Seekers of the Seven Seas Last Updated: 2-11-04 -System: Tristat dX -Dice used: d8 -dX rules can be found here: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=1881&GOO_Download_Page -Planned Starting Date: Tentatively February 16th, though subject to change. Will alternate with Kaminari no Shimei -Setting- Genre: Rennaisance Pirates/Fantasy Starting Point: Port Rio in Malta World View: http://rowyn.sandwich.net/SSS/info/worldmap.jpg Storyline: http://rowyn.sandwich.net/SSS/SSS_background.txt Other info: http://rowyn.sandwich.net/SSS/trade.txt Ship building info: http://rowyn.sandwich.net/SSS/ship.txt Example names: -Dunlor- Male: Rayik, Albert, Emil, Axel, Arne, Johan, Magnus Female: Anne, Elin, Elise, Elsa, Fanny, Hilde, Heidi, Lissi -Istin- Male: Amir, Akil, Din, Dumisani, Jafari, Pili Female: Aisha, Chinue, Hasana, Jalia, Layla, Na'weh -Malta- Male: Domingo, Edmund, Franz, Gustav, Giorgio, Louis, Victor Female: Cecelia, Erika, Lisa, Marinka, Martina, Simona, Vera -Vithril- Male: Achem, Auron, Doran, Felix, Malik, Vraz, Zoren Female: Adrea, Agra, Clement, Fiona, Hela, Melody, Vespa -Caladeem- Male: Abdul, Alim, Fadi, Husayn, Kaseem, Majid, Numair Female: Aisha, Cala, Farah, Hana', Karida, Nahlah, Salwa -Zaxon- Male: Bruno, Kurt, Leon, Martin, Paul, Sebastian, Thomas Female: Anna, Christine, Claudia, Inez, Marie, Sophia, Yvonne -Chu-lin- Male: Baoling, Chen, Dao, Li, Liang, Female: Feng, Juan, Jiang Li, Lin Yao, Mei, Pei, Shu Fang -Technical Junk- 76 CP (d8) 20 SP Stats are 2 points per level Background points will be given. Up to 4 for d8 and up to 2 more if artwork is submitted ^_^ A new attribute, called OBS, will be used for creating ships. See http://rowyn.sandwich.net/SSS/ship.txt for more info. For GM's sanity sake, penalties will be referred to as pluses and bonuses will be referred to as minuses as in BESM. They are applied to the dice roll directly. Unskilled penalties will be used. This may include Combat skills if deemed appropriately unfamiliar. Extra attacks will be spread evenly across the round. So, for example; if you have 2 attacks and roll a 15 for init, you would attack once on init 15 and once on init 7. 3 attacks would be once on 15, once on 10, once on 5, etc. Choose a nationality when you start from Maltan, Caladeem, Chu-lin, Zaxon, Vithril, Dunlorian, and Istinese. Cross breeding among different nationalities is rare (but not impossible) so any background that does so should reflect that. -Attribute Changes- Aura of Command and Art of Distraction from BESM 2e are being imported. Having "Features (Appearance)" ups seduction and AoD rolls as in BESM. Armour Attribute (if able to be taken) costs 2 or 4 points/level. Force Field costs 5 points/level Servant Attribute gives X + 2 CP and 10 SP per level for building your servant. Agent and Henchmen attribute builds will depend on the sides of the dice. With either, Henchmen will have at LEAST average stats but lowered HP. Agents will be highly scrutinized, especially at high levels. Human average is 5 for d8 New Attribute: Rapid healer +2 HP/day healing rate per level, 1 CP per Added Combat Techniques: Feint, Quick Load, Quick Draw Feint (modified) - A character may attempt to feint their opponent by using an opposed roll. The feinter rolls an Intimidate (dueling) check versus their ACV while the opponent rolls a Close Ranged Defense check versus their Mind. If the defender succeeds, they see through the bluff and the feinter has used up their action for that round. If they fail, however, the feinter is allowed a follow-through attack. This attack is made normally, but the defender defends as if they had already used up one defense that round (taking a +3 penalty to defend the feint-attack). Quick Load - Each level of this technique counts as two combat techniques. Normal reloading of weapons takes a full round to complete (no attack and +2 penalty to dodge). Taken once, a character with Quick Load takes no penalty when attempting to dodge but still loses an attack. Taken twice, a character only cannot move, they can attack and defend as normal. Quick Draw - Normally, it uses up an attack to draw a weapon. A character may attempt to draw and attack in the same motion, but takes a +3 penalty. Also, if the weapon is not drawn, a character may not make a block defense or parry with that weapon. Quick Draw negates both these penalties (thus, they can draw and attack without penalty as well as draw and parry). Accuracy and Two Weapon can't eliminate the penalty entirely, but it can reduce it to +2 if enough levels are taken. Added Defects: Delayed Entrance The character does not start out the campaign with the rest PCs. It may be a while before they actually show and may show up as an "NPC" from time to time (this will take tricky work, so make sure to coordinate with me before we do this ^_^) as a cameo appearance and will eventually join the main group. The BP for this defect will be variable, depending on how long the entrance is delayed. Basically, you will gain at LEAST as many points to bring you up to par with the rest of the PCs (and may actually gain a slight advantage over them to start ^_~). Plan your character as if they were a starting character, then give me a list at the end of where your points are intended to go once your character enters the fray (so if they make a cameo, they have the suitable skills). If you'd be disappointed at coming in late to the game, don't despair, I'll probably run private minis with the Delayed Enterance character (or characters if more than one are submitted to my liking). These won't go up as logs until the character's background starts to be revealed (think of them as "flashbacks" in a sense). Girl/Guy Magnet As in BESM 2e. No 3 BP defect. Light Weight A person with this defect has trouble with the effects of alcohol in their system. In short, they get drunk easier and stay drunk longer. At 2 and 3 BPs, the person probably has a reputation as a bit of a lush. 1 BP Character has a mild alcohol problem. Body rolls to resist getting drunk are made at +2. Alcohol stays in the system 1.5x as long as normal. 2 BP Character has a moderate alcohol problem. Body rolls to resist getting drunk are made at +4. Alcohol stays in the system twice as long as normal. 3 BP Character has a severe alcohol problem. Body rolls to resist getting drunk are made at +6. Alcohol stays in the system three times as long as normal. Less Wealth What it looks like. :P 1 BP Character starts with only 200 Drachs to their name. 2 BP Character doesn't start with any money at all. Ack! 3 BP Character actually starts out in debt. The amount of the debt depends on what sort of background the character has had. This debt must be paid at regular intervals or the character will end up in more trouble than they bargained for. Not so Energetic As Not So Tough, except character starts out with less Energy Points than normal. Racism Defect The nations and a general guide to racism Dunlor, Malta, and Caladeem all experience slight to no racism amongst the other countries. Level 1: Chu-lin, Istin, small minor tribes/groups Level 2: Zaxon Level 3: Vithril -Skill changes- -Use Historical Age of Pirates Genre for determining skills with the following exceptions: Animal Training is 3 points per level rather than 1 Foreign Culture skill will determine what cultures you may roll a CA roll to learn about. You automatically get a possible CA roll when dealing with your own culture or world history. Boating Skill costs 4 points per level and refers specifically to manning the wheel, not the sails. Electronics skill may or may not be allowed, depending on your nationality. Talk to GM for details. Occult skill and Management/Admin skills will be replaced. See below. Gun combat costs 4 points per level, Archery, Heavy Weapons, and Thrown Weapons are all 3 points/level. Special Ranged attack is 4 points/level Melee Attack and Melee Defense are split further into Close-Ranged and Long-Reach Melee. Close Ranged skills are both 6 while Long-Reach skills are 5 for Attack and 6 for Defense. Defense is made with what you are defending with. Power Usage is 4 points per level as in High Fantasy Genre. It is taken per element. Languages: Each nation has its own language as well as a universal "common" language that most diplomats and merchants speak. All PCs start out knowing Common and their native language for free. Other languages that can be learned are Dunlorian, Maltan, Istinese, Vithril, Zaxon, Caladeem, Caladeem hand signs, Chu-lin, and Ancient. Each level of Languages allows the learning of one of these languages. Foreign Culture: As described above, each level of Foreign Culture allows one Culture. The cultures are the same as the languages (except for the hand signs) Boating: Refers to manning a ship and taking the helm. Specializations: Rowboats, single-mast, two-mast, tri-mast, multimast New Skills: Lore (4 ppl): Replaces Occult. Stat: Mind. Specializations: Treasure Hunting, Tall tales, Not-so-tall tales, specific cultural lore Merchantile (3 ppl): Replaces M/A Stat: Mind. Specializations: Trade routes, Haggling, Market politics, taxes/levies, Shop ownership Sailing (4 ppl): Knowledge of properly hoisting and manning the sails to catch the best winds Stat: Body Specializations: Knotwork, Rigging, Hoisting, Grip Carousing (3 ppl): Ability to hold one's liquor and be the life of the party Stat: Body, sometimes Soul Specializations: bars/taverns, outdoors, shipboard, upper-class Magic Resistance (7 ppl) Stat: Soul, DCV Specializations: By element Heavy Weapons (3 ppl) Stat: ACV Specializations: Cannons (land based), cannon shot (at sea), grape shot, chain shot, harpoon guns -Magic System- See http://rowyn.sandwich.net/SSS/SSS_background.txt for more detail on the magic in SSS. Magic will be governed by 3 types of attributes: Adept/Affinity, Elemental Techs, and Sorcery. Sorcery is mutually exclusive, so if you choose sorcery, you cannot choose any of the other two. Of course, you don't have to choose any magic but it's fun if you do. First path: Adept/Affinity Cost: 2 or 4 points/level Relevant Stat: Soul Required PMVs: None Optional PMVs: None Progression: Descriptive; See below Reductions: Rarer elemental effect (common elements only) Restrictions: One specific elemental point, one particular place A character with this attribute chooses one (and only one) element that they have an affinity with. The character doesn't gain any "obvious" elemental powers and in fact may not even realize they have the affinity. Rather, the person is simply significantly better when they're in their element. The rarer the area, the more the affinity manifests itself. Some have sworn that certain people have gotten flames burning in their eyes or that the wind suddenly howled louder around them. Of course, elements that are overly abundant require special circumstances to manifest. Even a water adept won't have anything happen while they're at sea or a rock adept do fantastic stunts while they're on land. Effectively, someone who is an adept gets a GM-supplied benefit whenever they're in their proper element. This benefit can manifest itself in many ways: Knowledge of directions, sudden DRs, sudden bonuses to their roll, sudden penalties to defense for their opponent, etc. Some benefits may require a soul roll in order to manifest. If the elemental font is particularly potent, the effective level of the benefit may be increased or the duration may last longer. The cost is 2 points/level if the adept is flame, ice, mist, or lightning (uncommon elements). Wind, Water, Rock, Wood, and Blood adepts cost 4 points/level Examples of elemental fonts: Flame: Volcanos, forest fires, burning cities and the like Ice: Snow, frozen plains Mist: Morning dew, fog Wind: Strong gales Lightning: Thunderstorms Water: Fresh water sources, rain Sound: Not found in adepts. Rock: Caverns, cliffs Wood: Forests Blood: Battle fields, drawing of blood (usually one's own, although being suicidal dulls it) Level 1: The character gains an insignificant advantage from being in their element. Level 2: The character gains a mild advantage from being in their element. Level 3: The character gains a moderate advantage from being in their element. Soul roll at -1 bonus when required. Level 4: The character gains a large advantage from being in their element. Soul roll at -1 bonus when required. Level 5: The character gains a strong advantage from being in their element. Soul roll at -2 bonus when required. Level 6: The character gains a supreme advantage from being in their element. Soul roll at -2 bonus when required. Addendum: Adepts can get certain attributes, provided they are "elementally appropriate." Alternatively, they may get the Unknown Superhuman Powers attribute if they don't yet know they're an adept. Elemental contact may be required for certain powers if taken in this case. If the element is sufficiently rare, defect points will be awarded for this type of power. Second path: Elemental Techniques A person becomes an elemental technique user by gaining the Special Attack attribute with the following restrictions: -Rule change: all tech attacks are assumed to have the range of the weapon it's linked to. This damage is added onto the damage when appropriate. Altering the range is possible but counts as an attribute if it increases the range and a defect if it decreases it. For example, firing a wind blade out of a sword counts as a one-shot ability (increases the normal melee weapon to short ranged) while making a pistol shot tech at point blank range counts as a one-slot disability (decreasing from short ranged to melee.) -A tech user may also get "Linked (Attribute)" if they so desire, which allows them to obtain certain psuedo-magic abilities so long as the Attribute has the Dependent Defect or is in some way related to combat. For example, one may create an attack which heals, an attack that teleports when it connects, etc. The abilities that will be allowed are limited. -Uses Energy at first level is 5 EP per level of special attack. Taken twice, it's 10 EP per level. -Primary attack must be elemental. Secondary attacks of the same element or that are non-elemental cost 1 point per level. Secondary attacks of a different element are 2 points per level. Addendum: This is only to START the element. Additional techs can then be purchased in that element at the 1 point per level cost at a lower or equal level. -Addendum: Additional attacks may also combine elements up to the lowest elemental level at the one point per level cost. If the tech user wishes to make their highest attack a combined elemental attack, they must have a minimum of 3 different attacks: The combo attack at 4 points/level, one attack in the first element at 2 points/level, and one attack in the second element at 1 point/level. Increase the minimum for tri-, quad-elemental (or more) attacks as appropriate. -Elements are listed above. -An Adept may also become a tech-user with the following restriction. They may only take techniques of their adept element. Nothing else. -The attack must have a name. ^_^ The technique user may or may not state the name of the attack when they use it. Third path: Sorcery A person becomes a sorcerer by creating magical attributes, of which almost any will be allowed (those I know for sure will definitely be out are Power Flux, Dynamic Powers, and any spaceage attribute). The character must take the Burns Energy defect so that the EP used is at least equal to the CP cost of the attribute (if the proper EP value is not available, round down). Using a magical power at a lower level than max will result in a lessened EP cost at the GM's discretion. Exception: Powers that are built on 1-3 CPs take 1 EP to cast which doesn't count as the Burns Energy defect. Otherwise it would negate the cost of the spell. Ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Addendum: Spells cast over time require a minimum of 1 BP per level of the attribute. In cases of 1 CP/level attributes, they always burn at least 1 EP and can only take up to one less than the max level of the attribute. Common types of spells with the elements are below, but by no means limited to these few. Melding with the element is common to all elements: Flame: destructive spells, strength, reincarnation Ice: temperature control, hindering spells, shielding Mist: concealment, disguise/illusion, regeneration, healing, sensory deprivation Wind: healing, mental warping, flight, teleportation Lightning: destructive spells, luck, damage resistance, block magic Water: cloning, healing, teleportation, scrying Sound: sensors, sonic attacks, deafening, mental warping Rock: heavy armor, conjuring, body manipulation, immobility Wood: shape change, regeneration, ressurrection, plant control Blood: Contamination, metamorphosis, cloning, poisoning Special attacks acquired through magic cannot have the "Linked (Attack)" attribute or "Uses Energy" defect (since they already are required to use energy), must Burn Energy equal to at least 6 times the level of the SA, and they must have at least one hand free before casting. Only the highest level of SA determines the BP gained from the BE Defect. If Concentration is required, they need both hands free. Addendum: Mages aren't as limited by the elements. It is preferred that a mage focus on one particular element, but not as hindering. Blood mages: Blood mages can get magic via "Burns Blood" instead of using "Burns Energy." The HP lost through this attribute is the same scale as Burns Energy and cannot be regained through anything except natural healing. Each burned HP counts as 2 EP for purposes of determining the minimum required HP to cast. Using others blood as well is possible, however more blood will be required (plus other potential consequences down the road.) -"Normal" attributes (Attributes that can be obtained without magic)- Adaptation (weather effects only; only protects against the environment, not spells (thus Adaptation (Heat) wouldn't protect against fires without being magical, but it would protect against desert environments) Exception: Adepts can gain Adaptation in their key element) Agents Attack Combat Mastery (max 1 level) Combat Technique Defence Combat Mastery (max 1 level) Energy Bonus Extra Attacks Extra Defences Features (Appearance only w/o magic) Gadgeteer (Can be "Shipwrighteer" as well) Gadgets Heightened Awareness Henchmen Highly Skilled Item of Power (requires GM discussion) Massive Damage Organizational Ties (requires GM discussion) Own a Big Ship (OBS; see below) Servant Special Movement (Except Dimension Hop, Wall-crawling, and Water-walking) Tough -Tech Attributes (Attributes techs can get (unlinked, some others may be linked)) Combination Attack (+1 character per level instead of +2; must specify attacks linked) Jumping (Level 1 only w/o magic) Speed (1/2 level at 3 points/level. Full levels require magic) -Attributes forbidden (magic or otherwise) Computer Scanning Transforming Contamination (disease type still allowed) Damage Absorption Damage Conversion Dynamic Powers Hyperflight Power Flux Self-Reincarnation Wealth -Creating a vessel- OBS (Own a Big Ship) Cost: 4 points/level Progression: Linear; 10 Ship Points/level Reduction: Less Mecha Points/level Restrictions: Most special/Mecha-Only defects from BESM As OBM in BESM, the ship points may be used to purchase attributes for the ship (within reason). Most "Mecha-Only" attributes in BESM are allowed (with the exception of Transformation, Super Transformation, Extra Endurance, Subordinate Mecha, and Mecha Regeneration). The same is true of Mecha-Only Defects except Exposed Occupants (they're all exposed), Limited Endurance, Start-up time, Reduced Capacity. Wind-Powered is necessary at least at level 1 as is Awkward Size. As general rule do not include defects that are implied by the setting; they are all assumed. Light Armor, Heavy Armor, and Toughness for ships are at BESM cost (4 points/level for each; 10 armor and 20 HP per level respectively) Awkward Size determines the amount of Crew/Cargo capacity a ship may have. Each level of AS provides a -1 bonus to be hit as well as other consequences (added port/maintenance costs, harder to maneouver in shallows), but provides 2 points of armor for each level of AS to a max of 10. Weapon attacks are allowed for ships, usually symbolizing magical cannon shot. Optimised armor can be purchased to protect against this type of shot. Each ship must have the Crew Requirement defect equal to 2 less than its levels of Awkward Size. Cannons and cannon shot can be acquired as a major gadget, as well as other supplies. Features (1 point per level) includes things a ship would normally (but doesn't have to) have. Examples include a galley, figurehead, cushy cabin space, a captain's table, crow's nest, emergency row boats, etc. If the item is especially costly, custom-built, and/or usually illegal for the ship to have, it may count as 2 Features (or more). Examples of these include a shallow hull, hidden cargo panels, a golden figurehead, an area for galley slaves (think hard before chosing this one ^^;), etc. Features (Appearance) can also be bought for ships. As well as the Physically Unappealing Defect "But it's such a pretty boat...I mean, ship!" -Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl -Starting Equipment- Every character starts with clothes, food and water, and 500 Drachs, which is recognized as a universal currency. If the character wishes a weapon, then it must be purchased either with the starting money or with the Gadgets attribute. A character may opt to trade a minor "gadget" for 50 additional drachs at character creation. All firearms are built at +12 damage but are flint or wheel lock. Thus they only have 1 or 2 shots (depending on the type of gun; single or double barreled, double barreled being more expensive) before they need to be reloaded. Multishot pistols are available, but are unreliable and don't carry the +12 bonus. If the d8 version is selected, damage will be adjusted accordingly to account for the increased HP. The amount of the increase is as of yet undecided. -Restoration- HP is restored at a rate equal to Body Stat per day. Double if properly healed, halved if unrested. EP is restored at a rate equal to Mind+Soul per 4 hours while resting, half if active. Energy and health restoring elixirs may be able to be purchased. If you have any questions about character creation, the game world, or want to run a character concept by me, please talk to me as Rowyn on #besm, in #seekers, or email me at rowyn2001@yahoo.com. #seekers would be preferred. If submitting a character, fill out two character sheets: One d6 version, one d8 version. Eventually a quick reference guide including a just numbers sheet will be asked of all characters. E-mail all sheets to rowyn2001@yahoo.com (please do not post them). -Note: Rules always subject to change as necessity provides