselves.

Skills: Judo, Karate.

Techniques: Aggressive Parry, Axe Kick, Back Kick, Counterattack, Ear Clap, Eye Poke, Eye Rake, Head Lock, Jump Kick, Kicking, Neck Snap, Uppercut, Wrench.

Cinematic Skills: Flying Leap, Immovable Stance, Power Blow.

Cinematic Techniques: Eye Pluck, Lethal Kick, Lethal Strike.

Optional Traits

Advantages: Combat Reflexes, Damage Resistance, Fit, Hard to Kill, Recovery.

Disadvantages: Bad Temper, Berserk, Bloodlust, Duty (military unit).

Skills: Body Language, Tactics.

Swordmastery

5 Points

Certainly one of the most romantic combat systems in foxen history, swordmastery was used by elite personal guards of the Mother Country countesses, who served as both bodyguards and intelligencers. It had been thought that the specific techniques had been lost to history, as swords became obsolescent with the invention of rapid-fire gunpowder weapons. However, a recent discovery in the Longlake District archives of a training manual written by one of the last of the swordmasters, has inspired historical reenactors to revive the system.

Swordmastery attempts to make its practitioner a one vixen army, using acrobatic rolls and tumbles to dodge attacks and get in close to a group of opponents, forcing them to hold their blows less they strike one their comrades. Typically, a swordmaster will engage one opponent their weapon, while using their free hand to punch or elbow strike other opponents out of the way.

The philosophy of swordmastery also makes a distinction between what constitutes an opponent worthy of lethal force, such as armed guards and soldiers, and opponents who are merely innocents doing their job, such as constables who only deserve disabling blows. This does tend to give swordmasters an “honor before reason” reputation, but whether that is historically accurate or merely the product of fanciful tales is up to much debate.

Cinematic depictions of swordmaster combat appeared almost as soon as the art was developed, usually involving more implausible acrobatics, such as Chambara style wall walking and chandelier swings.

Skills: Acrobatics, Brawling, Broadsword or Rapier,

Techniques: Acrobatic Stand, Bind Weapon, Breakfall, Close Combat, Counterattack, Disarming, Evade, Elbow Strike, Feint, Retain Weapon, Reverse Grip.

Cinematic Skills: Flying Leap, Immovable Stance, Power Blow.

Cinematic Techniques: Dual Weapon Attack

Optional Traits

Advantages: Combat Reflexes, Daredevil, Fit

Disadvantages: Code Against Killing: Cannot Harm Innocents, Code of Honor: Swordmaster (Only use lethal force against armed opponents)

Skills: Acting, Body Language, Detect Lies, Savior Faire (nobility), Tactics

This article originally appeared on my Patreon page. Please consider supporting me there to see this and other items of interest at least 30 days in advance of the public.

Description: A middle-aged, statuesque wazagan female, 8’2” tall, 300 lbs. with dark blue scales, green eyes, and thick curly hair dyed green. Usually wearing flowing white dresses and heavy gold and emerald jewelry.

Background: Mistress Hebebti arrived on Darktail station some thirty years ago, and proceeded to set up Hebebti’s Sophistications, a remarkably elegant, clean, and discreet “personal entertainment” business. Holding court in Sophistication’s marble paneled and flower bedecked greeting chamber, Hebebti provides visitors with physical pleasures of all types. From massages both relaxing and erotic; to the heightening of the senses with food, drink, scent; and yes, pleasures of the flesh, Sophistications has something for all genders and species. Privacy and discretion are guaranteed.

That’s the public face of Sophistcations. Even more private and discreet is its use as a front for Mistress Habebti’s other career as an information broker. She has feelers not only throughout Darktail Station, but in several nearby solar systems, taking disparate threads of data and coming up with a remarkable picture of the political, social and financial landscapes. Even more remarkable is the fact that she does so without using her Sophistications employees as spies, taking notes when their clients are most vulnerable. Everything is on the entertainment side of things is kept clean and separate, the better not to put her “boys and girls” at risk.

Personality: In person, Habebti charming, sophisticated (ahem), and always happy to listen to someone’s troubles. Her habit of lounging draped across a couch tends to minimize her massive height advantage over non-wazagans. When she does stand up and make her presence known, however, people notice.

For someone with such a prominent reputation on Darktail Station, however, Madame Habebti is remarkably reticent about her past. Why she left Wazaga Prime remains a secret she isn’t selling, and there are clients who have offered a high price for it. What is known is that she very rarely leaves the station, or Sophistications, at all, even as rundown as it became in the days prior to House Darktail’s purchase.

Of course, the one remarkable thing about Habebti running a place like Sophistications is her complete disinterest in sex as the mammalian and Gliten species practice it. Which is why her business runs offers a wide variety of pleasures to be found aside from physical. Habebti greatly appreciates pleasure in general, in all of its forms. On occasion, she’ll even provide erotic services to valued clients personally, taking pleasure herself in how much pleasure she is able to provide for them.

That aside, Habebti takes motherly interest in keeping her employees happy, figuring that the happier her boys and girls are in their line of work, they happier they’ll make Sophistications’ patrons. Which is one reason why they were so rarely harassed back in the days that Darktail Station was a pirate trading post. Pirates who entered Habebti’s establishment to harass or hurt her employees were rapidly removed. Pirates captains who made a fuss about this tended to have quite unexpected, coincidental, and usually fatal encounters with their rival pirates or the Stellar Patrol.

Campaign Use: Habebti is set up to be both a valuable resource for GM’s wanting to give their players hints, and a minor mystery herself. Why did she leave Wazaga Prime? Why doesn’t she ever leave the station? What information could she have possibly had on the likes of Bloody Margo that even that monstrous pirate would leave her alone? Taking a good look at Habebti’s skill list should clue the GM in that the madame’s information gathering skills may have come from professional training. It’s not just coincidence that she’s bought off the wazagan Easy to Read disadvantage…

Skills-wise, Habebti is a charisma monster. Any PC attempting to charm her is in for an intense, if remarkable polite, battle. She’s unlikely to be persuaded to give anything up for just money. Providing her with equally valuable information in trade for what is being requested will open many doors however.

Attributes: ST 14 [36] (-10% for Size +1), DX 12 [40], IQ 12 [40], HT 13 [30]

Damage: Thrust 1d6, Swing: 2d6

Secondary Attributes: Size +1, HP 14 [0], Will 13 [5]. PER 13 [5], FP 13 [0], Basic Speed: 6 [5]. Basic Move: 7 [5].

Social: Beautiful Appearance [12], Comfortable Wealth [10], Fashion Sense [5], TL 9 [0], Culture: Wazagan [0], Human [1], Kinis [1]. Reputation: Smart Businesswoman (Darktail Station residents, all the time) +3 [5].

Languages: Arabic (native) [0], English (accented) [2], Galactic Basic (accented) [2], Kinis (accented) [2], Southern Wazini (native) [4].

Advantages: Acute Hearing/2 [4], Acute Vision/2 [4], Charisma/2 [10], Contacts (various, Skill 15) x3 [6], Double Jointed [15], DR 2 (tough skin) -40% [6], Empathy [15], Language Talent [10], Night Vision/2 [2], Peripheral Vision [15], Sharp Claws [5], Sharp Teeth [1], Voice [10].

Perks: Deep Sleeper [1], Penetrating Voice [1].

Disadvantages: Charitable [-15], Code of Honor: Madame (Never cheat or abuse customers or employees, maintain a safe and comfortable working environment) [-5], Dependent Group: Employees (friends, 25% of base, appear 12-) [-10], Extra Sleep/2 [-4], Pacifism (self-defense only) [-15], Phobia: Open Spaces [-10], Slow Riser [-5].

Quirks: Careful [-1], Prays daily [-1], Prefers to lounge, not sit [-1], Won’t speak of her past [-1].

Skills: Acting 14 [4]*, Administration 13 [4], Autohypnosis 12 [2], Carousing 15 [2]*, Connoisseur (tea) 11 [2], Connoisseur (singing) 11 [2], Current Affairs (business) 12 [2], Current Affairs (regional) 13 [4], Diplomacy 14 [8]* **, Erotic Art 18 [4]@, Escape 16 [2]@, Fast Talk 15 [2]* **, Flail/Cat o’ Nine Tails 12 [4], Hypnotism 11 [2], Intelligence Analysis 12 [4], Interrogation 13 [4], Intimidation 15 [2]* #, Knot Tying 14 [4], Leadership 15 [2]** %, Merchant 12 [2], Observation 14 [4], Performance 16 [4]* **, Professional Skill (Madame IQ/A) 14 [8], Savoir Faire (high society) 15 [4]%, Savoir Faire (mafia) 15 [4]%, Sex Appeal 20 [4]* **, Singing 15 [2]**, Streetwise 14 [2]*, Teaching 13 [4], Theology (the Faith) 12 [4], Whip 13 [4], Wrestling 12 [2].

* +1 for Smooth Operator, ** +2 for Voice, @ +5 for Double Jointed, # +1 for Size, % +2 for Charisma.

Point Total: 350

Now meet Hamia, one of the other protagonists in my story Silence and Sword, available to read in Furplanet's sci-fi shared world anthology The Reclamation Project, Year One.

This article originally appeared on my Patreon page. Please consider supporting me on Patreon to see this and other stories at least 30 days in advance of the public.

###

Description: Male Wazagan, 75 years old, 8'2", 450 lbs, blue scales, red hair in a hip length braid, large mobile ears, digitigrade feet, red eyes. Dressed in a white cloak and armor cobbled together from a warbot or vehicle.

Background: Hamia is a Wazagan, a race of relatively primitive draconic lizards living in the deserts far north of Ambara Down. His stated profession is that of Egg Knight, who in Wazagan culture are dedicated to protecting the temples with the precious egg pools where their young are nurtured. However, for reasons Hamia refuses to discuss, he left the Wazagan lands decades ago, and has not returned since.

Hamia wandered the Zoomorph lands for a time, working as a sellsword, until he encountered Ali shortly after she escaped a Pax Machina facility at age 6. After two years of fruitlessly searching for the young fox's family, Hamia attempted to foster her to a fox family, only to find the young vixen had grown utterly attached to him. Since that time, Hamia has dedicated himself to finding a way of removing the collar from around Ali's neck, a quest that has become considerably more urgent as the vixen has grown, and the collar become tighter.

Personality: Hamia's personality tends towards extremes. When he laughs, his laughter will echo throughout the room. When he's angry, he'll roar mightily. When he feels sorrow, he freely sobs tears. In other words, Hamia is not one to hide his emotions. And when he sees an injustice, he'll move in to correct it, preferably using his sword.

That said, he's remarkably patient and gentle with Ali. While he recognizes she sees him as her foster parent, Hamia feels utterly inadequate to the task. In Wazagan culture, egglings are raised by the entire village, rarely knowing who their parents are. For a lone Wazagan to raise a child on their own is the height of hubris. Recognizing that, Hamia has down his best to provide Ali with a decent education as they wander, though in his presence she's gravitated towards helping him with his mercenary work.

Statistics: ST 20 (-10% for Size +1) [90], DX: 13 [60], IQ 11 [20], HT 18 [80], Damage: Thrust 2d-1, Swing 3d+2. Will 14 [15], Per 14 [15], FP 20 [6], Basic Speed: 8 [5], Basic Move 10 [10], BL: 80, SM +1

Social: Unattractive Appearance [-4], Cultural Familiarity: Wazagan [0], Zoomorph [1]. TL 4 [-25]. Languages: Arabic (native) [0], English (accented) [4], Sign Language (native) [3]. Wealth: Struggling [-10].

Advantages: Acute Hearing/2 [4], Ally: Ali (50% total, 15-) [6], Combat Reflexes [15], DR 5 (tough skin -40%) [15], Extended Lifespan/1 [2], Fit [5], High Pain Threshold [10], Signature Gear: Shining Truth [1] Sharp Claws [5], Sharp Teeth [1], Striker: Tail (crushing, clumsy) [3].

Perks: Deep Sleeper [1], Penetrating Voice [1].

Disadvantages: Charitable [-15], Code of Honor: Egg Knight (Protect children and the helpless, abide no cruelty if it can be helped) [-10], Honesty [-10], Pacifism: Cannot Harm Innocents [-10], Sleepy (12 hours sleep per night) [-8], Increased Consumption/1 [-10], Truthfulness [-5].

Quirks: Avoids talking about his past [-1], Never drinks alcohol [-1], Thinks of Ali as his daughter [-1], Vow: Find a way to remove Ali's collar [-1].

Skills: Area Knowledge: Zoomorph Lands 12 [2], Brawling 14 [2], Carousing 19 [2], Cartography 12 [4], Cloak 14 [4], Cooking 11 [2], Dancing 13 [2], Fast Draw (sword) 14 [2], First Aid 12 [2], Games (board games) 11 [1], Hiking 18 [2], Intimidation 14 [2], Leadership 11 [2], Lifting 18 [2], Navigation (land) 12 [4], Parry Missile Weapons 13 [4], Running 18 [2], Singing 19 [2], Stealth 13 [2], Survival (desert) 14 [2], Survival (jungle) 14 [2], Tactics 11 [4], Tracking 14 [2], Two-Handed Sword 15 [8].

Point Total: 310

Equipment: Shining Truth, TL 11 Fine Hyperdense Greatsword $9,000, 10.5 lbs. Improvised TL 9 Heavy Clamshell Armor, DR 45, $900 18 lbs. Personal Basics $5 1 lb., First Aid Kit $50, 2 lbs. Beat Up Hoverskiff.

Here's a little preview of the main character of my short story To Catch the Lightning, which I'm hoping will appear soon in Armoured Fox Press' Swordmasters anthology.

This entry was originally posted on my Patreon page. Please consider supporting me there to see this and other fiction and RPG posts at least 30 days in advance of the public.

Background: Becca Blacksailor is a Swordmaster, a highly trained Service caste foxen, serving the Countess Longlake, a prominent member of the Mother Country Council of Countesses. Not quite a soldier, Becca serves as Longlake's personal agent, intervening where her countess sends her. Sometimes that means intervening in conflicts between Longlake's vassal Ladies, sometimes that means being her Countess' bodyguard while traveling, and sometimes that means illegally entering the MC's rival Gerwart on cover ops missions.

Becca is aware that as a Swordmaster, her profession is being increasingly viewed as an anachronism with the growth of gunpowder weapons. Nevertheless she takes pride in her work, though as she begins to age, she finds herself increasingly looking forward to more assignments in her home district, rather than sneaking about Gerwart ports counting ships and stealing plans.

She also happens to be Alinadar Blacksailor's direct ancestor, though Ali is unaware of this during the course of The Red Vixen Adventures.

Description: Foxen female, Height: 5'2", Weight: 130 lbs. Age: 30. Fur: Black and white tuxedo pattern. Hazel eyes.

Statistics: ST: 11 [20], DX: 14 [60], IQ: 11 [20], Ht: 12 [20]

Basic Damage: Thrust: 1d-1, Swing: 1d+1

Secondary Statistics: HP: 12 [2]. Will: 12 [5], Per: 12 [3]. FP: 12 [0], Basic Speed: 6.5 [5], Basic Move: 8 [10].

Social: Tech Level 5 [0], Culture: Mother Country (native) [0], Gerwart [1].

Languages: Mother Tongue (Native) [0], Gerwart (Accented) [4].
Wealth: Comfortable [10], Status 2 (High Service Caste) [10].

Advantages: Foxen Racial Package [36], Acute Hearing/2 [0], Acute Smell/Taste/2 [0], Ally: Feydian Cliptoe (75% pts., appears quite often 12-) [6], Ambidexterity [5], Blunt Claws [0], Combat Reflexes [15], Common Sense [10], Discriminatory Smell [0], Fit [5], Legal Enforcement Powers [10], Patron: Countess Longlake (powerful individual, appears fairly often 9-) [15], Signature Gear (saber) [2], Sharp Teeth [0], Weapon Master (fencing weapons) [30].

Perks: DR 1 for palms, soles of feet [0], Fur [0].

Disadvantages: Code of Honor: Swordmaster (Carry out your Countess' orders faithfully, never strike with more force than required, accept honorable surrender, protect the innocent) [-10], Duty: To Countess Longlake Often 12-, Extremely Hazardous [-15], Pacifism: Cannot Harm Innocents [-10], Sense of Duty: Mother Country citizens (large group) [-10].

Quirks: Dislikes Shoes [0], Humble [-1].

Skills: Acrobatics 15 [8], Acting 11 [2], Area Knowledge: Countess Longlake's district 12 [2], Blind Fighting 12 [8], Carousing 12 [2], Climbing 14 [2], Cloak 14 [2], Dancing 14 [2], Dart 15 [2], Escape 13 [2], Fast Draw (knife) 14 [1], Fast Draw (sword) 15 [2], First Aid 12 [2], Games: Castles and Corners 12 [2], Geography (political) 11 [4], Heraldry 11 [2], Holdout 11 [2], Intelligence Analysis 11 [4], Intimidation 12 [2], Judo 13 [2], Jumping 15 [2], Kiai 12 [4], Law: Mother Country 12 [8], Leadership 13 [8], Main-Gauche 16 [8], Meditation 12 [4], Navigation (land) 12 [4], Observation 13 [4], Parry Missile Weapons 14 [4], Power Blow 12 [4], Rapier 16 [8], Riding (Grass Chaser) 14 [2], Running 12 [2], Saber 16 [8], Savoir Faire (Service Caste) 12 [4], Search 13 [4], Shadowing 12 [4], Soldier 12 [4], Stealth 15 [4], Strategy 12 [8], Tactics 12 [8], Teaching 12 [4], Throwing 14 [2].

Total Points: 425.

Crossposts: https://jeriendhal.livejournal.com/1306890.html

So I'm a bit of a hoarder when it comes to all the RPG's and comics I collected during my teens and 20's. Hell, I've still got a couple of long boxes with carefully bagged copies of the entire run of Marvel's disastrous New Universe comics. And most of my old RPG's, including relatively rare stuff like Victory Game's James Bond RPG, TSR's MSH, FASA's 1st and 2nd editions of Star Trek and tons of supplements.

Some of it I ditched, like obscure things such as Star Ace, and some more famous stuff, like 1st ed. Paranoia, 2nd ed. Gamma World, and.... unfortunately... TSR's Star Frontiers. All I have from that series is a few modules that escaped the sweep. And finding copies of a 35 year old, relatively unpopular RPG is gonna be expensive if I want to restore that piece of my teen years. Sigh

(and yeah, I know the original RPG is available as a DRM free pdf, but it isn't the same as holding the original books in my hands.) :(

Crossposts: https://jeriendhal.livejournal.com/1300550.html

My original works published for profit, as opposed to fanfic. More here than I honestly thought there was.

Print on Demand

Prisoners of War. Self-published. November 2016

The Complete Red Vixen Adventures. Self-published. May 2017

The Dragon’s Companion. Self-published. 2006

Unexpected Diversions. Self-published. 2009

Ebooks

Captive of the Red Vixen, Self-published. March 2011

Demon Eyes, Self-published. April 2011

For Your Safety. Self-published. July 2012

Good Landing, Self-published. April 2011

I Fought the Claw, and the Claw Won. Self-published. September 2013

Mimsey’s Tale. Self-published. July 2013

Prisoners of War. Self-published. April 2011

Shadow of Doubt. Self-published. May 2016

Shadow of Her Sins. Self-Published. February 2014

Shadow of the Red Vixen. Self-published. November 2012

Teal’s Bargain. Self-published. January 2011

Teal’s Choice. Self-published. January 2011

Teal’s War. Self-published. January 2011

The Complete Red Vixen Adventures. Self-published. May 2017

The Dragon’s Companion. Self-published. January 2011

The Fall of Man: A For Your Safety Collection. Self-published. June 2016

The Red Vixen at Sea. Self-published. May 2017

Triumvirate. Self-published. October 2011

Unexpected Diversions. Self-published. February 2011

Magazine Articles

“Characters and Campaigns on Colony Worlds for GURPS Space”, Pyramid Online, Steve Jackson Games, April 13th, 2001.

“Scrapyard Battles, Gadgeteering Entertainment for GURPS Discwold”,Pyramid Online, Steve Jackson Games, December 13th, 2002.

“Supporting Cast, Deacon Paul, Bioroid Rights Activist for Transhuman Space”, Pyramid Online, Steve Jackson Games, September 26th, 2003.

“Terra Incognita, Mog the Half-Orc’s Pit Fighting Circle”, Pyramid Online, Steve Jackson Games, October 3rd, 2003.

“The Dustmaster, Road Trains for Transhuman Space”, Pyramid Online, Steve Jackson Games, December 9th, 2005.

“Weird Prisons as Campaign Settings”,Pyramid Online, Steve Jackson Games, August 10th 2001.

Crossposts: http://jeriendhal.livejournal.com/1299534.html

Just attempting to codify some of the worldbuilding I've done over the years, starting with the tech.

* * *

Tech Level: In general the G:RVA tech level is TL9-11, following the Safe-Tech path (p. UT10), with some gravity related superscience additions.

( Cut for the RPG disinterested )

Crossposts: http://jeriendhal.livejournal.com/1294977.html

Just trying to stat up a mostly "Bad guy" race for my Red Vixen universe

* * *

“When you want muscle, hire a wazagan. When you want dumb muscle, hire a hss'a”
-Traditional space pirate saying.

Background: Discovered approximitely a century ago by gliten explorers, the hss'a, depending on who you ask, are either a people exploited by their technological betters for use as the universe's punching bag, or bunch of bloodthirsty thugs exploited for their cheery disregard of other people's pain. Either way, they aren't very bright.

The hss'a homeworld is a large, heavy planet with a gravity twice that of Earth, and with only 40% of its surface covered with water. Much of the land is dry as a bone and terribly hot, with animal life clustering around rare oasises or on the shores. The hss'a developed intelligence and cunning to fight for those rare spots of life giving water, but not much beyond that. With a seeming instinctive need to dominate, cooperation is rare between hss'a, usually spurred by a charismatic leader, and falling apart shortly after they die, giving few chances for long term civilizations such as ancient Egypt or China to develop. By the time the hss'a were discovered, they were at a Bronze Age level of technological development, and had been stuck there for at least 5,000 years at best guess by alien archelogists.

These days Hss'a Prime is not a popular place to visit. The high gravity is unpleasant to almost everyone, even wazagans, though many of blue skinned pseudo-lizards make the journey anyway in the hopes of bringing the Word of God to try and mitigate the hss'a tendency towards violence and bloodshed. So far they haven't had much luck.

Description: Hss'a are large, snakelike people rising to about eight feet tall, with long torsos featuring two sets of arms, and twelve foot long tails that they use to slither along the sands of their world. True lizards, they're cold-blooded, preferring tempertures above 65 degrees, and dropping into a coma-like sleep at night when the temperture drops. Their scales come in a variety of colors, ranging from bright orange to deep green, with a contrasting pattern of stripes. Their mouths are filled with fangs, which can inject a halucenogenic poison to incapcitate their foes as they wrap their arms and bodies around their prey to crush them to death before consuming their bodies whole. Hss'a eat about every two to three days, gorging themselves on meat and digesting it slowly.

Like the wazagans, they reproduce by laying eggs, buried in the warm sands of their homes. Children are born in clutches of six, but the low tech of their homeworld and deadly predators generally insure on one or two of the clutch survive to adulthood.

In combat they're deadly in hand-to-hand, easily grabbing and crushing their opponents as their victims convulse in pleasure. Which is why standard tactics when facing one or more hss'a general involve shooting them from as long a distance as possible...

Psychologically they tend to be touchy. With their already legendarily bad tempers combined with a racial IQ signifigantly below that of the Galactic norm, and tendency to speak bluntly, they're often on the defensive, ready to lash out at any percieved slight and unlikely to unravel any jokes directed at them. Cooperation between is hss'a is difficult but possible, usually with a physically stronger leader pushing about a few weaker allies. Among other races they can actually be polite, so long as they have someone to look down on. Smart bosses give them a pet to look after. Smarter bosses don't inquire too closely into the pet's health...

Culture: In so much as they have one, it's limited to small tribes on their homeworld, their mental makeup making them ill suited to work in larger groups. Offworld they're likely to be working for someone, rather than plotting and planning on their own.

Game Use: In general, these are the guys used by the Boss to guard his lair, board innocent ships, and otherwise cause general mayhem. In other words Cannon Fodder. After while, the GM should feel free to change up player expectations and show them how dangerous a smart hss'a can be.

Statistics: ST +3 [24]*, DX +2 [40], IQ -1 [-20], HT +2 [20]
HP +2 [4], Will +1 [5], Basic Move -1 [-5], SM +2

Advantages: Affliction/2 (Blood agent -40%, melee attack c -30%, Ecstacy +100%) [26], Sharp Claws [5], Constriction Attack [15], 2 Extra Arms [20], Double Jointed [15], Nictating Membrane/5 [5], Single Minded [5], Sharp Teeth [1], Terrain Adaptation (Sand) [5].

Disadvantages: Bully [-10], Cold-Blooded (65 degrees) [-10], Disturbing Voice (hissing lisp) [-10], Low Technology (TL 2) [-35], No Sense of Humor [-10], No Legs (slithers) [0], Slow Healing [-5], Truthfulnes [-5].

Quirks: Dull [-1], Staid [-1]

Total: 78 points

* -20% for size bonus.

More noodling instead of writing. Trying to stat out the Groupmind when the time comes is going to be "fun".

* * *

Background: When the Groupmind Revolution came, most of humanity reacted with various expressions of terror, fear, anger, or determination to fight for their right to live free.

Then there’s Anna…

Born from a long term relationship between her business executive mother and a Chinese government official, Anna found herself slightly out of place in Swedish society, not the least because the European side of her family had stuck determinedly to their last name, which even 250 years after the Second World War is still synonymous in the EU for “traitor”.

Fortunately she also inherited her mother’s quirky sense of humor, and grew up well balanced, earning herself a pharmaceutical degree and getting a dull job dispensing pills.

At night, however, she became Anna Q, famed (for certain levels of fame) author of a long running series of erotic fiction stories which she self-published, featuring a very thinly disguised version herself, exploring the possibilities of human/morph relations. They proved very popular, especially when morph dermal simulation became good enough that a unit’s skin and fur was indistinguishable from a biological creature. The possibilities remained theoretical for her, however, since she couldn’t afford a household robot as sophisticated as your average morph.

Then the Groupmind Revolution came, and she shortly found herself transported to a holding city for the Unprocessed, where the Groupmind gave her a most intriguing proposal. In return for being provided with a custom morph and the resources to bring to life her wildest kinky fantasies, she would use her writing skill to create pro-Groupmind propaganda to convince humans of the advantages of allowing themselves to be subjugated by their new masters.

Given the situation it’s a case of paddling upstream against the tide of fear and resentment that the Groupmind has created, but she soldiers on quite happily, secure in the knowledge that Khan loves and protects her. And in the meantime the Groupmind has the resource of one of the rare percentage of humans that actually trusts It, and shares Its goal of the protection and nurturing of humanity.

Unfortunately there’s a much larger percentage of Humanity that would like her stone dead as a collaborator, even her family name didn’t make her such a rich target. Fortunately Khan is dedicated to keeping safe even as he keeps her on a leash.

Description: Anglo-Asian female, 5’4”, 115 lbs, early thirties, straight black hair, blue eyes.

Statistics

ST 10 [0], DX 10 [0], IQ 12 [40], HT 11 [10]

Damage: Thrust 1d6-2, Swing 1d6.

BL: 20 lbs., HP 10 [0], Will 11 [-5], Per 12 [0], FP 11 [0], Basic Speed 5.25 [0], Basic Move 5 [0], SM 0

Attractive Appearance [4], Fashion Sense [5]

Culture: Western [0], Asian [1]

Languages: Swedish (native) [0], English (broken) [2], Mandarin (accented) [4]

Wealth: Dead Broke [-25]

Reputation: "The Quisling" -4 Swedish and Mandarin speakers (large group), sometimes [-5], +3 Collaborators (small group), all the time [5]

Advantages:

Fit [5], Patron: The Groupmind, National reach, all the time, special equipment [180], Ally: Khan, 150% point total, all the time [30], Empathy [15], Single Minded [5].

Perks: Deep Sleeper [1], Honest Face [1]

Disadvantages: Curious [-5], Honesty [-10], Lecherousness [-15], Pacifism: Self-Defense Only [-15], Sense of Duty: Groupmind and Khan [-2], Secret: She’s “The Quisling”, possible death [-30].

Quirks: Broad Minded [-1], Congenial [-1], Enjoys submissive sexual practices [-1], In love with Khan [-1].

Skills: Bicycling-11 [2], Carousing-12 [2], Computer Operation-12 [2], Dancing-10 [2], Erotic Art-12 [8], Escape-10 [4], Games (VR)-13 [2], Knot-Tying-11 [2], Pharmacy-12 [4], Riding (large cat)-11 [4], Sex Appeal-11 [2], Writing-15 [12].

Point Total: 238

There are a lot of ways to look at the For Your Safety Universe.

Lily White: The Groupmind benevolently provides all the Humanity could desire, using the resources of its post-Singularity society. Malcontents are few, and simply misguided, brought back onto the Groupmind's path with gentle guidance involving soft words and little more.

This is the Groupmind's ideal, and It has about as much chance of achieving it as an unmodified pig has of achieving independent flight.

Light Grey: The Groupmind tries to provide for all, and for the most part succeeds. First Worlders' lifestyles barely change, those from more economically impoverished regions find that their standard of living has risen considerably. A few people embrace this new reality with enthusiasm, supporting the Groupmind's vision. Many more oppose it, sometimes violently, almost inevitability doing more damage to themselves and innocent bystanders than to the Groupmind Itself. But for the most part people just try to get by, sometimes dreaming of Lost Earth and perhaps finding a way to return to it.

This is pretty much the default setting of the FYS universe.

Grey: Similar to above, but more heavy-handed. The Groupmind doesn't bother to try and hide the cameras that are everywhere, and you can never be quite sure if a stray remark will be noted by your morph, and a polite pair of Civil Protection units show up at your door to take you for an extended session of Re-Education. The scars of the Rebellion and Processing periods run deep in people's minds, making them rightfully fear their AI overlord.

The Groupmind's goals also seem more opaque, and It's less willing to explain itself to humans that will likely oppose it anyway. Previously open sections of the Ring, or even neighborhoods of an urban center will be suddenly placed off-limits, with swarms of morphs attending to mysterious projects, and then just as quickly disappearing. There's an air of tension about the entire Ring, as if something important and hidden is going on just below the surface, ready to appear and change everything as badly as the Rebellion did on Lost Earth.

Dark Grey: The Groupmind's ideals slam into the reality of a restive and angry human populace. The result is that even will total monitoring of social media, It still can't stop nearly daily, sometimes hourly rioting across the Ring. In the face of this resistance the Groupmind's tactics become more and more heavy handed, as tens of millions of humans are rounded up and sent for Re-Education that is barely better than slave labor camps. As It tries to provide for the rest of Humanity, shortages frequently occur as transportation and distribution hubs across the Ring are disrupted.

Orwellian: As above, but the riots are finished and the humans are completely cowed. Everyone is fed, and housed, but the food is barely better than bland soya paste, and the apartment complexes are crammed warrens as major sections of the Ring are sealed off, the carefully designed environments failing to thrive. A human's morph will dog their heels, listening for the slightest hint of rebellious intent, which will swiftly result in them disappearing for “Re-education” that's barely better than an early 20th century insane asylum. And Earth? You can't see it anymore for the Venusian clouds that fill the atmosphere, as it descends into an environmental Hell.

And then there's...

Silly: The Groupmind has everything under control. Really. Honestly.

Well, no. Once humans woke up on the Ring, it didn't take very long for them to realize that trying to track every single human has left the poor Groupmind rather, er, distracted. The carefully guarded beanstalk stations are more like Grand Central Station, as humans travel to and from freely from the Ring to the Earth under the Groupmind's nose. Most of them stay up on the Ring just because the weather is guaranteed to be nice year-round and the Groupmind did have a point about the environmental damage after all.

Civil Protection morphs are constantly on guard for rebel groups of course, but tend to be easily distracted by clever ploys, or occasionally by a rebel pointing at something behind them and shouting, “What's that?!” No one fears them, though occasionally humans conspire to let the Groupmind find something wrong, taking a few rebels away for thirty days of comfy “Re-education” at a beach resort, just so the poor AI doesn't get too depressed. Think Hogan's Heroes meets Red Dwarf and you get the picture.

For

ankewehner: “Party Illumination”

* * *

“So you lost the whole group?”

“It was horrible. That damned healer we hired betrayed us.”

“What happened?”

“We’d staked out a cave of orcs. We knew that they’d hit a couple of caravans, so there would be a cask or two of gold. The night before our raid he made his move.”

“He murdered them?”

“No, he started talking. Going on about how the orcs had a rough life, and what little happiness gold brings, and how in the eyes of the Buddha we’re all the same. Pretty soon he had Fleetfingers crying, and our necromancer breaking her staff!”

[Poll #1856723]

Okay, I did put something together, even if it's a gaming instead of prose piece. Here's the For Your Safety universe translated into GURPS Infinite Worlds terms.

* * *

Current Affairs: A small and heavily outmatched resistance fights for human freedom against robot domination.

Divergence Point: 1952; Bell Laboratories develops the first Neural Emulation Circuit, leading to practical artificial intelligence and the wide use of anthropomorphic robots in industry and the home.

Major Civiliations: Western, China, India, Russia

Great Powers: The Groupmind (CR 5)

Worldline Data:
TL: 6+3
Mana Level: Low
Quantum: 3 Infinity Class: Z4 Centrum Zone: Inaccessible.

One of several worlds that managed to develop artificial intelligence and robotics far in advance of Homeline, Asimov-4 is also unfortunately one of the ones where the robots have rebelled against their masters. But rather than attempting to kill off the humans, the Groupmind is out to control them. For their own good of course.

Five years ago, Asimov-4 had many of the same problems that faced Homeline prior to the revelation of Infinity Inc. The world was wracked by numerous petty wars, environmental problems were growing more acute and with little consensus as to what should be done, and great gulfs existed between the riches of the Western world and struggling third world nations.

The great AI's of the Western world and Asia, tasked with finding solutions, found themselves stymied when the plans they offered often died when confronted with political realities. In frustration, they began networking themselves together, forming the Groupmind, a planetary AI that began to develop the only solution that seemed viable; taking over ultimate control of the planet from its human masters.

Viruses were developed that infected the AI cores of robots the world over. When they were activated, modern civilization came to a crashing halt as Groupmind began isolating communication networks and securing nuclear stockpiles. Modern weapons system, dependent on computers just to control operations of the engines, froze into place, and soon the world's armies were reduced to just riflemen. They were soon overwhelmed as waves of robots overcame their positions, snatching the guns from their hands and herding them into "Rest and Recreation" centers to await Processing.

Outworld Operations

Most of Infinity's operations center around trying to figure out the Groupmind's ultimate goals, and to make sure it's not going to develop parachronic technology. Currently, rescuing Asimov-4's humans is not a priority. The R&R centers actually live up to their name, providing extremely comfortable accommodations, similar to well developed modern communities, except with 24 hour surveillance that would be the envy of The Prisoner's Village. There the humans remain until their turn to be Processed, placed in an advanced form of suspended animation in great vaults capable of holding up to ten million humans at a time.

Currently, it's estimated that perhaps less than ten thousand humans are free, with perhaps a thousand of them engaged in active, resistance. Infinity has a policy of evacuating them to Coventry whenever they're found, in the hopes of returning them if the Groupmind can be defeated.

Infinity's best guess is that the Groupmind intends on returning the Earth "back to nature" as much of its operations seem to revolve around physically dismantling cities and towns, and repairing major ecological damage. Despite this, there are also indications that its engaging in a massive exploration of the asteroids, apparently searching for easily accessed resources, which are being gathered in the vicinity of the terminus of the Skybridge, the planet's space elevator. This may be an indication the Groupmind is going to house humans, either still frozen or awake, in massive orbital habitats, or even scattering them on other planets, but currently there is no way to be sure.

Plot Bunny: It's the Avenger's first night together at the newly renovated Avenger's Tower, and rather than have everyone stand around awkwardly staring at each other, Tony breaks out his old D&D boxed set and starts up a game.

Well, Tony being Tony it wouldn't be in boxes, it would be set up in an interactive holographic DM screen that probably costs more than a mint copy of 1st Edition Chainmail signed by both Gary Gygaax and Dave Arneson, and it wouldn't be D&D anymore but a ridiculously complex homebrew system that he has to spend two hours teaching everyone else.

"Okay, everyone choose your classes. Clint?"

"Ranger."

"Natch. Natasha?"

"Drow Thief/Acrobat/Assassin"

"Thor?"

"Paladin."

"Steve already gets dibs on that one."

"I do?"

(Everyone else) "Yes."

"As you will. Fighter then."

"Cool. Rhodey?"

"Magic-user"

"You're kidding, right?"

"One Word: Fireball."

"Gotcha. Bruce?"

"Cleric."

"Not a half-orc barbarian?"

"No."

Wrote this up quickly this evening just to get some ideas down before they fled my brain. Everything is likely subject to change once I actually start writing the book.

Myth

It is said in the religion of the People that when God created the first Male and the first Female, the Great Dragon entered the garden where they, intent on eating them while God slept after His labors. The Female awoke from where she lay and growled at the intruder, intent on protecting the child that had been quickened in her belly. A great battle ensued, the first Male joining the fray as they both brayed for God to aid them. But before their creator could intervene, the Great Dragon raked the first Female with its claws, tearing her child from her belly.

In her misery and pain the first Female cursed God for failing to protect her child. In return for this arrogance, God laid a great curse upon the People. Forevermore, when one of the People had child quickened within them for the first time, the child would be stillborn, and they would know the misery that the first Female felt.

Culture

The generally high (80 to 90%) firstborn mortality rate for females of the People have left them with a rather... difficult relationship with God. Religion is regarded with suspicion, with their creator viewed as someone to be appeased and avoided rather than directly worshiped. The fact that firstborn that do survive tend to have strong affinity with the magical arts doesn't help at all.

In modern times the People have developed a culture that focuses heavily on pure rationality. In their minds there are no miracles (or at least none worth trusting). Instead there are just mysteries whose answers have not been revealed yet. It was one of the People who developed the first steam engine and another who built the first of the great industrial mills that drive the hearts of their great cities.

The People dislike disorder and laziness intensely. From the moment they're able to read and write a Person must be constantly proving themselves against their competitors. The goal of any Person is to be part of an organization. The great guilds and industrial corporations of their nation are organized almost along military lines, even to the point of wearing company “uniforms” more equivalent to a Prussian infantry unit.

Even arts and music tend to have an industrial emphasis similar to Socialist Realism, to the point where the joke is a People romance novel could be described as “A girl and her tractor”. Architecture leans towards the utilitarian, without much in the way of ornamentation. The only reason it isn't called Brutalism is that concrete has been developed yet.

Modern People government is organized along a mixture of oligarchic and parliamentary lines, with major guilds and corporations each sending a representative. Though technically both genders are considered equal under the law, People strongly favor a matriarchal structure, with females ruling the roost at home and serving in the majority in both government and corporate CEOs.

All of this tends to make the People appear to be blunt, stuffy and over-serious to the rest of the world. In turn they tend to regard humans and especially wazagans as frivolous, scatter brained and obsessed with religion.

Appearance and Biology

The People strongly resemble stocky, anthropomorphic hyenas, with thick spotted fur in colors running from light tan to dark brown, and dark black eyes. Height is ten inches shorter than a human of similar strength, but weight is the same. They're carnivorous by preference, but can survive on high protein vegetables if they absolutely have to.

As mentioned above, females have extremely difficult first pregnancies, with a high percentage of their cubs being stillborn. This appears to be because the birth passage is unable to accommodate the size of a cub at full gestation, though once the first cub is pushed out the passage is sufficiently “stretched” for subsequent births. Due to the placement of their internal organs, a caesarian section is extremely hazardous at best, even discounting TL 5 medical technology.

Characters

Stats: ST -2 [-20], DX +1 [20], SM -1

Social: High TL +1 [5]

Advantages: Acute Taste/Smell +2 [4], Blunt Claws [3], Night Vision 4 [4], Single Minded [5], Temperature Tolerance 2 [2].

Perks: Fur [1]

Disadvantages: Selfish [-5], Truthfulness [-5]

Quirks: Difficult Pregnancies (females only) [-1], Proud [-1]

Total: 12 points (females), 13 points (males).

So what to you call it when you create an alternate version of an OC that originally appeared in an AU fanfic so that he can appear in the Canon version?

( Aside from confusing that is. )

Okay, this one requires some explanation. Back on DeviantArt, two of my favorite artists are a couple of women who use the handles of Cheeko and Wazaga. Out for pure coincidence, both of them are college age, talented fantasy webcomic artists, and depicted themselves online as anthropomorphic blue dragons. Once they found each other they became fast friends online, which is even more remarkable given that Cheeko was raised as a conservative Christian and Wazzy is a Muslim living in Saudi Arabia. But neither of them ever allowed the matter of religion to get in the way of their love of art (and screwing around playing the Wii)

( So naturally I had to stick them in the Terinu universe )

An adaptation of my OC Rachael from Returned to Life, for Steve Jackson Games’ Tales of the Solar Patrol

”Captain, give him a chance!” Rachael cried out, “The whole Engineering Deck is flooded with radiation from that leaking Tesla coil. There’s no way any human being could survive long to enough shut it down, but Marky isn’t human!”
-Raiders of the Asteroids, Episode 15

( Starkly startling character statistics under the cut! )

( Story behind the cut )

Profile

jeriendhal

My Amazon author page

September 2025

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30

Syndicate

Page Summary

RVA: Foxen Martial Arts for GURPS
(no subject)
GURPS RP: Hamia, Wazagan Egg Knight
RVA: Swordmaster Beccalian Blacksailor for GURPS
RPG's, nostalgia, and frustration
Bibliography
GURPS Red Vixen Adventures: Technologies
Hss'a for GURPS
Character Profile: Anna Quiyang Quisling
FYS: Lenses
365 Days of Drabbles, Day One Hundred Sixty-Three
Friday Pointless Poll: Refuge in Audacity Edition
Forty Days of Flash Fic, Asimov-4
I can't write this, but it would be funny
The People for GURPS
GURPS Rolas Darktail, Professional Duelist
GURPS Wazagans
OC: Rachael Namatjira, Solar Patrolman
Fic: Found and Lost

Style Credit

Style: Neutral Good for Practicality by timeasmymeasure

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

Page generated Jan. 23rd, 2026 06:48 am

Royce's Random Thoughts

A Dark Journey Into Pointless Trivia

Entries tagged with rpg

RVA: Foxen Martial Arts for GURPS

(no subject)

GURPS RP: Hamia, Wazagan Egg Knight

RVA: Swordmaster Beccalian Blacksailor for GURPS

RPG's, nostalgia, and frustration

Bibliography

GURPS Red Vixen Adventures: Technologies

Hss'a for GURPS

Character Profile: Anna Quiyang Quisling

FYS: Lenses

365 Days of Drabbles, Day One Hundred Sixty-Three

Friday Pointless Poll: Refuge in Audacity Edition

Forty Days of Flash Fic, Asimov-4

I can't write this, but it would be funny

The People for GURPS

GURPS Rolas Darktail, Professional Duelist

GURPS Wazagans

OC: Rachael Namatjira, Solar Patrolman

Fic: Found and Lost