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ALTERNITY ROLEPLAYING FAN MAGAZINE

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ALTERNITY ROLEPLAYING FAN MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 20032

The Last ResortDisclaimersThe Last Resort is a electronic magazinededicated to the Alternity Role-PlayingGame.

This work is offered free of charge to allinterested parties and is not to be sold inany form. It may be printed or offered fordownload if distributed free of charge.

This work supports the Alternity roleplay-ing line, specifically the Alternity PlayersHandbook and Gamemaster Guide. In addi-tion it supports the campaign settingsStar*Drive, Gamma World, Dark Matter,and Tangents by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

Alternity is a registered trademark ofWizards of the Coast, Inc.

This work is not authorized by, nor is thestaff associated with Wizards of theCoast, Inc.

Wizards of the Coast, Inc.:http://www.wizards.com

StaffExecutive Editor/Layout: Daryl BlasiAssociate Editors/Writers:Gonzalo Campoverde (Ver. Omn. Lib.)Odysseas Dallas (Action Emporium)Matthew R. Esch (Cook�s Guide,

Mind�s Eye)Ryan Kershner (Legion)Dwayne Leonard (Species Catalogue)Ranko Trifkovic (Tavern Tales)Writers:Dragan Ciric, Derek Holland, Ruin, KevinLoughran, James NostackArtists:Dragan Ciric, Chris Campbell, Sarah Hollman, Dwayne Leonard, Mike Meechan

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Table of Contents�Starlord� by Dragan Ciric Cover ArtNanotechnology Rules by James Nostack 4

Rules for Nanotechnology in Alternity

Cook�s Guide to Open Space: Planet Penates, Lucullus System, Verge by Montgomery Cook IX 13

Montgomery Cook makes a hasty retreat from Penates

Species Catalogue: Zymeth by Dragan Ciric 14An engineered underwater species

Xenohunter�s Field Guide: Uberchicken by David Tormsen 17A mutated chicken for the Dark Matter setting

Tangents: The Distress Signal by David Tormsen 19A tangent adventure seed with neanderthals and the Inquisition

Bestiary Bizarre: Neopus by Derek Holland 21Mutant octopus for the Gamma World setting

Veritas Omnes Liberant: PARA: Paranormal Armed Response Agency by David Andrews 24

A secret British agency that investigates the paranormal

Tavern Tales:Saga of Blades, Part 2 by Odysseas Dallas 28

Mind�s Eye:Mindwalker�s Toy Box by Matthew R. Esch 30

Psi puzzles

Telepath SCM Template by Matthew R. Esch 34

Home Rule Advantage: Melee Weapons Skill by Odysseas Dallas 35

Action Emporium: Sword Compendium, Vol 1 by Odysseas Dallas 39European Ancient, Medieval and Early Renaissance Swords

Legion: Yamato Kimizaki by Ryan Kershner 50A ruthless assassin

Alternity Fan Spotlight: Mike Meechan 51

SIDEBARS

Alternity Game Prop: Under the Table Nanotech by Daryl Blasi 12

Dark Matter Game Prop: The Undead Poet Society by Daryl Blasi 18

Dark Matter Game Prop: Bloodfight Club by Daryl Blasi 38

The Last Resort�s color scheme references the majorpublished campaign settings for Alternity.

General Alternity

Star Drive

Dark Matter

Gamma World

3LAST RESORT 2

SubmissionsThe Last Resort is accepting any Alternity-relat-ed articles for publication. We will also acceptgeneral roleplaying articles that can be used forthe Alternity game.

Authors may wish to submit applicable articlesto regular or semi-regular columns. The follow-ing is a list of the current columns:Action Emporium: arms, armor and equipmentBestiary Bizarre: creatures for Gamma WorldsettingCyber Shop: robotics and cyberneticsDomain Virtua: detailed grid siteFoes Fantastic: creatures for arcane AlternityGrid Run: computers and gridrunningHome Rule Advantage: home rules for AlternityLegion: heroes, villains, and SCMsMind�s Eye: psionicsSpecial FX: super powers and magicSpecies Catalogue: alien species for AlternitySword and Staff: arcane AlternityTavern Tales: game fictionTangents: alternate worldsVeritas Omnes Liberant: conspiracies for DarkMatter settingXenohunter�s Field Guide: xenoforms for DarkMatter settingNote: Cook�s Guide is written every issue byMatthew R. Esch under the pseudonym ofMontgomery Cook IX. We will accept other cor-respondents who want to cover the Star Driveuniverse and either incorporate the article intoCook�s Guide or format it as a stand alone arti-cle, whatever the author�s preference.

If you have an idea for a new regular column feelfree to email us at [email protected]

Article Guidelines1. Word or text is the preferred format for sub-

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Editorial: D20 or Not D20I actually looked forward to the release of Third Edition Dungeons and Dragons, evenafter playing and then dedicating myself to the spread of the Alternity system (BestDamn Game System This Side of the Universe). I had started my roleplaying journeywith Advanced Dungeons and Dragons and still had fond memories of the game. I wascurious to see what was changed around and whether or not it was an improvement. Ipurchased the Player�s Guide, Dungeon Master�s Guide and the Monster Manual andspent some time absorbing the information. Now my confession...

I thought it was a big improvement over the old system. (Duck and cover)I stand by that opinion because it fixed a lot of things that bugged me about the old

game. I applauded the standard dice mechanic and I rejoiced at the death of THACO,something I had long abandoned in my own campaign. The prestige class was a novelidea and the new multiclass system was greatly needed. I was happy to see the old dogget revitalized and even considered starting up a D&D campaign. I had my homemadesetting ready to go and I just needed to convert over to D20. Before I went too far I satand reflected. Sure, I thought 3E was a good restructuring of the granddaddy of allRPGs. I thought it was superior to the older editions. But why drive a new Saturn whenyou have a high performance Porshe in the driveway?

I couldn�t bring myself back to the world of ever-escalating hit points, nonabsorbingarmor, and straightjacket level systems. I loved mortal damage, the clank of a sword onchainmail, and the true customization of all character skills. Alternity had everything Ineeded for the kind of game I wanted to gamemaster. Bah on Critical Hits and its flimsymultiplying trickery! I had Amazing hits with nasty Mortals to scare my players with. If Iever revitalized my fantasy setting it would be fitted with the RPG powerhouse that isAlternity.

Now I go to the bookstores and look at the latest D20 books and smirk. There arevariations on the hit point system and there are rules that attempt to simulate thereality of handguns and weaponry but they all fall short of Alternity. The Alternity sys-tem just has that special something that blends cinematic with reality to provide agreat gaming experience. If you were to ask me what that special something is I wouldgive you the 4 Ms:

1. MORTALS: Alternity has the perfect durability system. A sword can actually causedeath with one strike. A person can actually be �mortally wounded� with a sword. Thewonder of it all. Death by one little sword strike. And guns can kill you one shot too.Weird, huh?2. MOGA (Marginal/Ordinary/Good/Amazing): What can I say? I love variable suc-cess results. Nothing is better than laughing wickedly and yelling �Amazing Hit� whenmy cyber hate demon is firing a mass rifle at some cocky player who doesn�t havethe good sense to duck behind a wall.3. MAD SKILLS: A player can acquire skills and get better at whatever they wantwithout being restricted by class. My brainiac scientist might be a genius at geneticmanipulation but he is also a crack shot with a handgun. Tech Op does not equalcombat incompetent. Sure I could jump around with multiclass options but that wouldbe like buying a static skill package every level. 4. MAGNIFICENT MECHANICS: Now this is what I call a dice system. Sometimes I sitand wonder at the beauty of the Situation Die, elegantly shifting back and forthbetween positive and negative. No unwieldy numbers to add. No large handfuls ofdice to roll.I could go on but I don�t have two pages to continue my little rant. Let�s just say I can�t

bring myself to discard the genius of Alternity for a less satisfying product. Sorry D20. Imight play you if the opportunity arises but when I gamemaster, make mine Alternity.

Later, true believers.

Daryl Blasi, Executive Editor

Note: I apologize for the use of the term �Mad Skills�. I am neither young nor hip enoughto use this slang authentically. I just needed another �M�. Peace out, dawgs.

NOVEMBER 20034

NanotechNew Physical Science skillCost: 5Profession: Tech OpNanotechnology falls under the Physical Science broad skill,but it�s maddeningly interdisciplinary. A nanotechnologistmust be adept at organic chemistry, engineering, computerprogramming, genetics, and ecology; for this reason it costs5 skill points (4 for Tech Ops). The nanotech skill permitsthe design, manufacture, instruction, and troubleshooting ofnanobot systems.

Like the genetics specialty skill, all nanotech analysisrequires sophisticated CAD-CAM software; you can�t do thisstuff with a paper and pencil. Using a nanotech gauntlet tosimplify the design process provides a �1 step bonus; hav-ing a bush robot to do the manufacturing gives a further�2 step improvement. ! Design Simple Nanotech: At rank 3, a character candesign simple nanotech gadgets, like the kind described inthe �Equipment� section. This is usually a task of Marginalor Ordinary complexity.! Design Advanced Nanotech: At rank 6, a charactercan design cyberswarms or nanomods. This is generally atask of Good or Amazing complexity, depending on thesophistication of the system.! Increased Skill: Like the other specialty skills underPhysical Science, this skill becomes easier with greatermastery. The hero gets a �1 step bonuses to the nanotechskill at ranks 3, 6, 9 and 12.

New CareersNanotechnologistThese Tech Ops are the masters of the microscopic world.From the board room to the battlefield, nanotech has reconfig-ured how people live, work, and fight, and a wise group ofheroes will want someone who is conversant with these sys-tems. A nanotechnologist reprograms captured cyberswarms,designs new gadgetry for the team, and figures out how to han-dle the catastrophes created if things ever go wrong.

Signature Skills: Physical Science-chemistry, nanotech 2,physics; Life Science; Computer Science-programming. Cost:35 skill pts.

Signature Equipment: Nanotech gauntlet. One cyber-swarm, or one nanomod, of controlled availability or less.

HazMat Specialist.These Combat Specs go into the nastiest situations imagina-ble: places where chemical, biological, or nanotech weaponshave been, or soon will be, deployed. These heroes fightagainst, and are sometimes armed with, the dirtiest weaponsscience can create. Outside of war zones they often partici-pate in urgent clean-up or rescue operations.

Signature Skills: Armor Operation; Heavy Weapons-indirectfire;. Demolitions-disarm;. Knowledge-first aid. Cost: 25 skill pts.

Signature Equipment: Sentry swarm. Soft e-suit.

New FlawMicrophobia (2, 4, 6 pts)A microphobe is frightened by small things�in this case,nanites. This flaw is handled just like a normal phobia (see PHB,p108), except it�s triggered by the presence, or suspectedpresence, of nanotech stuff, especially nanomods and cyber-swarms.

Explanation and Overview.Though I presume every sci-fi roleplayer is familiar with the idea,nanotechnology refers to a futuristic form of manufacturing.Extremely tiny robots interact with individual atoms and placethem in fantastically precise patterns. This means you couldcreate a gear the size of a molecule, or write the entireEncyclopedia Britannica on the head of a pin. In more practicalterms this allows you to create programmable matter that canbe applied in many nifty ways. Mature nanotechnology wouldlook very similar to magic if you didn�t know what was going on.

This file presents nanotech from several different angles, andit might make sense to examine it gradually, rather than all atonce. In the first section you will find a new specialty skill, newcareer paths, and a new flaw appropriate to settings withmolecular manufacturing.

Next I have presented some simple nanotech equipment,from trivial applications like living toothpaste to very sophisticat-

ed systems like the bush robot, which manufactures swarms ofnanites for industrial purposes. The most important of thesegadgets is the universal assembler: when properly pro-grammed, it can build most macrotech items.

Although nanites inside the human body are technicallycybergear, I have treated them as pseudo-mutations to reflectthe fact that nanites behave like intelligent cells. Most of these�nanomods� are not permanent.

A cloud of nanites, also known as a �cyberswarm,� can bedesigned for many different tasks, from guard duty to garden-ing. While conventional attacks don�t work very well againstthem, cyberswarms can be damaged in a variety of other ways,and most move very slowly. Rather than an ultimate weapon,cyberswarms occupy a very specific tactical niche.

A discussion of progress levels, existing campaign settings,and other versions of nanotech rules occurs at the end of thisdocument.

The Basics

NANO TECHNOLOGY RULESby James Nostack

5LAST RESORT 2

NANOTECHNOLOGY RULES

EquipmentMostly new equipment, but I�ve includeda few nanotech items from publishedsources for the sake of completeness.

Acoustic Control Device (ACD):You can�t control nanites with electricity:they�re too small for copper wires towork, and they�re usually moving aroundin suspension. Instead they are instructedby broadcasting via high frequency soundwaves; the sound waves are too highpitched for humans to hear, but they maybe audible to bats or sensitive dogs.Sometimes the ACD itself is built on thenanotech scale if humans aren�t meant tointerfere, but many other devices (likeutility fog) feature an acoustic controldevice large enough for humans tointeract with. An ACD has a range of 10,100, or 1000 meters, depending onwhether the signal transmits throughsolid objects, liquids, or air.

From a gaming point of view, the ACDoffers a way to hack nanites, thoughclearly this should not be easy (4successes at least). Even finding theright transmission frequency for a newlyencountered swarm might require acommunications or cryptography skillcheck. The ACD can be jammed usingthe Systems Operation-communicationsskill and the appropriate hardware.

Brain Scanner: This deviceresembles a hospital bed, but thefunctional part is a helmet that secretesnanites into the patient�s brain. Therethey map the neural network andconstruct a braintape of that individual�sort of a cognitive sculpture of hispersonality and memories. (A braintapeis useful in psychodesign, the futuristicversion of psychiatry.)

Scanning a brain is always a complexmedical knowledge skill check. The task�scomplexity determines the quality of thebraintape: making a Good braintape is atask of Good complexity.

Bullseye Disease: These nanitesresemble disease bacteria, but they havebeen programmed to only attack targetswith a pre-selected genotype. You could,for example, design a bullseye disease toattack only people who are left-handed, oreven a single person. People who do not

meet the criteria are not infected. Notethat the designer must have a geneticsample to work with, and any cloneswould be affected since they share thesame DNA.

In game terms, treat a bullseye diseaseas a regular disease, but only against thetarget population. Non-targeted people donot have to worry about it.

Bush Robot: Not an attempt atpolitical satire, but a seriously proposedsystem of nano-manufacturing. A bushrobot has a central trunk that splits intothree branches; each of these also splitsinto three, and so on down to thenanometer scale. In operation the bushrobot curls up so that it resemblessynthetic tumbleweed, and brings billionsof micro-filaments to arrange goo stockinto nanites. A bush robot can createone cyberswarm or nanomod per day.

Bush robots are the key to productivenano-manufacturing. As such, they areextremely valuable and are never seenoutside of heavily guarded corporatecampuses. Their combat statistics aresupplied later in this document.

Grenade, Flytrap: A grenadedesigned to destroy cyberswarms: when

detonated, it emits a gravitationalattraction sufficient to swallow a swarm(along with any other microorganismsnearby), but macro-scale objects aren�taffected. A gravitic flytrap does 3d4,2d4, or 1d4 wound points to anycyberswarm within 2, 4, or 6 meters.

Grenade, Smoke: Described on page183 of the Players Handbook, thisweapon not only confuses humans, italso scrambles a cyberswarm�s internalcommunications array. It inflicts 2d4stun points of damage to anycyberswarm in a 6 meter radius.

Hive: A container and power source fora single cyberswarm. It�s the size of a0.33 liter can, and includes an ACDattuned to its swarm. Though normallycarried in the hand or on a belt, the hivecan be installed as cybergear. Thisoption costs $3000, takes up 2 �cyber-slots,� and requires a nanocomputer.

Intelligent Poison: Nanites areinjected into the bloodstream of thehost, replicate, and pass through theblood-brain barrier. Then they begin todismantle the brain. Although this istechnically an extremely accelerateddisease, treat it as an injected

GADGET PL AVAILABILITY COST

Blueprints 7 (as item) (cost of item) Acoustic Control Device 6 Common $300 Brain Scanner 7 Controlled $8000 Bullseye Disease 6 Military of Restricted Varies Bush Robot 7 Restricted $200K Goo Stock 6 Common (cost of item) x1, x5,

or x10 Grenade, Flytrap 7 Controlled $300 Grenade, Smoke 5 Controlled $50 Hive 7 Common $500 (external);

$3000 (cyber)Intelligent Poison 6 Restricted $500 per dose Living Toothpaste 6 Any $2 per month Microbot Surgical Theater 7 Military $15K Nanofluidic Armor 7 Restricted $25K Nanotech Gauntlet 7 Controlled $2000 Octopus Knife 7 Military $2000 Smart Camo 7 Military 4 times garment price Transparent Blindfold 6 Controlled $500Universal Assembler 7 Common $50KVideo Clothes 6 Any 2, 3, or 4 times

garment price 3D

NOVEMBER 20036


neurotoxin (GMG, page 60), with a +2penalty due to its severity. The onsettime is 30 minutes, and the duration is5 minutes. Bodily conditions that affectdiseases or toxins, such as variousmutations or nanomods, can combatintelligent poison.

Living Toothpaste: Not really alive, ofcourse: it�s just a bunch of nanites thatscrub your teeth and get rid of plaque.

A variant exists which caps your teethwith diamondoid tips: your teeth becomeas hard as diamond. This lets acharacter bite for d4 stuns, d4+1 stuns,or d4+2 stuns of unarmed damage. If acharacter possesses the naturalweaponry mutation, diamondoid teethincrease the damage by +1. Variantavailability: Controlled. Cost: $1000.

Microbot Surgical Theater:(Taken from the Star*Drive Arms andEquipment Guide, pg 19.) This 10 kgbriefcase contains an ACD that controlsa swarm of medical nanites. These sub-cellular robots pass into the patient�sbody whereupon they take directionfrom the surgeon. With each successfulsurgery check, the nanites heal onepoint of mortal damage, or two points ofwound damage (i.e., twice the normalrate). A microbot surgical theater givesa �2 bonus to the surgery checkassuming the surgeon has attained atleast rank 5; those with less experienceonly get a �1 step bonus.

Nanofluidic Armor (Had�Niltas):(Taken from the Star*Drive Arms andEquipment Guide, pg 79)Availability: RestrictedCost: $25,000Mass: 12 kgComposition: NanofluidicsEnvironmental Tolerance�

Gravity: G0-G4Radiation: R0-R4Atmosphere: A0-A4Pressure: P0-P4Heat: H0-H4

Action Penalty: +1 penaltyToughness: OrdinaryProtection: 2d4 vs. Light Impact, d6+1vs. High Impact, 2d4+1 vs. EnergyHide: +1Effective Strength: 15

Developed by the Mechalus, thispowered armor is light and flexible, andmarks a vast improvement over bulkybody tanks. Designed to look like a full-body jumpsuit, the had�niltas contains athick layer of nanofluids that instantlyharden to deflect any attack. Itautomatically stiffens around low-velocity attacks, and can easily dissipateenergy discharges. Since this armorwould make criminals or enemy soldiersalmost unstoppable, it is severelyrestricted by the Mechalus military. Itonly sees action in the most savageengagements.

Nanotech Gauntlet: A professionalcomputer gauntlet for nanotechnolo-gists. This one includes a vacuum tanknear the wrist, and inside the sealedenvironment microfilaments, like thoseof a bush robot, can study nanotechsystems. Atomic force microscopesprovide a display for working with suchtiny stuff. Like other professionalgauntlets, it confers a �1 step bonus tothe nanotech skill.

Octopus Knife (NanotechPowered Melee Weapon): Skill: Melee-poweredAccuracy: 0Range: PersonalType: Light impact (ordinary)Damage: d6w, d6+2w, d6mActions: 2Payload: Robotic knife edgeClip Size: 10 usesClip Cost: $500Hide: +3Mass: 1Availability: MilitaryCost: $2000

This is a nanotech melee weapon usedby the Mechalus. The razor-sharp blade,only one molecule thick on its leadingedge, is actually composed of �liquidsteel.� When you stab someone with anoctopus knife, the blade expands into agruesome grappling hook of whirling,razor-sharp tendrils, robotically ripsitself out along with several vital organs,and then resumes its original shape,ready for another attack.

Smart Camo: The equivalent ofstealth weave (Star*Drive Arms &Equipment Guide, pg 9), this stuffchanges its color to match thesurroundings. It provides a �2 stepbonus to Stealth checks, and a +1improvement in the wearer�s Dexterityresistance modifier. If depositedsuddenly in a radically newenvironment, the camo rapidly shiftsthrough a kaleidoscope until it finds amatch; this reverses the modifiers forone full round (+2 to Stealth, -1 to Dexmod). Smart camo quadruples thecost of a garment.

Transparent Blindfold: A varianton video cloth, this blindfold can turntransparent when commanded by anauthorized security computer or voicepattern; it can generate white noise intoa character�s ears, which neutralizesthe sense of hearing should theoperator desire. Third party observershave a +2 penalty to notice theblindfold, since it looks transparent tothem. The blindfold has no visible seamor knot; it forces a +1 penalty tosecurity devices checks to remove itwithout authorization.

Video Clothes: Nanoweave canchange the color and cut of anygarment. Rather than buying a newdress when the old one goes out ofstyle, you can keep the same dressand simply download a new pattern.Video clothes are continuously self-cleaning and do not need to belaundered. Video clothes cost abouttwice as much as a �dumb� equivalent.(Please note that most of the specialweaves listed on page 9 of theStar*Drive Arms and EquipmentGuide�anti-scan weave, climateweave, etc.�can actually be betterjustified through nanotechnology.)

7LAST RESORT 2


Nanomods.Custom-made nanites enter the host�s body and augmentnormal bodily functions. While they do not re-write the host�sDNA, they can mimic certain mutations. Nanomods are nottreated like regular cybergear, since they occupy virtually nospace inside the body and no not require surgery, but they dorequire a nanocomputer to coordinate their actions, and takeup one slot of active memory. A character can only have onenanomod at any given time.

Each nanomod must be compatible with the host�s immunesystem and genetic structure. In game terms, it requires asimple genetics skill check to calibrate it. On any success, thevirus works normally, and the host displays her new traitswithin 1d4 days. If the genetics skill check ends in a failure,the host suffers from an Ordinary disease, or a Good diseaseon a critical failure. Anything that affects a character�s toler-ance for disease will come into play. The nanomod will nottake hold, even if the hero fights off the disease.

For reasons of ecological safety, the typical nanomod deac-tivates itself after one week, yet it requires only the addition ofsome replication software for the nanites to survive indefinite-ly: a nanomod can be made permanent at 10 times the cost.Permanent nanomods also have a tighter availability by onerank: a military nanomod becomes restricted.Acceptor Nanomod: Inspired by Mechalus body chemistry,these suppress the immune system�s reaction to cybergear.If a check to reject cybergear is made (see PHB, pg 241),acceptor nanomods grant a �2 step bonus to keep the gear.

Universal AssemblerThis appliance, about the size of a clothes dryer, is the key tonano-manufacturing: it can make whatever you want, so long asyou give it molecular fuel and sufficiently detailed instructions.

A universal assembler requires 3D blueprints to work. Theseare data files that specify the exact location of every atom in anobject. Due to the massive amount of information, each kilogramrequires 1 data slot of storage. Writing a blueprint from scratchrequires rank 3 in nanotech, and is a task of Amazing complexitywith a +3 step modifier.

Because no company wants to drive itself out of business, 3Dblueprints are designed to erase themselves once the objectgets built�this way you can�t buy one set of blueprints and makean infinite number of objects. Of course, illegal gridsites mayoffer �file-swapping� services.

You must feed a universal assembler with the appropriategoo stock. Goo contains fantastically pure concentrations ofchemical elements, pre-arranged into simple structures likegears, helixes, or sheets. The assembler plucks out the struc-ture it needs and uses it to build whatever the 3D blueprintspecifies.

Goo comes in different �flavors,� reflecting its efficiency for cer-tain tasks. Flavors include electronics goo (for computers), pro-tein goo (for food or organic chemicals), and metallo goo (forguns and automobiles). When handling something in its flavor, auniversal assembler produces 1 kg per hour, at a cost equal tomacrotech; non-optimal items operate at ten times the cost and

price. For example, protein goo could make a gourmet meal inone hour for $30, but it would take the same goo 10 hours and$300 to make a computer mouse.

The favorite choice of goo for adventurers is �infini-goo,� whichhandles everything, but not very fast. Infini-goo makes all items at5 times the time and price. In the above example, it would makethe meal, or the mouse, in 5 hours for $150. It�s the best thingto have if you don�t know what you�re likely to need.

Limitations� An assembler requires a 3D blueprint of an object to work

from; it cannot improvise.� An assembler can only work from goo stock; it can�t use

�raw� molecules on site.� A universal assembler cannot create a live creature, though

it could create a corpse.� An assembler can only make objects from the Fusion Age

(PL 6) or earlier.� An assembler can only make macrotech objects. No living

toothpaste or smart camo.

Variant: Municipal Assembler This version is the size ofa city block, and meets the manufacturing needs of 50,000 peo-ple. A municipal assembler costs $1B, and therefore is out ofthe price range of heroic characters, though it may prove veryuseful in establishing a new colony. Specialized factories, devotedto a particular class of goo stock (i.e., electronics or organicchemicals), come in at a tenth of the cost and size.

NANOMOD TEMP AVAILABILITY TEMP COST

Acceptors Controlled $2000Adaptation: Hot or Arid Common $1000Adrenal Control Military $3000Biorhythm Control Common $1000Dermal Reinforcement Military $3000Improved Constitution Controlled $2000Improved Dexterity Controlled $2000Improved Strength Controlled $2000Improved Healing Controlled $2000Night Vision Common $1000Toxin Tolerance Common $1000Vascular Control Controlled $2000Enhanced Immunity Controlled $2000Radiation Tolerance Controlled $2000Hyper Immunity Military $3000Environmental Sensitivity: Hot or Arid Controlled $2000Slight Reduced Ability: Str, Dex, or Con Military $3000Thermal Intolerance Military $3000Toxin Intolerance Controlled $2000Weak Immunity Military $3000Inefficient Metabolism Military $3000

NOVEMBER 20038


Cyberswarms.Cyberswarms are semi-intelligentclouds of nanites, composed of thou-sands of constituents which range insize between bacteria and bugs. Unlikenanomods, which operate inside thehuman body, cyberswarms interact withthe external world. Combat stats aresupplied below.

In order to create a cyberswarm, youmust select a chassis and an equip-ment package. For example, you mightwant to select an aerial paramedicswarm, or a crawler repair swarm.

Chassis TypesNanites can fly in the air, crawl on theground, or lurk amid dust particles. Ingeneral, noticing a cyberswarm requiresa perception check at a +1 penalty, sincethe members are the size of gnats orsmaller. Noticing an individual member ofthe swarm, for example one that got leftbehind from the main group, is made at a+3 penalty. Dust mote nanites, becausethey�re so small, increase each thesepenalties by +2 steps.

Aerial: The nanite is an aerostat, or bal-loon enclosing a perfect vacuum, com-bined with a miniature turbine. An aerialcyberswarm can fly at movement rate 6.

Crawler: The nanite resembles a tinytick. Not only can it cling to surfaces, butsince it needn�t be lighter than air it canmount a reinforced casing. This thickenedarmor gives a +1 step resistance modifi-er to area of effect attacks (grenades,acid, flame, etc.). The crawler has a move-ment rate of 2 along surfaces, includingwalls and ceilings.

Dust Mote: The smallest nanite is nobigger than a speck of dust. It is com-pletely immobile, and deployed throughan aerosol spray or crop duster. Thiskind of swarm imposes an additional +2to all perception checks to notice, sinceit blends in with dust on the ground orin an office. A dust mote nanite, howev-er, suffers a �1 resistance modifieragainst area of effect attacks(grenades, acid, flame, etc.). A dustmote cannot move; these swarms canonly affect what passes through them.

Equipment Packages.Bug-Hunter: Operates as if it had theprotection protocols skill (score 12) for

the purpose of detecting eavesdroppingdevices. A bug-hunter swarm can checkone square meter per round, and canutterly destroy any spy cyberswarmwithin one minute if the protocols checksucceeds.

Devourer: Using mandibles lined withsynthetic diamond, a devourer swarmcan rip through objects and people. It isthe most horrific of all nanotech weapons.A devourer inflicts d4 stuns, d4+2 stuns,d4 wounds, or d4+2 wounds on aMarginal, Ordinary, Good, or Amazingresult vs. skill score 12. A devourerswarm is one square meter in area, andtherefore can only attack a single target,but may strike every phase. Note that ifgiven enough time, it can eventuallydestroy objects of Good durability.

Fantasia: These nanites are roughlythe size of a small insect, but are builtto resemble miniature people, animals,or monsters. They engage in whimsicalplay, usually in a device rather like anant farm, with a dance score of 12.

Gardener: Designed to mow lawns,trim branches, and weed flower patch-es. Can work on one square meter per5 minutes. Trimming a decent sizedbranch takes 1 hour; felling a small treetakes 6 hours; felling a large tree takes24 hours.

House Cleaner: Picks up dust anddirt around the home. Can even cleanhuman skin, though this normally tickles.A swarm can clean one square meterper minute.

Landscaper: The reverse of thehouse cleaner swarm: these nanitesgather dirt and deposit it in pro-grammed patterns, making furrows,terraces, or other terrain improve-ments. A swarm can make minorchanges to one square meter of land in6 hours; major changes take a full day.

Lightbulb: These nanites produce achemical reaction like the one found in afirefly�s abdomen, and act as a mobilelight source of Ordinary intensity. Dustmote versions can be programmed tolight up when someone walks through.Lightbulb equipment can combine withone other equipment package.

Paramedic: This cyberswarm deployspainkillers and cleans wounds. Theseswarms are often sprayed over urbandisaster sites. It behaves as if it had thefirst aid skill with score 12.

Repair: Designed to fix a specificmake and model of equipment only. Arepair swarm designed to work with theMr. Foamy Fire Extinguisher Model 2Acannot repair a broken machine gun. Itbehaves as if it had the repair skill withscore 12, but checks are made onceper 30 minutes.

Sentry: Circles a room, vehicle, or per-son to neutralize and destroy any cyber-swarm within a 5 meter radius. A sen-try swarm inflicts 1, 2, or 3 mortals onan enemy cyberswarm on an Ordinary,Good or Amazing success. A sentryswarm can attack each phase, anddoes so with a skill score of 12.

PACKAGE CHASSIS AVAILABILITY COST

Bug-Hunter Aerial Controlled $3000Devourer Any Restricted $10KFantasia Any Any $500Gardener Crawler Any $500House Cleaner Crawler Any $500Landscaper Crawler Any $500Lightbulb Any Any $500Paramedic Any Common $1000Repair Any Common $1000Sentry Aerial Controlled $3000Spy Dust mote Controlled or Military $3000Stinger Any Military $5000Terraformer Any Controlled $3000Utility Fog Aerial Controlled $5000

9LAST RESORT 2


Spy: Dust mote chassis only. Spreadover a living room or hallway (approxi-mately 30 square meters), thesenanites record images and sounds, andtransmit back to an attuned ACD. Thesenanites are vulnerable to bug-hunterswarms and sentries. Spy dust has ascore of 12 in perception.

Stinger: A hypodermic injector candeliver a tiny dose of poison or someother drug to a target. Checks made toresist this poison are made at a �1 stepbonus, since it�s such a small dose. Thestinger attacks with a skill score of 12.Stingers loaded with sedatives or irri-tants are considered �controlled� avail-ability; those armed with more deadlydrugs fall under military jurisdiction.

Terraformer: Designed to seed aplanet with bacteria, plants, oxygen,and other necessities. Terraformerswarms are deployed in the millionsacross a virgin world, and they typical-ly require decades if not centuries towork. (They are presented for thesake of completeness.)

Utility Fog: Perhaps the most valu-able of the cyberswarms, these nanitesconsist of �foglets� that can link hands.When enough of them link together,they can mimic solid objects. Basically,items appear out of the air, and thendisappear when the foglets let go ofeach other. Utility fog is sold with anacoustic control device (see under�Equipment�), so the owner can give itorders in real time.

Utility fog can produce any simpleobject that weighs one kilogram or less,assuming the appropriate 3D blueprintsexist. This takes one minute (5 rounds)to create an object; dissolving a foggedobject is instantaneous. Utility fog couldmake a shirt, a set of house keys, a cup,or a knife. The foglets do not mimic anychemical properties: they do not con-duct electricity, for example, so theycould not form copper wires. You canadjust the density of fogged objects,from a minimum of nearly zero (you canwalk through the swarm, after all) toabout as dense as wood. Like wood,fogged objects will burn: kinetic energyof the flames causes the foglets to losetheir grip.

Note that this is an entirely differentprocess than what happens inside a uni-

versal assembler. There, inert mole-cules are wrangled into shape bynanites. Here, the nanites themselveshold hands. It�s the difference betweenbuilding a real house using tools madefrom Legos, or building the entire houseout of Legos to begin with.

Cyberswarm DetailsCyberswarms are generally about as

smart as a well-trained dog (Int 4), andcan obey detailed instructions.Individuals who want greater controlmay use an ACD attuned to thatswarm; otherwise when the swarm isconfronted with a very unexpected situ-ation it must improvise.

Cyberswarms generally have a skillscore of 12 in whatever applies to theirpurpose.

Since it is composed of thousands ofelements, a swarm can generally act inevery phase of a round, and thereforedoes not worry about action checks.

Cyberswarms are highly resistant totargeted attacks like laser beams ormachine gun fire, but they are easilydamaged by area-of-effect attacks andother hazards, such as explosions, fire,acid, high levels of background radiation,or gravitic flytraps.

CyberswarmNiche: Nanotech distributed robotBiome: Gravity Age societies with mature nanotechnologyLikelihood: Possible (50%)Number : 1d8 STR 1 INT 4 (Animal 14)DEX 9 WIL 10CON 12 PER 1Durability: 12/12/6 Action Check:: Acts in each phaseMove: Walk 2 (crawler) or Fly 6 (aerial) # Actions: 4Reaction Score: Amazing/4 Last Resorts: NoneDurability Note: When a swarm loses all wounds, it is destroyed. Since swarmsare effective only because there are so many elements, as it gets damaged itseffectiveness diminishes. Simulate this by using the dazed rules from the PlayersHandbook.

Attacks:Devourer 12/ 6/ 3 d0 LI/O Personal d4s/d4+2s/d4w/d4+2w*Stinger 12/ 6/ 3 d0 LI/O Personal Success delivers poison

(GMG, p59); target resistswith -1 bonus

*The devourer hits on what is normally a Failure (a Marginal success ineffect) and can only miss on a Critical Failure.

Defenses:Semi-immaterial: Targeted attacks (melee and ranged) suffer a +5 step penalty,but a swarm is defenseless against area-of-effect attacks: fire, acid, explosions,smoke grenades, sentry swarms, etc.**Crawlers have a a +1 step resistance modifier against area-of-effect attacks.Dust motes have �1 step resistance modifier against such attacks.

Skills:Package Skill at 12; Knowledge (4); Awareness (10); Resolve (10).

Description:A cyberswarm is a horde of nanites, or artificial micro-organisms, which range insize from bacteria to gnats. The devourer and stinger swarms are the two mostcommonly encountered in combat. While the devourer is strictly a battlefieldweapon and only deployed in the direst circumstances, stinger swarms loadedwith sedatives, irritants, hallucinogens or other drugs occasionally see use amongpolice departments and security forces; versions with lethal poisons, however, gen-erally remain the province of the military.

NOVEMBER 200310


Other Topics.Progress levels, how to implement it inyour campaign, and so on.

Putting It All Together�(This flavor text is exceptionally heavywith nanotech, but I wanted to apply allthe gadgets I could, to show how thingswork. Note that an analogous scenariocould be handled using traditional PL 7macrotechnology; really I�m only usingdifferent terminology.)

The rogue nanotechnologist, Dr.Vimalaputri Kavallaris, slips on her smartcamo and checks her octopus knife.Everything�s ready to go. She�s spentweeks scoping out the Delhi MunicipalAssembler, and now she�s ready to steala bush robot for her comrades in theLiberation Army of Kashmir.

The guard at the security door is wear-ing nanofluidic armor; Vima�s octopusknife would be useless against it. But lucki-ly she slipped some intelligent poison intohis mug in the cafeteria. Right on sched-ule, he screams and collapses as hisbrain turns to jelly. Thanks to the spy dustshe deployed last week, she alreadyknows the access codes to the blastdoor, and she slips invisibly inside.

Now she�s in an unfamiliar area.Suddenly she begins to feel itchy. Thensores erupt all over her body. Of course!They�ve set up a devourer swarm to pro-tect this area! In a panic, Vima sprintsdown the hallway, rounds a corner, andpops the lid on her sentry swarm. Thesentries spread out in a diffuse cloud andengage in an invisible duel with thedevourers.

Vima presses forward. When she real-izes she�s too short to peer over anobstruction, she activates her utility fogand instructs it to become a stool. Yetbefore too long, she falls prey to a stingerswarm, which injects a powerful sedativeinto her bloodstream. Even though Vimahas taken the precaution of loading ahelpful nanomod to police her body chem-istry, her luck finally runs out.

Realizing that capture means certaindeath, she consoles herself with theknowledge that her comrades made abraintape before she commenced themission. At least they can reprogram aclone with her memories�

What Progress Level isNanotechnology?The Alternity system�s division of tech-nology into �progress levels� is a prettycrude tool, and it becomes very hard toplop nanotech into a single division. Iwould place most nanotech in the lateFusion Age, for the following reasons:

The basic scientific principles behindnanotechnology were known in the

1950�s, and have been extremely welldocumented in modern day technical lit-erature. The concept of nanotech isbound to occur in any society withInformation Age medical science, sincethe key insight is to realize that livingcells are nothing but complex machines.Cells are nanites; they merely evolvednaturally. Well-informed molecular biolo-gists in an Information Age society, on

Bush RobotNiche: Nanoindustrial Manufacturing RobotBiome: Gravity Age industrial zonesLikelihood: Very unlikelyNumber : 1d4 STR 6 INT 14DEX 16 WIL 8CON 12 PER 3Durability: 12/12/6 Action Check 17+/16/8/4Move: Walk 3, Roll 9 # Actions: 3Reaction Score: Good/3 Last Resorts: None

Attacks:Flense 14/ 7/ 3 d0 LI/O Personal d6+1s/d4+1w/d6+1w

Defenses:-3 resistance modifier vs melee attacks+3 resistance modifier vs ranged attacks+2 INT resistance modifier vs encounter skillsArmor (Casing): d4-2 (LI), d4-2 (HI), d4-2 (En)

Skills:INT: Computer Science (14)-programming (17); Life Science (14); PhysicalScience (14)-chemistry (15), nanotech (22); Technical Science (14)�invention (17); repair (16)

Description:A bush robot is a fractal �tree��a trunk that splits into many branches, which in turnsplit into many other branches, and so on down to �twigs� which are measured innanometers. At full extension it is over 3 meters tall, but in normal operation it curlsup into a synthetic tumbleweed about one meter in diameter. A bush robot costs$250,000 and is only available to those with restricted access: governments andthe most powerful and trustworthy corporations.

The bush robot fills a vital niche in the industrial manufacturing process: it usesthousands of atomic-sized fingertips to move individual atoms and molecules togeth-er to build nanites. It is, in essence, a nanite factory: nearly all the nanites in produc-tion today were made by bush robots. A bush robot can build a cyberswarm ornanomod in one day.

Bush robots generally take their instruction from other computers or human spe-cialists; they have no personality and are not designed to interact with human beingsin social settings. They are aware of their value, and are hardwired to alert their own-ers immediately if someone tries to tamper with their programming. A hacked bushrobot could become an extraordinarily dangerous munitions factory, and for this rea-son they are usually protected by fortress programs of at least Good quality.

In the unlikely event that a bush robot engages in melee, it uses its micro-manip-ulators to strip a target into atoms. This feels like getting the layers of your skinpeeled off.

11LAST RESORT 2


Earth or elsewhere, would be able toimagine the idea of nanotech and evenwork up a detailed scientific study of theprinciples involved.

Though the scientific problems asso-ciated with nanotech have already beensolved, the technical questions remainopen, and are likely to remain so for adecade or two, even at the earliest.We�re just not sure how to go aboutbuilding this stuff; our �hands� are tooweak and too clumsy in 2003. What wereally need are some improved meth-ods of protein synthesis and somemore precise atomic force micro-scopes, but the improvement requiredis relatively minor. This isn�t like invent-ing the space shuttle in 1500 AD; it�smore like inventing the automobile in1850, except we already have somenaturally occurring examples to study.Presumably these problems can besolved pretty quickly, especially consider-ing the funding that is currently beingpoured into biotech research.

To put it another way, we need FusionAge biotech and computer science toreally put the pieces together. From ascientific standpoint, nanotech is aFusion Age baby. The Players Handbookplaces the Fusion Age between 2047and 2160. This is roughly the time-frame suggested by serious scientificwork on the subject, and it�s reasonableto assume that most Fusion Age soci-eties will show at least some interest innanotechnology.

Conceivably nanotech might have towait until 2200, or even 2250, but itseems extremely unrealistic to place itmuch later: you would have to assumethat the human race has no interest inimproving its health, augmenting itsindustries, or making a profit. We�veknown since the 1950�s that nanotechis achievable, we have a pretty goodidea of how to do it, and unless every-thing we know about molecules iswrong we�ll probably be able to do it in afew decades.

Of course, if you don�t want to dealwith nanotechnology in your Fusion Agesetting, you can simply declare that vari-ous social forces retarded its develop-ment, or that certain engineering prob-lems proved surprisingly intractable. It�s

your game, and you can introduce nan-otech at any point you�d like. The GravityAge seems to display an astonishingcommand over genes and robots, how-ever, and energy is very cheap, so if youplan to delay nanotech past this stageyou should probably have a very plausi-ble reason.

Nanotechnology inStar*Drive Campaigns.On a casual inspection, nanotech getspretty shabby treatment in theStar*Drive setting. The Mechalus havesome nano-junk, and the Arms andEquipment Guide includes a smatteringof gear. But for the most part, the sub-ject never comes up.

Of course, that�s the problem withcasual inspections: you miss all thedetails. Nanotechnology already exists inthis setting; you just need to connectthe dots and think through the conse-quences. First of all, the Mechalus aremade from nanotechnology; they havean entire planet that operates on thestuff. Certainly all the gadgets listed inthis document would exist on Aleer. Inthe Fusion Age, even humans developed�cytronic circuitry,� which, as describedin the Players Handbook, would notwork using macrotech principles (hencethe �nano� in nanocomputer). The set-ting�s radical mutations and rapid ter-raforming indicate a confluence ofbiotechnology, nanomods, and helpfulnanites. The Planet of Darkness adven-ture devotes considerable space toOrganism Omega, which is nothingmore than an especially deadly cyber-swarm. Since Omega represents anultra-advanced version, less powerfulcyberswarms should already exist.Meanwhile, practically every page of theStar*Drive setting mentions mining rawmaterials, but there are very few men-tions of factories. It�s quite possible thatthese raw elements get processed intogoo stock for universal assemblers, atleast in the more sophisticated systemsof Old Space. (However, if companiesmake 3D blueprints available on theGrid, it may greatly reduce the need forspace travel, since there�s less need forshipping.)

In other words, it looks like nanotech

was omitted largely because it wouldrequire a lot of space to describe fully,but it�s definitely operating between thelines. Based on the timeline of the set-ting, it seems like nanotech onlybecame widespread during the GravityAge, and may not have hit the Verge atall. This may offer the best solution:establish nanotech as a fact of life ofOld Space, but only just beginning toreach the Verge after the Long Silence.This enables a GM to keep most of thesetting unchanged, and gradually intro-duce as much or as little nanotech asshe wishes.

With that in mind, nanotech offersplenty of story ideas. The Verge sys-tems have suffered a crushing back-slide, and lost most of their Gravity Agetechnology. Clearly several paramilitaryfactions, from the pirates of Lucullus tothe soldiers of Algemron, would love toget their hands on cyberswarmweapons. Heroes might act as armssmugglers, or law enforcers out to cur-tail proliferation. What happens if one ofthese weapons runs amok? What doyou do if a devourer swarm beginschewing through a hospital? You can�tevacuate the bedridden patients, butyou can�t blow the place up either�

On a deeper level, introducing nan-otech to the Verge leads to deliciouspolitical instability. The Vergers have astrong economy through conventionalindustry. But now the Arrivers show upwith nanotech devices and designs.Arriver factories are cheap, pollution-free, and perfectly reliable; Arrivergoods are flawless and almost dirtcheap. It�s the sort of thing that couldruin every corporation in the region anddrive billions of people out of work.Maybe it�s these same threatenedVerge companies who secretly bankrollConcord Free Now? If the heroes dis-covered this fact, would they announceit to the public, or allow themselves tobe bought off? What would such anannouncement do the political land-scape of the Verge? Meanwhile this ten-sion could be exploited for adventuresthat focus on industrial espionage, dem-olitions, and terrorism.

NOVEMBER 200312


Nanotechnology in DarkMatter Campaigns.The Dark Matter campaign milieu, set inthe modern world, isn�t really the placefor widespread nanotech. Yet the sand-men are explicitly described in nan-otechnological terms, and the etoile areobviously variants on the bush robot,though this is never stated overtly. Acampaign that revolves around thesandmen as enemies, or as heroes,can�t avoid dealing with nanotech insome form.

Dark Matter does not mention cyber-swarms, but a devourer might make apretty terrifying enemy in the right cir-cumstances, particularly if the heroesdon�t know what they are up against. Anassassin armed with a smart knife anda suit of nanofluidic armor would be anexceptionally dangerous foe, easily amatch for the Bounty Hunter from theX-Files. A universal assembler might belinked to the mythological Horn ofPlenty, the Philosophers� Stone of thehermetic alchemists, or even the HolyGrail. A mysterious plague may turn outto be a bullseye disease designed by theCIA to eliminate genetic undesirables.Confronted with these weird powers,human researchers might suggest thepossibility of nanotechnology, but it�s stilla crackpot concept. More importantly,Information Age technology isn�t reallydesigned to counteract nanotechthreats, so heroes may need to ask

other Illuminati groups, such as theGreys, for help.

If you�re interested in using nanotechin your game, the first resource tocheck is Uncle Jimbo�s Sandmanresources, listed in the Links sectionbelow. Jimbo and I have taken differentapproaches to nanomods: he treatsthem as cybergear, and I�m handlingthem as pseudo-mutations. But asidefrom that, our systems seem fairly com-patible.

Nanotech in Star Craft andGamma World Campaigns.I don�t own these books, so I can�t com-ment. Obviously this is a tragedy for theentire Alternity community! You shouldsend me some money right away so Ican buy them. I accept PayPal.

Personal Commentary.Ever since I read the Alternity rules, theabsence of nanotechnology frustratedme. It�s an integral part of modern sci-ence-fiction, but aside from one or twothrowaway gadgets it seemed like theauthors had never heard of it! SeveralAlternity fans have tried to rectify thesituation, particularly Lars Wolfrum andJim Clunie. Their admirable nanotechsupplements include quite a few inter-esting devices, and I wanted to expandon what they have written

Also, a lot of this material, particularlythe information cyberswarms, adaptsthe GURPS Transhuman Space cam-

paign setting, written by David Pulver.Although THS uses the intolerablydense GURPS rules, it�s a fascinatingbook and would make an intriguingAlternity campaign; it heavily influencedon my own PBEM game. Rush out andbuy it so I don�t get sued!

Various Links.Lars Wolfrum�s nanotech material isavailable at: http://www.alternity.net/resources/85/original/Nanoimplants.rtf

You can find Uncle Jimbo�s Dark Matterflavored nanotech at: http://www.alternity.net/resources/359/original/sandman_cyber_gear.doc

Jimbo also maintains a page about thesandmen, the nano-infected conspira-tors of Dark Matter.http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~jclunie/darkmatter/sand.htm

Also, the classic non-fiction book on nan-otech, Engines of Creation by K. EricDrexler, is available on the Web for free.http://www.foresight.org/EOC/

And Ralph Merkle, a prominent nan-otech researcher, is a good source forhard science.http://www.merkle.com/

Under the Table NanotechA lost business card is found under thetable at a bar frequented by mercenariesand spacers. The word �Stinger� is writtenon the card, referring to the product theformer holder of the card was hoping topurchase. Moskita Technology Solutions isa front company for the illegal distributionof military grade nanotechnology by a localcriminal organization.

sidebar and art by Daryl Blasi

SIDEBAR: ALTERNIT Y G AME PROP

!

13LAST RESORT 2

Fan LettersMr. Cook,I�m a ship mechanic and aspiring travel guide writer (I have beenpublished in the amateur periodical Stars Unlimited. I was won-dering how you broke into the biz. Could you give me someadvice? Do you have assistants or junior reporters? What�s yourfavorite vacation spot?

Sincerely,Jacob �Kooter� Duke The Rhodium Rascal, Stronthum Industries, Rigunmor

So you want advice on how to break into this cut-throat, competi-tive business? Mind you that this is a very competitive field, andbeing a potential competitor, no, no advice. You can howevermake the journey to Penates, Lucullus to finish my abandonedtour there, if you�d like... There are a few others out there work-ing on the Guide to Open Space, but much of the burden falls

squarely on my shoulders. To date, I�ve thoroughly enjoyedBluefall in the Aegis system, but my present stay aboard theLighthouse is pleasant, as well, and with much better lawenforcement than Penates can possibly claim.

To the delicious Space Cowboy,Hey gorgeous. My name is Nova Starr (my stage name). I waswondering if you would be kicking up your boots in StarMechspace anytime soon. I could show you around my sector ofspace. Give you the inside track to all the parties too hot toadvertise. Do you have a girlfriend/wife/boyfriend? If not, areyou looking for someone? (See attached vid for full coverage ofmy talents.) Kiss, kiss.

To answer: No, no plans to head back to the Stellar Ring yet(though my recent trip to Penates just about convinced me tothrow in the towel). I am single, and definitely NOT interested. Bythe way, your holo�s corrupt. It shows this balding, middle-agedhuman male in a thong... Yuck!

COOK�S GUIDE TO OPEN SPACE explore the Star Drive setting

DO NOT GO TO PENATES. EVER. This planet'sbarbarism, lack of structure and order is beyondcomparison. Imagine my surprise, as I found out

en route that Penates was a former Solar penal colony. Iwas not amused in the slightest. Somewhere between de-boarding my transport and hailing my skycab in PortRoyal and checking into the hotel (a dismal hole-in-the-wall flop-house packed to capacity with drunks, drugaddicts and other low-lifes), I apparently had been robbedblind, even down to my souvenir Jubilee Consortium tow-els. I was fortunate enough to have the where-with-all tokeep my identification in an inside jacket pocket.

I really need to have words with my editor on this one.The jolt of leaving such an idyllic paradise such as Bluefalland arriving on Penates only to find out about Penates'(and by extension, Lucullus's) reputation was such a crueland unusual punishment (for what offense, I can onlyguess). I found myself seriously reconsidering my assign-ment here in the Verge. Anyway, I have a job to do, and Iwill honor it, in spite of this recent turn of events.

Fortunately for me, I was able to replace some of my lost items,my gridcaster not included, so that I could make this report. Thelodging was appropriately cheap, only $300 Concord a night at theSilver Comet. The lodging included a passable theater, casino anda few 2 and 3 star restaurants (and I'm being generous here).

A trip to The Golden Quarter holds promise of entertainment(my passion: gambling), but is full of some very rough types, cor-sairs, mercenaries, thugs and the lot. I was offered for purchase sev-eral different substances, all of which are known to be illegal onother worlds so many times, I lost count. And a simple "no" simplydoes not suffice to many of these pushy vendors. In fact, one evensuggested that I was in the wrong place to not be in the market forsuch "wares".

I was intimidated, threatened, and almost outright assaulted anumber of times in this what I later learned to be territory of theJamaican Syndicate. Apparently the whole planet is ruled by differ-ing bands of thugs and bullies who compete with one another overthis hell-hole of a rock.

I opted to cut short my stay on Penates, thus canceling my touror other cities and so-called sights of interest here, and book pas-sage on the first transport off-world. I was fortunate to have mytiming of my stay on Penates coincide with the arrival of theLighthouse. It is there that I made my exodus, and where I will pickup my travel log. Until then, I remain�

Yours faithfully,

Montgomery VV. CCook IIX

PPllaanneett PPeennaatteess,, LLuuccuulllluuss SSyysstteemm,, VVeerrggeeby Montgomery Cook IX � illustration by mig nova

SPECIES CATALOGUE

NOVEMBER 200314

alien species

Form and Physiology: Zymeth are amphibious aliens fromthe swamp world Chaar. They are approximately 1.7 meterstall, their skin is dark olive or gray and has a very distinctscent. Zymeth communicate via telepathy among themselvesalthough they can speak out loud with no problem.

Zymeth are quiet and contemplative and quite philosophicalconcerning life since they recently discovered that they aredying race.

History and Society: Zymeth owe their existence to therace they call the Ancients. After creating the Zymeth andteaching them about the basics of their technology, theAncients suddenly left Chaar leaving the Zymeth on their own.In the following eons the Zymeth researched technological won-ders left to them by the Ancients and started exploration oftheir solar system. Somewhere during that time a genetic flaw

started to manifest.

When it became apparent that they were facing extinctionon a racial level, the Zymeth set to the stars in search for theAncients - possibly the only race that could help them overcometheir genetic flaw.

Shortly after, a fraal-human exploration ship landed on Chaarfollowing navigational codes they found in a derelict Zymeth ship,whose entire crew succumbed to disease due to genetic flaws.

Zymeth are asexual and do not reproduce by mating. Whena Zymeth dies he is brought to one of the Mothers, giant bioor-ganic constructs used to reprocess the body and birth newZymeth. New Zymeth have no recollection of their predeces-sors� memories whatsoever, although some exceptions havebeen recorded throughout their history. Portions of deadZymeths� DNA are preserved and used in thermal lances which

"While approaching planet Cyruswe encountered spaceship ofunknown origin. It failed to respondto our communication signal so wesent docking crew to investigate it.Inside we found four dead mem-bers of unknown species. We tookbodies back to our ship for exami-nation while our tech crewremained aboard the alien ship totry to figure out where the shipcame from.

Examination showed that thesealiens are capable of breathingunder water and that they probablycommunicate via telepathy. Theirdeath was caused by disease theycontracted while investigating ruinson Cyrus. This leads to conclusionthey have very weak immune sys-tem since disease is not strongerthan flu.

When we discover where theycame from we will journey to theirplanet of origin in order to establishcontact."

Report of Darag Kyrii

Captain of Nomad

ZYMETHby Dragan Ciric � illustration by Dragan Ciric

15LAST RESORT 2

SPECIES CATALOGUE

is presented to newborn Zymeth at acertain age.

Zymeth society is divided into fivecastes: Supervisors (leaders of the socie-ty), Enlighteners (scientists, explorers,philosophers, artists etc.), Alcolytes(Zymeth warriors and adepts), Architects(workers and builders) and Seekers(Zymeth mindwalkers). Castes respecteach other, acknowledging values thatothers bring to entire Zymeth society.Because of their respect for each otherand respect to the race as a whole nowar has ever been recorded in the entireZymeth history (the function of soldiers isto protect Zymeth from hostile fauna ofChaar). However, never being involved inwar has made the Zymeth quite naivewhen it comes to trusting anyone. Theyfind it hard to understand that a sentientbeing would wish to harm, emotionallyand/or physically, another sentient lifeform.

One of the most important parts ofZymeth life is song. Zymeth often congre-gate around Mothers and sing. Otherraces comment on their singing asstrange and alien but extremely beautiful.There are no set words, and their musicis a harmonizing hum of voices thatkeeps magnifying until it reaches anexplosive finale. Lone Zymeth will singonly when he wants to express magni-tude of emotions at a certain moment.

Zymeth built their cities above andunder the water. Each Zymeth city is cen-tered around the building where a

Mother resides. The building is guardedby Kin'raa - Zymeth elite forces. Fromthis central location, a Zymeth citystretches outward in all directions, withtall hi-tech buildings and many structuresleft over by the Ancients whose functionsare still unknown.

Roleplaying: Zymeth are inclinedtowards philosophy and inner reflection.They often speak about life and deathwith a dose of pessimism, but it is dueto the situation their entire race is in.They respect all life and will only use vio-lence when everything else fails. Zymethare inclined toward Diplomat andMindwalker careers. Some are CombatSpecs, Tech Ops and Adepts (CombatSpec) but few take Free Agent as theirprofession.

Zymeth are easy to make friendswith. They are "a shoulder to cry on",supportive and kind, and they will go togreat lengths in order to help someonethey consider worthy-even if it meansturning to violence (but only as the lastsolution).

Using Zymeth in Campaign:Zymeth can be introduced in a far-future campaign. Their first contact withhumans and fraal was marked withtragedy as one of Zymeth ships wasreturned with crew that died whilesearching for the Ancients. However,the Zymeth respected the return oftheir bodies and they were very excitedabout their meeting with the fraal,

another sentient species with a deepphilosophical outlook on world. Soonthereafter they joined the intergalacticcommunity and together they startedthe search for the Ancients as well asalternative solutions for the Zymethproblem.

Zymeth treat all other races withgreat respect. Their have the greatestrespect for humans and fraal. They lookwith sympathy on t'sa and their curiousnature and respect weren as formida-ble warriors and have engaged innumerous discussions with theirphilosophers. They find it hard to fathommechalus and their tech-oriented socie-ty and they find Sesheyans strange.

One logical campaign with Zymeththat presents itself is a quest for theAncients. This may lead to an explo-ration campaign and a search for alienartifacts that points the way to theAncients. While they may, once found,help the Zymeth they can also showignorance to their pleas. Maybe Zymethwere created to be their foot soldiers(hence their hive abilities) and thegenetic flaw was made on purpose as afail-save device. Or the Ancients werejust playing around and when they dis-covered the flaw they moved on withtheir research leaving Zymeth to slowlyvanish. Or they can present a solutionthat requires reprocession of otherraces into their DNA. What will theZymeth do then? !

Zymeth Ability Scores Limits Zymeth are slightly weaker than average humans givingthem a Strength score range between 4 and 13. Lifeabove and under water has made them adaptable to differ-ent environments so they are slightly faster (Dex 5-15).Dueto genetic deterioration Zymeth constitution is rather weak(Con 4-11). Zymeth are as smart as any other race (Int 8-14) but recent discovery of the almost imminent extinctionof their race has oriented them toward philosophy anddeep thinking (Will 9-15). Finally their body odor, alien out-look (by human standards) and a bit pessimistic view of liferanges their personality between 4-12.STR DEX CON INT WIL PER4/13 5/15 4/11 8/14 9/15 4/12Zymeth gain the following broad skills: Melee Weapons,Movement, Knowledge, Resolve, Interaction, and Telepathy.

ZymethNames

PymminSysskNaamekLeoodFeyaliiEtayillAyellan

SyllotSoliyus

Kerrani

NOVEMBER 200316

SPECIES CATALOGUE

Zymeth Game DataSTR 10 (4+d6) INT 12 (8+d6)DEX 13 (5+d10) WILL 14 (9+d6)CON 8 (5+d6) PER 9 (4+2d4)Durability: 8/8/4/4 Action Check: 15+/14/7/3Move: Run 22, Walk 4, Swim 4 # Actions: 2Reaction Score: Ordinary/2 Last Resorts: 1Psionic Energy Points: 14

Attacks:Unarmed 10/5/2 d0 LI/O Personal d4s/d4+1s/d4+2sThermal Lance 11/5/2 d0 En/O 10/20/30 d6+2w/3d4w/d4+1m

Defenses:+2 resistance modifier vs. ranged attacks

Advantages:Hive Skills: For each Zymeth in a 30 meter radius Zymeth gets -1 step bonus totheir skill checks. It is unknown how Zymeth accomplish this. It is speculated thatit has something to do with the way Zymeth were created. Perhaps they werecreated from single entity or their genes mix while they are processed and repro-duced in Mothers and create links. Or it is something they achieved throughrespect of each other and all life.Water Breathing: Due to their amphibian physiology, Zymeth can breath under water Zero-g Adaptation: Since Zymeth tend to spend majority of their time under waterthey find it easier to get use to 0g environment which results in a -1step bonus totheir zero-g training skill checks.

Weaknesses:Weapon Bound: Zymeth use weapons known as Thermal Lances. It is not due tothe power or effectiveness of Thermal Lance but because each Thermal Lancecontains part of genetic materials from their predecessors inside-a bond to theirpast. Zymeth will under no circumstances use any other weapon. In extreme situ-ations Zymeth is allowed mental resolve check with +2 step penalty.Genetic Deterioration: Zymeth are dying race. When they were created by theAncients there was genetic flaw in their DNA that showed itself some three cen-turies ago. Zymeth have +1 step penalty to resist disease and poisons at level 1,and they receive additional +1 step at levels 7.Further more at level 14 theirConstitution score drops by one.Naive: Zymeth have +1 step penalty to resist Deception-bluff .Players can elimi-nate this penalty when they reach level 5 by spending 4 skill points.

Skills:STR: Melee weapons (10)-powered (11)DEX: Acrobatics (13)-dodge (14)CON: Movement (8)-swim (12)INT: Knowledge (12)WIL: Resolve (14)PER: Telepathy (9)-contact (11); Interaction (9), Culture (9)-etiquette (10)

Zymeth Ecological DataBiochemistry: Series 1Environment: Class 1

GRAPH: G2/R1/A2/P3/H2Biome: Swamps and LandEncounter Chance: CommonGroup Size: 1-8Organization: CastesIntelligence: Sentient

Zymeth PerksAncestral knowledgeCost: 3, INT, ActiveSome Zymeth have kept portion oftheir predecessor knowledge whenthey have been reprocessed. This perkprovides Zymeth with -1 bonus on allKnowledge skill checks.

Zymeth flawsMutationBonus skill points: 4Genetic deterioration of Zymeth hasprogressed so much that his body hasmutated. Zymeth with this flawreceives d4 drawback mutationpoints.

Shattered linkBonus skill points: 6At some point in a Zymeth�s life some-thing happened and he lost his hiveabilities. Maybe he hurt anotherZymeth or did something that causeddamage to the entire Zymeth society.A Zymeth with this flaw does notreceive the -1 step bonus for the pres-ence of other members of theirspecies.GMs note: In order to remove this flawZymeth must undertake a specialquest and pay the skill point cost.

Zymeth WeaponsThermal LanceThe Thermal Lance is powered by a unique combination of an energy clip and the Zymeth�s DNA. It is a close combatweapon that heats itself from within. Every third round the heat accumulates and it can be released in a stream of burningmolecules. When the stream is fired a normal Melee-powered weapons skill check is made but without any bonuses.

Skill Acc Range Type Damage Actions Mass Avail CostMelee-powered -1 Personal or 10/20/30 En/O D6+2w/3D4w/D4+1m 3 2 Res 8000

FOR many years, a commonurban legend has been that offast food companies tamper-

ing with the food they serve. Whilestories of Kentucky fried rats can bediscounted as popular fallacies, theHoffman Institute has uncovered evi-dence of a secret conspiracy involv-ing a genetic research facility inCuba and several major fast foodcompanies. In pursuit of greaterprofits, this pact has sacrificed sci-entific ethics and common sense.

An experiment was begun in 1998 to develop a chick-en with four legs and four wings. This was successful,and the companies were encouraged to continueresearch. Over the course of several years, the Cubangenetic company was able to stretch the chickengenome almost to its limit. In early 2001, in front of ashadowy group of fast food company CEOs and powerfulshareholders, the Gonzales-Yun breed of chicken wasunveiled, named after its developers.

A monster with multiple legs and wings, it was adocile and fat bird which, when kept in battery condi-tions, could be efficiently bred and culled, for cheapchicken for fast food restaurants across America andaround the world. The fast food people were delighted,so much so that they ordered the construction of spe-cialized battery farms for the raising of these uberchick-ens, as they became known in jest.

Three facilities were set up in the United States, onein Canada, one in Britain and one in Japan. For severalmonths, all went to plan. Until one day in early 2002,the uberchickens escaped from the facility in Kentucky.

For it seemed that a side effect of the genetic researchincreased the uberchickens intelligence and aggressive-ness, a reversal of their initial apparent docility. Theykilled all the workers, and escaped into the wild ofKentucky.

Similar disasters occurred at the Britain and Japan facili-ties, and the fast food people were aghast. They shut downthe facilities, and liquidated the remaining uberchickens. Theymanaged to capture and kill many of the escaped ones aswell. They destroyed the paper trail connecting them to theproblem, and hoped it would just go away.

But the uberchickens survived

Description: The uberchicken resembles somewhat across between a chicken and a centipede, as most have atleast a dozen sets of legs and wings. They have a largerhead than a normal chicken as well, and a larger beak.They can fly, maneuvering like an oriental dragon throughthe air in flight. They have powerful claws which leavemany footprints behind them, and the sound of a scurryinguberchicken is quite frightening. They range from the sizeof a normal chicken to almost three times larger when inthe wild

17LAST RESORT 2

XENOHUNTER�S FIELD GUIDE xenoforms for Dark Matter

by David Tormsen � illustration by Chris Campbell

Uberchicken

"Hey Herb do you hear something?""Buk buk buk bukuuuuuk!""Aaarrrggh!"

NOVEMBER 200318

XENOHUNTER�S FIELD GUIDE

Encounter: Uberchickens instinc-tively avoid humans at all times, butif attacked will not hesitate todefend themselves. They tend to flyup high, then dive at their target torake them with their claws. They willattempt to peck out eyes with theirvicious beaks as well. They will flee ifthey suffer more than 50% wounddamage, which won't take very longin most cases. However, they arefond of attacking targets when theyare unaware, particularly at night-time. If they dispatch their quarry,they will not hesitate to eat it.

Habitat/Society: The uberchickenis a predator, and very omnivorous,it will eat almost anything it can getits claws on. Most of the time, theyhunt alone, avoiding human societyand sticking to the wilderness. Theyavoid each other and for the mostpart are extremely territorial.

On the other hand, when an uber-chicken couples with a female, theywill construct a small undergroundnest in which warmth is maintained,for the female to lay her eggs. Themale will defend the nest and hismate ferociously until the eggshatch, then he will leave. The femalewill defend her nest until her chicksare fully grown, at which point theythemselves leave to find mates andthe cycle begins anew.

Uberchickens also seem to have asmall ability for cooperative action,notably against humans trying to killa population of them. Being attackedby a flock of uberchickens is not apleasant experience . From what lit-tle knowledge it has, the HoffmanInstitute believes the uberchickensare developing a social order. Theyperform dances, much like bees, tooimpart information, and there havebeen cases of nests with multiplehens.

There are some 100 uberchick-ens scattered across Kentucky,

southern England, and Kyushu. Theyare breeding rapidly.

Adventure Hook: Reports of cattlemutilation leads investigators to dis-cover an uberchicken nest. Afterdocumenting the discovery, they findthemselves under close scrutiny bymysterious MIBs, who claim to workfor the 'highest powers in the land'and threaten the heroes in order tokeep them. However, as childrenbegin to go missing the heroes areforced into a collision course withthe Fast Food industry and its darkservants.

Uberchicken Game DataSTR 6 (d6+3) INT 4 (Animal 8 or d8+4)DEX 14 (d4+12) WIL 5 (d6+2)CON 7 (d4+5) PER 3 (Animal 7 or d4+5)Durability: 7/7/4/4 Action Check: 12+/11/5/2Move: run 6, walk 2, fly 8 #Actions: 1Reaction score: Ordinary/1 Last resorts: none

AttacksBeak 8/4/2 d0 LI/0 Personal d4s/d4+2s/d4wClaws 8/4/2 d0 LI/O Personal d4+1s/d4w/d4+1w

Defenses-1 resistance modifier vs. melee attacks+2 resistance modifier vs. ranged attacks

SkillsSTR: Unarmed attack [6]-brawl (8)DEX: Acrobatics [14]-dodge (16)-flight [16]; Stealth [14]-hide [15]CON: Stamina [7]WIL: Awareness [5]

!

The Undead Poets SocietyA scrap of paper with a macabre poem is found in ahouse haunted by the ghosts of a family murderedby a serial killer. The serial killer died in a car acci-dent when leaving the scene of the crime and hasreturned to this house to terrorize his last victimsas well as the living who have recently moved in.First was the mother with cheeks a cherry red,holding the newborn kissing its little head. Second was the child who cooed with delighthis little fists waving, my finger held tight.Next was the father with rage held and bound,his anger silenced, as he rolled upon the ground.Last was the little doll, curls of golden hair,with my gentle song and kiss she slept without a care.


SIDEBAR: DARK MATTER G AME PROP

19LAST RESORT 2

TANGENT S alternate worlds

YOUR heroes pick up a mysterious transmission, origi-nating from a tangent world in the Historical Division,though near the border of the Biological Division. The

message is in English, though with peculiar inflections, andthen is repeated in Spanish, and is as follows, "Oh Crusadersof Gods Creation, Hear Our Call. Our World is in great peril.Agents of Satan are coming with fire and destruction todestroy and enslave us. We beseech you, Brave Men ofArms, Come to our Aid, and Ye shall be cleansed of all thysins." It is an open broadcast. If your heroes are working for atangent organization, or otherwise take orders, they areordered to investigate the mysterious transmission. If theyare an independent group, then it is up to their decision, thecoordinates of the world are given along with the message.

What's Going On?The world of Inquisition-4 (Cluster -8.467, +2.037) divergedfrom Baseline history with the birth of Henry IX, a healthy androbust son to the English king Henry VIII. Pampered andpraised by his father, he ascended to the throne on the deathof Henry VIII. However, he was a devout Catholic, and in hislong reign consistently persecuted the Protestants in Britain,even to the extent of driving his sister Elizabeth into exile. Hisreign defined English history, as he developed close ties withthe Spanish crown and the Papacy. He attempted to emulatethe Spanish conquistadors by conquering West Africa andthe South Pacific and converting those lands to the cross. Onthis world, the strength of the Catholic Church crushed theReformation, and most fled to more tolerant Orthodox Russiaand the Islamic world.

Competition between England and Spain dominated the for-mation of empires. Both, however, colluded to weaken anddestroy the French, Dutch and Portuguese maritime empires.Close ties by marriage at the highest levels mean thatEngland and Spain act in tandem. The two great fleets consis-tently dominated the seas, while throwing support behind uni-fication of Italy under the Papacy. Conquistas and Crusadeswere organized against Muslim North Africa, India, Southeast Asia and Africa, while invasions of Japan and China weremounted, though they ultimately failed. In Europe, they domi-nated trade and politics, and made sure that all roads led toRome. Rhetoric and mutual interests tied England and Spainforever to the Vatican.

By the dawn of the 21st century, this situation remains ineffect. The Catholic Empire dominates Africa, the Americas,the Pacific, and much of Asia. It has enemies in the Ottoman

Middle East, Russia and China, but Japan has since convertedto a peculiar form of hybrid Shinto and Catholicism, acceptedas legitimate for political purposes by the Catholic Empire solong as the Emperor recognizes the supremacy of the Pope.The Ottomans, Russians and Chinese are united in oppositionto the Catholic Empire, but squabble amongst themselves. Afar greater threat are the Lutheran and other Protestant ter-rorists, denounced as heretics. They wage a constant cam-paign of attacks on Church officials and institutions, despiteheavy penalties.

Much of the Catholic Empire must adhere to strict religiouslaw, and the Inquisition is a very real danger. The manyProtestants who practice their faith in secret live in fear of alate-night knocking at the door by Inquisitors. It is a tenseworld, with fear rampant. Technologically, Inquisition-4 is inlate PL4, though they decline in PL3 in many sciences, suchas medicine and astronomy. Culturally, it resembles a crossbetween 15th century Europe and Fascist Germany, a sort ofCatholic 1984. The sky is brown from pollution, and thechurch bells are always ringing. The language of the elite andreligious ceremonies is Latin, and the vernacular for most ofthe Catholic Empire is English, Spanish or a pidgin combina-tion of the two known as Spanglish on other worlds.

It was in this environment that a group of PL6 tangent-trav-ellers arrived and destroyed a small town in England. A briefclash with the local military left scores of men dead, but a sin-gle invader was captured, along with his technology. He wastortured by the English Inquisition, then burned at the stake.For he was inhuman, bestial. But they learned some of thesecrets of his devices, including his communicator(Paratransponder), and they learned of a planned invasion ofthis world. Knowing they had no way of defeating the invadersand their advanced technology, they instead called for help.

The InvadersThe Invaders come from a world just within the Biological divi-sion called Unter (-10.348, +1.937). On this world, thecourse of human evolution had taken a different course, andthe Neanderthals had evolved to a greater degree than onBaseline. Cro-Magnon never arose to oppose them, and soNeanderthal culture continued, even developing the first useof Agriculture by the Baseline 20th Century. However, thereinnocence was quickly brought to an end with an invasion oftheir own. Strange Others arrived with advanced technologyand enslaved their entire species in Baseline year 1953.

These others were Spartakist Germans from a world (-

THE DISTRESS SIGNALA Tangents Adventureby David Tormsen

NOVEMBER 200320

TANGENTS

9.374, +0.721) where the 1919Spartakist revolution had succeeded,leading to a war with the Fascist Italiansand an eventual three-way Cold Warbetween Spartakist Europe, BolshevikRussia and the United States whichincreased the technological develop-ment of the world. Over the course oftheir occupation of Unter, they reachedearly PL6. It was in Baseline year 1993that the Neanderthals (or, theUntermensch as they were known bythe Spartakists) rose up against theiroppressors in a mass revolt. This wascoincided with a popular revolution backon the Spartakists home world whichousted the government. In the chaos,contact was lost by the human colonistswith their home world, and they werealmost completely wiped out by theirformer slave race.

Though the Neanderthals were neverparticularly innovative, they could readilyadopt human technology. They used thetechnology and knowledge theSpartakists has left behind to build up amighty PL6 empire. However, they wererestless. They wanted to punish theOthers for their enslavement, andenslave them instead. So they set forthinto tangent space. The first humanworld they came to was Inquisition-4.

They cared little about the details, tothe Neanderthals all Others were alike.So they sent a small force through thetest the defenses of the world. Havingestablished the primitive state of affairs,they have begun to prepare for an inva-sion.

Neanderthal society has manycastes, but three most important ones.The castes are meritocratic in nature.The strongest are initiated into theSoldier caste, taught in the ways of Warand fighting with PL6 weapons, andsent into battle. The wisest and mostreflected are initiated into thePhilosopher-Leader caste, which gov-erns the empire. The most innovative,the brightest and most unorthodoxbecome the reviled Scientist class. Theystudy the sciences and technology ofthe Others, copying it and attempting tocrack the secret of Innovation, but areconsidered little better than sorcerersby the rest of the population. Other

castes exist, the Traders and theWorkers for example, but the threeabove are the ones the heroes aremost likely to meet.

Of humans, the Neanderthal think ofthem as dangerous demons. TheSoldiers tend to be pragmatic, but hatethe Others with a vengeance. ThePhilosopher-Leaders look down onhumanity as quick-thinking but soullesscreatures. The Scientist caste has thewarmest opinion of humanity, as theybegin to understand more about themin their studies and how they think. Theonly human language the Neanderthalsknow is German, and they refer tothemselves as either Untermensch orthe Volk.

The ArmiesThe armies of Inquisition Earth arearchaic and hodgepodge. Tanks areunknown, though armored cars andmotorcycles have replaced cavalry inthe Catholic Empire. Bi-planes andmonoplanes are both used, thoughmostly as dive-bombers, The navy is thestrongest element, with the mightyEnglish and Spanish battleship forma-tions ready for war. Mustard Gas is incommon use, as are other primitiveforms of chemical and biological war-fare. The atomic bomb does not exist,and the scientific basis needed to devel-op it simply does not exist (indeed, theCatholic Empire still holds to thePtolemaic view of the Universe). Artilleryis a major part of the battlefield. Thearmy itself is armed with PL4 rifles andmachine guns, though quality variesextremely between regiments. Thearmies of Russia, the Ottoman Empireand China are much the same, exceptthey retain the use of cavalry. TheJapanese military is deliberately styledafter the English and Spanish.

The Invader armies are a mixture oflate PL5 and early PL6. Most of the mili-tary uses PL5 projectile weapons, butmilitary vehicles are more likely to bearmed with heavy PL6 weapons.Vehicles are mainly armored skycarsand a few skytanks. Besides them, theair force is comprised of PL5 fighterjets with PL6 tracking systems. Theypossess no navy, and do not use chemi-

cal or biological agents, nor do they pos-sess the atomic bomb. Individual sol-diers are clad in PL5 attack armor,though there are several regimentsclad in PL6 powered armor. TheInvaders use Quantum Tunnellers andcarry Paratransponders, all of whichare controlled by a single central com-puter mainframe on Unter. TheInvaders themselves are as normalhumans in terms of stats, but with +1CON and -1 INT, and obvious facial dif-ferences.

The HeroesUpon reaching Inquisition-4, the heroesare brought before the Pope, EdwardVII, and the kings of Spain, Hernando IXand Robert VIII. The situation will beexplained with much vigour and religiousgusto, and the heroes will be asked tostop the imminent Invasion. They will begiven absolution from their sins by thePope, and given control of the Invaderdevices and access to the military ofEngland and Spain, and to the dreadInquisitors.

How the heroes take it from here isup to the players and GM. Perhaps theymust foil a plot by the Invaders to assas-sinate the Pope and send the Empireinto disarray. Perhaps they must locatethe Spartakist world and redirect theInvaders there. Perhaps they must infil-trate the Neanderthal world and con-tact the Scientist caste therein. Theycould simply begin to rally the defenses,and prepare for a war with a muchmore advanced enemy. The possibilitiesare as endless as the players and GMsimagination. !

BES TIARY BIZARRE

21LAST RESORT 2

War of the Elements Before the Cataclysm, several nations of man manipulat-ed several animals species to be made into beasts of bur-den. They made them more intelligent and taught them touse some basic technology. The only one of importanceto survive is the neopus. These uplifted octopihave been using and improv-ing the biotech man gavethem and conquered a sec-tion of the continental shelfon the eastern coast of NorthAmerica. Since they are blocked bythe depths and creatures better suit-ed to the water temperatures northand south of their territory, they areconsidering invading the land. They have donesome exploring with specialized suits, but now want to doso with living buildings and more people. They have alsohave developed zeppelin like creatures to allow them toexplore the land more quickly. Of course the natives haveno desire to share their land with a bunch of slimy crit-ters from the sea.

So starts the War of the Elements (air and water).

Notes1) The PCs could be on either side. The alien-ness ofthe enemy should be emphasized.

2) The biotech of the neopus is not combat heavy. Theyhave few beam weapons (lightning generators), but most of the weapons are melee in nature (which is why theyhave trouble moving north and south in the ocean.)

3) The neopus is expanding quickly because of their largenumber of offspring.

4) The neopus want to control the land, not kill everythingon it.

5) The wet suits can be used indefinitely, as they gain oxy-gen from the air.

Society: The neopus may be the strangest colonial organ-ism on the planet because they are not one species, butthree. They act as one, but the "castes" can not interbreed.Also there is no intercaste strife, they treat each other asequals at all time. This even applies to those with extremeability differences (ie the strong versus the weak, the intelli-gent versus the dull, etc.). This maybe why they are such asuccessful group of organisms and maybe a key in their rela-tions to outsiders (which have to gain their trust first).

Habitat: All neopus are native to the continental shelf, butthe ones most likely encountered will be within 50 Km ofshore on land.

Technology: Use Neopus biotech is based on the halflingbiotech from Windriders of the Jagged Cliffs. For those with-out that book here is an overview. All the living material pro-duced by the neopus is based on a substance called pith. Pithcan be created from just about any organic source. Pith ismixed with other substances and is molded into the desiredform. It takes about 1 day per Kg to form a living tool,weapon, armor, etc. Almost all of the biotech is alive andmust be fed a specific nutrient complex every 1d4+2 days orit will die and become useless. The reason I chose this form isto contain the invasion- there can't be escaped monsters andcaptured devices soon die.Neopus wetsuit: To help the neopus survive, the suit has 3membranes that allow oxygen to enter the water filling thesuit. It acts as armor, but if any wound or mortal damage istaken, the suit springs a leak and will empty in 2d6 phases.After that, the neopus will begin to "drown".

creatures for Gamma World

Neopus by Derek Holland � artwork by Daryl Blasi

Description: Neopus workers are thebackbone of the invasion force. They arealways found in groups and always workingon building either the settlement or helpingscientists raise engineered organisms. Theyappear to be normal octopi with a arm diam-eter of 4 meters. Like all neopus, they havean amazing ability to change texture andcolor. Unfortunately for them, this does notwork within a wet suit. The wet suit itselflooks just like the skin of the neopus, but isalways brown in color.

Encounter: Unless resting or found in themiddle of a settlement, workers always haveshort barbed spears for self defense. Afterstriking with the spear they inflict d4w whentearing it out. When they encounterstrangers, worker will contact the closestsoldiers and their supervisor (add 4 ranks toall skills except hide and add technical knowl-edge- invention 2; repair 6.). They engage incombat only when forced to.

NOVEMBER 200322

BESTIARY BIZARRE

Description: Neopus scientists are thebrains of the invasion force. They are alwaysfound in groups and always working on rais-ing engineered organisms or studying thelocal flora and fauna. They appear to be nor-mal octopi with a arm diameter of 3.5meters. Like all neopus, they have an amaz-ing ability to change texture and color.Unfortunately for them, this does not workwithin a wet suit. The wet suit itself looksjust like the skin of the neopus, but is alwaysbrown in color.

Encounter: Scientists will not engage incombat unless forced to. They, and workermanagers, are the only ones that attempt tocommunicate with outsiders (usually withseveral soldiers nearby to protect them.)

Neopus Scientist Game DataSTR 5 (d4+3) INT 13 (d6+10)DEX 8 (d4+6) WIL 11 (d4+9)CON 7 (d6+4) PER 12 (d4+10)Durability: 7/7/4/4 Action Check 12+/11/5/2Movement: walk 2 swim 5 # of actions 2Reaction Score: Ordinary/2 Last Resorts 2Mutations: Gills, Night Vision, regeneration (4 pt), Directional SenseFlaws: Diminished Senses, slight (due to suit), Environmental Sensitivity, extreme (air)Perk: Alien Mindset (+2 vs. encounter skills with other species))

AttacksTentacles 8/4/2 d0 LI/O Personal d4-1s/d4s/d4+1s

Defenses-1 resistance modifier vs. melee attacks+2(+4) INT resistance modifier vs. encounter skills+1(+3) WIL resistance modifier vs. encounter skillsArmor (skin): d4 (LI), d4-3 (HI), d4-2 (En)Armor (suit): d6-3 (LI), d4-2 (HI), d4-2 (En)

SkillsSTR: Armor operation (5)-wet suit (11); Athletics (5)-climb (6); Unarmed attack (5)-brawl (6); DEX: Stealth(8)-hide(16); CON: Movement (7)-swim (15); INT: Knowledge (13)-first aid(19)WIL: Awareness [11]-perception [14]; PER: Interaction [12]Plus 25 points of science skills and 10 points of language skills.

Neopus Worker Game DataSTR 10 (d4+8) INT 9 (d6+6)DEX 6 (d4+4) WIL 10 (d4+8)CON 7 (d6+4) PER 11 (d4+9)Durability: 7/7/4/4 Action Check 10+/9/4/2Movement: walk 4 swim 6 # of actions 2Reaction Score: Ordinary/2 Last Resorts 2Mutations: Gills, Night Vision, regeneration (4 pt), Directional SenseFlaws: Diminished Senses, slight (due to suit), Environmental Sensitivity, extreme (air)Perk: Alien Mindset (+2 vs. encounter skills with other species))

AttacksTentacles 11/5/2 d0 LI/O Personal d4s/d4+2s/d4+4sSpear 11/5/2 d0 LI/O Personal d4w/d4+2w/d4m

Defenses-1 resistance modifier vs. ranged attacks+0(+2) INT resistance modifier vs. encounter skills+0(+2) WIL resistance modifier vs. encounter skillsArmor (skin): d4 (LI), d4-3 (HI), d4-2 (En)Armor (suit): d6-3 (LI), d4-2 (HI), d4-2 (En)

SkillsSTR: Armor operation (10)-wet suit (16); Athletics (10)-climb (13); Melee weapons (10)-blade(11); Unarmed attack (10)-brawl (11); DEX: Stealth(6)-hide(14); CON: Movement (7)-swim (15); INT: Knowledge (9)-first aid(12); WIL: Awareness [10]-perception [13]; PER: Interaction [11]

23LAST RESORT 2

BESTIARY BIZARRE

Description: Neopus soldiers are theoffensive arm of the invasion force. Theyboth protect the workers and scientistsand subdue the surface life that maycause harm to the invaders as a whole.They appear to be normal octopi with aarm diameter of 6 meters. Like all neo-pus, they have an amazing ability tochange texture and color. Unfortunatelyfor them, this does not work within a wetsuit. The wet suit itself looks just like theskin of the neopus, but is always brown incolor.

Encounter: Soldiers always are armedwith long barbed spears. After strikingwith the spear they inflict d4+1w whentearing it out. Their skin and subcuta-neous tissue acts as reactive armor (ie ithardens when struck). When theyencounter strangers, they surround themand wait to see if they are hostile. If notthey lead the strangers to the closestdiplomat-scientist.

Neopus Soldier Game DataSTR 12 (d4+10) INT 7 (d6+4)DEX 10 (d4+8) WIL 10 (d4+8)CON 11 (d6+8) PER 11 (d4+9)Durability: 11/11/6/6 Action Check 12+/11/5/2Movement: walk 4 swim 6 # of actions 2Reaction Score: Ordinary/2 Last Resorts 2Mutations: Gills, Night Vision, Regeneration (4 pt), Directional Sense, Adaptive Armor (unique)Flaws: Diminished Senses, slight (due to suit), Environmental Sensitivity, extreme (air)Perk: Alien Mindset (+2 vs. encounter skills with other species))

AttacksTentacles 20/10/5 d0 LI/O Personal d4+2s/d4+4s/d4wSpear 11/5/2 d0 LI/O Personal d4+1w/d4+3w/d4+1m

Defenses+1 (+2 with melee weapons) resistance modifier vs. melee attacks+0(+2) INT resistance modifier vs. encounter skills+0(+2) WIL resistance modifier vs. encounter skillsArmor (skin): d6+1 (LI), d4 (HI), d4+1 (En)Armor (suit): d6 (LI), d4 (HI), d4 (En)

SkillsSTR: Armor operation (12)-wet suit (20); Athletics (12)-climb (16); Melee weapons (12)-blade(18); Unarmed attack (12)-brawl (20); DEX: Stealth(10)-hide(18); CON: Movement (11)-swim (19); INT: Knowledge (7) WIL: Awareness [10]-perception [15]; PER: Interaction [11]

Neopus Ecological DataBiome: Continental shelfEncounter Chance: Common within.5 km (scientist), 2 km (worker), 20 km (soldier), Very Rare otherwiseGroup Size: 2-6 (scientist), 4-16 (worker), 5-20 (soldier), Organization: Group (scientist), Group (worker), Squad (soldier), Intelligence: SentientNiche: Carnivore

VERITAS OMNES LIBERANT

NOVEMBER 200324

conspiracies for Dark Matter

Mission StatementPARA�s mission is to investigate incidentsand phenomena that are of a supernaturalor extraterrestrial nature. Where such inci-dents are a threat to human life or UnitedKingdom interests, PARA is authorized tocontain and neutralize the threat using anyforce necessary.

Agency SecrecyAs an agency that deals primarily in the super-natural, secrecy is of paramount concern toPARA. Should the public ever know of thedepth of supernatural and extraterrestrialinfluence and corruption, all faith would be lostin public institutions. Because of this when onan investigation PARA provides agents with acover identity. This cover is usually related toeither law-enforcement or the media. Agentsare instructed to do everything in their powerto maintain their cover at all times.

In April, PARA security was compromised with catastrophicresults. An explosion, initially thought to be a boiler explosion,destroyed the HQ and killed the majority of PARA employeesincluding the entire research and support staff except for afew who were not in work. In an instant, over 30 years ofinvestigation and research was lost. Back-ups of the comput-er data were usually stored off-site, but somehow someonegot hold of the data and erased the backups after makingcopies for themselves.

Agency Facilities�What they don�t tell you about is the off-siteSecure Vault where PARA keeps all its recoveredartefacts. It�s supposedly located in some remoteScottish mine. Agency Lore has it that they alsokeep captured entities alive in there. That was untilit was cleaned out during the April disaster.�

J. Harding

The Agency�s headquarters are located in a small compoundon the outskirts of London. Prior to the April explosion (seebelow), the compound consisted of a spacious, modern officebuilding. 4 floors above ground and 3 below, HQ containedthe in-house lab facilities.

The building also contained the agency�s main training facili-ty that comprised of a multi-purpose gym, an Olympic sizedpool and firearms training range. A helicopter-landing padwas situated on the roof of the complex and allowed teamsrapid access to the nearby international airports.

Since the destruction of the complex, the status of HQhas been in limbo. Currently, PARA operates out of a col-lection of temporary porta-cabins located on the old com-plexes car park.

Agent RequirementsWith the loss of most of its agents in April, PARA is currentlyrecruiting anyone it can find. Traditionally, PARA only recruit-ed from government, military, law enforcement or scientificpersonnel. However, since the decimation of the agency�sstaff in April the agency has been recruiting from the civiliansector with increasing frequency. Basically anyone with skillsthat PARA deems useful or experience with the supernaturalor extraterrestrial may be recruited. Regardless of where anagent is recruited from, he or she must meet a number ofrigorous requirements:

1) UK or British Dependency citizenship. In certain cases,an exception will be made for those individuals fromfriendly nations.

P A R A-Paranormal Armed Response Agency-

by David Andrews � illustration by Chris Campbell

25LAST RESORT 2


2) Between the ages of 22 and 37.

3) Ability to attain Top-Secret clearance.PARA has been known to grant suchclearance on a case-by-case basisfor individuals whose backgroundswould normally prohibit.

4) Uncorrected vision not worse than20/200, correctable to 20/20 inone eye and 20/40 in the other,and adequate colour and nightvision.

5) Valid driver�s license.

6) Good physical condition with nodefects that would interfere infirearm use or defensive tactics.

Field agents are subject to annual med-ical and psychiatric evaluations and per-formance testing. Examinations arestrongly recommended after any assign-ment that results in violent contact witha hazardous entity, technology or mani-festation and may be mandatory at thediscretion of the agent�s supervisor.

Agent BenefitsBecause of the dangerous line of workthat field agents often find themselvesin, PARA rewards them with a numberof benefits. Firstly, the salary for a start-ing agent is £30,000 per year.Depending on seniority and experiencethis can rise to £75,000 or more.Medical costs for any injuries, bothphysical and psychological, sustainedduring an investigation are taken careof by the agency.

�Not that the pension plan seesmuch use!�

J. Harding

A substantial pension plan is also avail-able for agents who reach retirementage.

Standard AgentEquipmentUpon joining the agency, every agent isassigned several pieces of equipmentthat help the agent in his investigations.

As a sidearm, the agent is assigned aFN FiveseveN pistol. The FN 57 is asemi-automatic pistol that uses

Fabriquè National�s proprietary 5.7mmround. This round, although small, packsthe same stopping power as a 9mmparabellum round. This weapon waschosen as the agency�s standardfirearm due to its reliability, safety andincreased ammunition capacity. TheFN57 has a magazine capacity of 20rounds, compared to the 9-15 of mostpistols of its class. Mounting slots for alaser sight and silencer/suppressorare found on the weapon but theseitems are not assigned to the agent asstandard.

All agents are also assigned amobile phone that combines cellularphone and PDA technology. An inte-grated digital camera is included,capable of capturing both video andstill images. The unit, which is notmuch bigger than a normal mobilephone, is connected to PARA-Net, aprivate cell phone network operatedby the agency. The network featuresstart of the art encryption and wire-less network access.

Agents are also assigned a vehicleshould they not own one when they join.This is usually a standard, middle of theroad car. The agency sometimes sup-plies motorcycles instead of cars if theagent�s preferences are in that direc-tion. Regardless of what vehicle isassigned to them, it is under the explicitunderstanding that said vehicle isreturned to the agency if the agent everleaves its employ.

Overseas Duty�Despite the restrictions placedon PARA, the agency regularlysends agents on missionsabroad. This is a touchy subjectin the cabinet, but they turn ablind eye.�

J. Harding

PARA currently has no jurisdictionbeyond the borders of UK territory. Infact, the United States has expresslyforbidden PARA from operating insideUS borders or interfering with US inter-ests and investigations following theincident in 1985 (see below).

A Brief History of the AgencyJuly 1967: The British governmentfounds the Agency after the PrimeMinister becomes the target of anattempted assassination by a cult.

August 1972: PARA begins toliase with an American agency. Thisagency is involved in the same area ofinvestigation as PARA. The two agen-cies quickly become partners and anagency exchange program is devel-oped. However, what started as afriendly rivalry begins to sour in theearly 80�s.

December 1980: An alien vesselis sighted in Rendelsham forest near2 RAF bases and one USAF Base.PARA is dispatched to investigate.Two nights later the UFO is spottedover flying one of the airbases. Highpower scanning beams are detectedaimed at several buildings housingtop-secret materials. Citing nationalsecurity, PARA agents deploy a Mk IVEMP Beam, successfully driving theUFO off.

January 1985: Operatives workingin the USA are forced to destroy asmall mountain community in order tocontain a viral agent capable of ani-mating dead tissue. The incidentmarks the end of US/UK cooperationin supernatural and extraterrestrialaffairs.

September 2001: The Agency isthrown into turmoil when its precogsfail to predict the terrorist attacks inthe United States. Government minis-ters begin to question its effectivenessas an organization.

November 2001: Citing theincreasing unreliability of precogs,central government orders PARA toclose the Precog division.

December 2001: PARA reachesits height with over 150 Agents.

April 2002: An explosion ripsthrough the headquarters of PARA.96 Staff members are killed in theblast and the subsequent inferno. Two

NOVEMBER 200326


days later the director, who was notat HQ during the explosion is gunneddown in front of his home in the earlyhours of the morning. As the emer-gency services begin sifting throughthe debris, the government orders allPARA operations to be placed on holdwhile an inquiry is held into the inci-dent. This places the entire agency onhiatus. Many of its agents are trans-ferred to other organizations.

October 2002: PARA finallyreceives the permission from CentralGovernment to begin rebuilding theagency.

PARA TodayToday PARA is a shadow of its former

self, its facilities destroyed, its staff deci-mated and its budget slashed. Lesseragencies would have withered and died.Not PARA though.

While the ruins of its former head-quarters are demolished and new onesbuilt, the agency operates out of a col-lection of porta-cabins located in thecompounds car park. Each cabin is dedi-cated to a single function:

Cabin 1: Handles the demolition of theruins and the reconstruction of the HQ.

Cabin 2: Central Services, handles theassignment of missions and agents.

Cabin 3: Briefing Room, does exactlywhat it says on the tin.

Cabin 4: Technical Services, handlesrepairs of equipment and evaluates newequipment.

Cabins 5-7: Analysis. These three cab-ins handle any scientific investigations ofevidence gathered by field agents.

Cabins 8-9: Administration. These twocabins are a pair of rather spaciousoffice suites where agents can writereports.

Cabin 10: Directors office.

Cabin 11-12: Bunk Rooms. These twocabins are mixed �barracks-style� sleep-ing areas for agents working overnight.

There are also three cabins that havebeen buried under several feet of soiland concrete. This was done because

these cabins required special securityarrangements:

Cabin A: Main Network Server. Thiscabin contains all the computer hard-ware used to maintain PARA�s comput-er LAN and WAN. Also here is the maincontrolling hub for PARA-NET.

Cabin B: Armoury and FirearmsTraining Range.

Cabin C: Secure Storage. Cabin used totemporarily store artefacts awaitingtransportation to The Vault.

In total, PARA employees roughly 20-30agents on a full time basis. The agencyalso works with an undisclosed numberof civilian experts whose knowledge andcooperation is essential but who do notwish to join the agency.

Plot Hooks andQuestionsThis section deals with some of thequestions posed by the above timelineand information. Each question has oneor two possible answers.

The American Agency � Just whydid relations between PARA and theAmericans sour?

Answer 1: The two agencies were com-peting for the same technologies andartefacts. It was inevitable that thefriendly competition would turn into a bit-ter rivalry.Answer 2: The American agencybecame compromised by the very enti-ties that they were fighting against.Although PARA never found this out, itwas viewed as a threat by the entitiesand thus relations were severed withPARA.Answer 3: Politics. There was nothingsinister about the split. PARA is an inves-tigative agency while the Americanagency was more proactive. The splitwas mutually agreed upon and allowedeach agency to go their own way.

Failure of the Precogs � InNovember the Precog division of PARAwas shutdown due to the increasingunreliability of their predictions. Whatcaused this deterioration in reliability?

Answer 1: Some force is affecting pre-cogs worldwide decreasing the effective-ness of their powers. Perhaps the ori-gins of this force are natural, or perhapsit has a more mystical explanation.Answer 2: (Borrowed from GURPS)Things are happening too fast. More andmore events and atrocities are occur-ring at an ever-accelerating pace. It haslong been part of the lore of the psychicunderground that beyond a certain pointin history, precognitive powers failed.Before that point, there was too muchdeath and destruction to get a clear pic-ture. We are rapidly approaching thatdate, and the precogs know it.

The Explosion � How did PARA�ssecurity become so catastrophicallycompromised? Who was behind theexplosion?

Answer 1: Whoever caused the explo-sion most have had detailed knowledgeof the compounds security. Given this, itwas likely an inside job, possibly an agentthat had turned to �the other side�.Answer 2: No one. The explosion wasan accident. But the agency hasbecome so paranoid that it believessomeone was behind it. If true, then theemptying of the Vault and theft of com-puter data was not connected to theexplosion.Answer 3: The Americans. In the yearsleading up to April 2002, the competi-tion between the two agencies began toget fierce. However PARA came out ontop. While it may not have been thelargest agency of its type, it was thebest-informed and most capableagency. The American agency (which bythis point was all but a rouge agency)decided to �set things right� by destroy-ing PARA and stealing its researchmaterials and data.

The Vault � What did PARA storethere? Who stole the contents of theVault?

Answer 1: Agency lore is correct.Several entities were captured and kepthere. Exactly what these entities were isunknown. What is known is that whenthe bomb was detonated at HQ, theentities simultaneously engineered anescape from the Vault.

27LAST RESORT 2


Answer 2: A rival group managed toinfiltrate PARA and gain access to thesecurity codes for the Vault.Answer 3: Before the theft, the Vaulthad the largest store of genuine Occultliterature outside of the Vatican. Someof the books were so dangerous thatthe Vatican itself engineered the theft inorder to destroy the blasphemoustomes.

Adapting to other GameSystems/Settings�We keep hearing storiesabout something called Aegisand Delta Green. Every nowand then we also get rumoursof an outfit calling itself the�Hoffman Institute�. All I cansay is thank God for theAmerican disinformationmachine. If it wasn�t for theoverwhelming presence of theUSA in the conspiracy litera-ture, I�m sure European organi-zations like us would have beendiscovered long ago.�

J. Harding

PARA was originally written for aSpycraft campaign that was neverran. When I came to run a Call ofCthulu d20 campaign several monthslater, I resurrected PARA. However, inthe journey from SupernaturalTaskforce to Mythos InvestigationAgency, several things changed. Mostnotably the April incident was addedto reduce the amount of resourcesavailable to the characters and theagency and bring it inline with the Callof Cthulu atmosphere.

Despite this, an attempt has beenmade to present as generic a pictureas possible of PARA in this article.Below are some notes on how PARAcan be fitted into other game settings.

Conspiracy XAlthough referred to many times, theAmerican agency is not named. In aConspiracy X campaign a referee hastwo choices regarding this. Either theAmerican agency is just one of the many

US government agencies or it is Aegisitself. If it were Aegis then PARA wouldmake an effective �nuisance� to Aegisefforts. However, if the April Incidentnever happened then PARA is muchmore powerful and effective and it couldpose a real obstacle to Aegis operations.Alternatively, if played from PARA point-of-view, the agency could make for aneffective replacement for Aegis in a UKcentric campaign. With its new policy ofrecruiting individuals from wherever itcan find them, and since it investigatesthe same sort of incidents, an interest-ing campaign could develop.

Dark ConspiracyUnlike the other games, DarkConspiracy takes place in a dark futureas opposed to a Dark Present�.Consequently, some changes are need-ed. It is likely that in 2012, the Republicof Britain has some sort of taskforcethat is tasked with combating the darkinvasion. Fiddling with the dates given inthe history of PARA, it is possible thatthe reason why PARA and its Americancounterpart parted was due to theAmerican agency being compromisedby a darkling.

All Flesh Must Be EatenIn January 1985, the dead rose fromtheir graves in a small Colorado town.This was a pivotal point in PARA�s his-tory. All Flesh Must Be Eaten (AFMBE)characters could be townspeople,PARA agents or American Agentswho were caught in the �85 incident.Since this event dealt with zombies,AFMBE would be an ideal system torun a scenario based around this.Alternatively, if you combine theAFMBE and Witchcraft games, char-acters could play PARA agents with-out much modification to the Agency�sbackground.

Delta GreenI�m not too familiar with this game linebut it seems that Delta Green couldbe an excellent candidate for theAmerican agency.

Dark MatterIn the world of Dark Matter, conspira-cies are hiding around every corner.PARA is just one of many secret gov-

ernment agencies. That being said, itis not recommended that theAmerican agency be the HoffmanInstitute.

Hunter: the ReckoningUnlike the previous games, charactersin Hunter: the Reckoning are not usu-ally members of a government agency.However, this does not stop themfrom being targeted by one. Hunter:Wayward establishes that the authori-ties are slowly becoming aware of theexistence of the Imbued. While thesupernatural entities of the World ofDarkness are unaware, reports of astrange new terrorist group/cult arespreading in the law enforcement andintelligence community. PARA is justone of many organizations that havecaught wind that there is �something�going on with these self-proclaimed�hunters�. First Contact gives goodadvice on how to incorporate govern-ment agencies into Hunter. !

TAVERN TALES

NOVEMBER 200328

THE sun bore down on the three young travelers, thepath in front of them seemed never-ending as theytrudged on, exhausted, and in the case of one mem-

ber of the rag-tag trio, wounded. Nevertheless, they contin-ued on despite the heat; rest while hunted is a luxury lead-ing to death nearly as often as the lack of rest itself.

One face looked up at the blazing sun, quickly and instinc-tively looking back down. The face belonged to a young girlno older than eleven, and slightly betrayed its non-humandescent. With a rather expressive sigh, the little girl askedanxiously, �When are we going to reach Maple Valley,Wolfie?�

Wolfie, whose appearance matched his name despite hisdiminutive stature, answered in a weary voice that echoeddown the trail by the river. �Soon, Micaella, soon. Just holdon�. This short question and even shorter answer hadbecome a habit to these two, performed every day over thelast few days. They had been heading for the village ofMaple Valley, and even though it took a healthy man half aweek to reach it from the monastery, they were far fromhealthy, so their speed was far from ideal. Damn themKnights! Burn in hell, cowards! thought Wolfie, nearly drag-ging his exhausted feet on the dusty trail.

Like every day, they rested for a little bit, sitting down torelieve their tired bones, to drink water from the nearbyand (relatively) clean river, eat what measly food they hadleft, so that they could get up half an hour later and contin-ue trudging towards Maple Valley. And that was what wasexpected to happen for this day as well, since they had alllost count, until young William pointed his finger in the dis-tance and yelled �We�re here!�. Even though little could benormally seen from such a distance and with less-than-per-fect conditions, neither Wolfie nor Micaella discredited thechild�s keen eyesight. So this time they pushed onwarddespite their exhaustion, hoping to end their journey onceand for all. They even came close to running.

However, something didn�t feel right to Wolfie as soon asthey covered half the distance. His instincts kicked in, andhis nose was tickled by the faint smell of fire. It didn�t takelong for his ears to hear the screams and gunshots clearly,or for his eyes to notice the blazing light of a myriad of litfires around the little village, creating shadows as nightwas quickly falling. Something was obviously wrong in thispicture.

�Stay here!� growled Wolfie as he drew his blade andproceeded forward after making sure his two chargeswere safely hidden on a tall, strong oak. Must this alwayshappen�?, his mind wondered as he sprinted towards thegaping village gates. No guards, the young man assessedas he glanced around, not failing to notice the badly dam-aged gates, one of them half-broken, drooping over theground. Growing even more worried as time passed, hemade the decision and entered the village. As the shouts,yells, screams, and above all, gunshots, became recogniza-ble, it finally dawned on him� The Knights!

Trusting his instincts, Wolfie led himself towards a darkalley. The town square could not be seen clearly, but hecould hear a group of people arguing, one of whichappeared to have a rather heavy voice. His decision toignore the arguing saved his life as he turned to faceanother of those damned Knights, a rifle in his hands.

Grinning, the bastard wheeled to shoot at the young war-rior, but was surprised to see the hairy man lunging anddelivering a thrust at his abdomen. Of course, he wasn�teven half as surprised as Wolfie himself, whose blade,which should have messily gutted his hated opponent, metwith extremely strong resistance. Armor. Plate armor, heimmediately thought. Fortunately, the dastardly Knightthrew down his cursed firearm and drew his blade. Wofienoted that the Knight was fresh and spry while he wasexhausted and barely able to stand on his feet.

Forced on the defensive by his rested opponent�s skilled(but mundane) strikes, Wolfie couldn�t manage to outpacehis opponent. So, one more time, he relied on his tech-nique, rather than his physical talents, to get him out ofthere alive. For a few minutes they traded blows, each oneparrying the other�s attack with none getting an advantageto press. For a second time, Wolfie realized his muscleswere about to betray him; and he didn�t care as much forhis own life as that of the two children. It was time to takea risk.

With a sound that was reminiscent of both a growl and asigh, he feinted for the eyes and slashed horizontally at hisopponent, intending to try the same trick twice. This time,however, luck was not on his side. Even though his feint hadactually worked and the Knight wasn�t skilled enough toparry the real attack, it went right through his defenses�and was stopped cold by the coward�s armor. It was exact-

short stories

SSAAGGAA OOFF BBLLAADDEESSby Odysseas Dallas

Chapter 2: The Journey

29LAST RESORT 2

ly the chance that the Knight was looking for. The sur-prised Wolfie found out the cold truth that his trick didn�twork as the Knight smashed his sword hilt into the youngman�s face, nearly knocking him unconscious. With a growl,Wolfie fell on the floor along with his weapon, too dazed torealize what was going on. Too dazed to notice the dastard-ly Knight raising his blade above the fallen body of hismutant enemy�

As well as too dazed to notice a large, furry object jump-ing over him and colliding with the now terrified Knight.Magyar landed squarely on top of the Knight, making surethe Knight�s sword arm was out of the way and unable todefend. The two hundred kilograms of the mightysasquatch was more than the Knight could bear, armoredor not. In little time, bones could be heard cracking, a pro-cedure aided generously by the vigorous shifting of weighton the poor victim and Magyar�s heavy fists pounding onhim.

After making sure that the hated Knight had been sepa-rated from the living, Magyar looked curiously upon theyoung mutant, lying down on the ground. In all of his daysas a scavenger, the sasquatch had witnessed a bewilderingvariety of human mutations, but he never ceased to beamazed each time he encountered a new one. This particu-lar mutant seemed to be similar to something else� an ani-mal perhaps? Magyar shook his large head. It was no timefor that; the Knights were still in town. Registering in hismind that the young mutant was still breathing, he easilypicked him up and hoisted him in a corner. He�d have to tellthe guards about him later.

Several hours later, Wolfie opened his tired eyes, hishead swimming on his shoulders. Scratching it with a hand,he softly touched the large bruise on his forehead; if hehadn�t lowered his head, the bastard�ve shattered his nose.Eh well. He knocked me out anyway. He tried to get up sev-eral times, managing to succeed finally, with the help of anearby fallen plank. He limped towards his fallen sword,picked it up, and quickly sheathed it. Looking around, tryingto identify his surroundings, it dawned on him. The kids!

He tried running, but he quickly resigned himself to aslow pace, because anything faster would disorient himcompletely. As he headed outside, he noticed that thedestruction and pillaging had subsided; some townsfolkseemed to be walking around furiously, but paid little or noattention to him; they had to rebuilt their village. Suchtragedies were common in this blasted world, and only thestrongest survived. Nevertheless, he continued towardsthe gate, and he wasn�t surprised at the lack of guards orits condition.

Leaving the town, he headed for the place he had left thetwo children earlier. It took him a while. He never had agood memory, and having a heavy object collide forciblywith your head isn�t exactly categorized as a �memoryenhancement procedure�. Despite the odds, he finally foundthe oak. Looking up, he noticed two small figures up thetree, not moving. Worried, he yelled, and was satisfied

when the two woke up. �Get down you two. Danger�s over�,he informed them with a slightly doubtful sigh.

Making way towards the town center, he had amplechances to notice the valiant efforts of the townspeople torebuild their town (as well as strip the dead Knights oftheir equipment and throw them outside the village), work-ing like ants. The town square itself seemed to have seensome heavy fighting; the dead bodies of the Knights werestill, after hours, placed on top of carts to be taken outsideof town. The young man scanned the area for the personhe was looking for, but his throbbing head was of little help.That was when he noticed a furry, huge creature walkingtowards them, scaring the two children enough so thatthey hid behind him. Steeling himself, despite the intimidat-ing figure of the sasquatch, whom he identified as sucheven though he had seen none before, the young mangazed directly into the creature�s eyes.

Magyar looked down upon the young man. He was some-how familiar� Of course! He finally remembered that hewas supposed to send a guard or two to pick up the uncon-scious young mutant, but he was too preoccupied withrebuilding the town; a sasquatch�s muscles are always ofuse. Facing the mutant with a wide, tusky grin, he greetedhim.

Wolfie�s surprise showed in his face, but he quicklyregained his composure. Instinctively assessing the hugecreature�s strength before him, he hesitated for a moment.However, he set such thoughts aside and spoke:�Greetings. I am but a traveler. It seems though this isn�tthe best of mo-�. The young man�s greeting was interruptedas a man on the other side of the town square yelled�Magyar!�. With a nod, the large creature hurried over tothe man calling him.

Shaking his head, the three continued on, the childrenobviously relieved that the imposing figure of the sasquatchwasn�t close to them. They walked over to a group of olderpeople, who seemed to be having a calm discussion.Repeating the earlier greeting, this time Wolfie wasn�tinterrupted. �Greetings, kind sirs. We are travelers. I amsorry for intruding at such a moment,� (he shuddered atthe thought that the Knights were in truth looking for thetwo mutants and stumbled on the poor village, venting theirrage),�but I am looking for a certain gentleman namedTyron. Frank Tyron, I believe�.

One of the younger members of that group, with croppedwhite hair and a thin, white moustache turned to the youngman, slightly upset. �That would be me�, was all he said.

TAVERN TALES

!

MIND�S EYE

NOVEMBER 200330

the mysterious world of psi

PSI-PUZZLES were first described in Alternity terms inMindwalking: A Guide to Psionics by J. D. Wiker.[TSR11384], on page 69. They are Progress Level 3

or higher items of varying forms and formats that grant theuser 1 skill point towards a specific psionic specialty skill. Theinformation presented here is to expand on the three para-graphs that comprise the description found in Mindwalking.

To gain the skill point that a psi-puzzle bestows, a complexskill check is required, using the broad skill in question toachieve. Anyone attempting to use a given psi-puzzle withoutthe appropriate broad skill cannot activate the psi-puzzle. Nomore than one attempt per 1 day (24 hours) may be tried.Skills listed in blue are alien specific psionic powers that may

or may not be available, at the GM�s option. Skills in italicscannot be used untrained. Where indicated, an adult versionand a child version are listed, and a description will follow.

The skill check in question should be against the broad skill,and since no psionic broad skill can be used untrained, it fol-lows that the user of the puzzle must possess the neededbroad skill. Where possible, a specialty skill will have an asso-ciated puzzle. A listing of �N/A� is intended as �not available�;but individual GM�s are free to expand upon this, using theguidelines of the puzzles already defined as guidelines. Also,special children�s versions may exist, as outlined by the tablesthat follow.

M I N D W A L K E R � S T O Y B O XBy Matthew R. Esch

Biokinetic PuzzlesBiokinesis (CON) Adult Child

bio-armor Stun Cube N/Aheal Razor Fly N/Asmash (weren) Rhodan Crystal Rhodan Crystal transfer damage Physician's Cross "Sympathy Sue"/"Boo-Boo Ben"

Stun Cube: Generally the stun cube isnot for children, though some older chil-dren & adolescents may possess. Whenactivated, the cube hovers in mid-air,striking the user to inflict 1 stun (LI/O)when scoring a successful hit(10/5/2). Possessor/ activator gainsthe following adjustments to their DEXresistance modifier, depending on stuncube's quality. May be deactivated at will.

Marginal +2/Ordinary +1/Good 0/Amazing -1

Razor Fly: Most psi-aware cultureswould not allow children to use these.Appears as a mechanical fly, but leadingedges of wings are razor-sharp. Whenactivated the razor fly attacks the user,leaving superficial, yet blood drawingcuts with raking fly-by attacks. Flyattacks on 12/6/3, 1 action/ round,

Action check: Marginal/1; damage: 1stun or 1 wound (LI/O) [see following].Wound damage is only inflicted on anAmazing. Fly's attack score is adjustedbased on quality. Deactivates after 4total attacks and cannot be reactivatedfor 24 hours. The user then is left toattend the wounds psionically, and healsall damage received upon a successfulskill check. After 12 successes, the puz-zle is solved, benefit achieved & the puz-zle is thereafter, useless.

Marginal 0/Ordinary +1/Good +2/Amazing +3

Rhodan Crystals: Rare on Kurg, andunknown elsewhere, these naturallyoccurring geode-like crystal formationshave an unknown crystalline structurethat is sensitive to psionics. When theuser makes the skill check required and

achieves 12 successes, the crystalmorphs from its diamond-like shape toflat circular for a period of time, basedon quality. This puzzle continues to func-tion after benefit is achieved; thoughpsion gains no further benefit.

Marginal 24 hours/Ordinary 1 hour/Good 10 minutes/Amazing 1 minute

Physician�s Cross: Appears as aniron necklace charm in the shape of aphysician's cross. When complex skillcheck is completed, the charm auto-matically inflicts 1 wound (En/O) dam-age to the wearer. This completelybypasses any armor worn, including anyand all cybernetic armors. Must beworn against the bare skin to work.There are no variations to this item

31LAST RESORT 2

MIND�S EYE

ESP PuzzlesESP (INT) Adult Child

battle mind "Threat" Orb N/A or "Threat" Orbmind reading "8 ball" "8 ball"navcognition Space Map Orb Space Map Orb

�Sympathy Sue�/ �Boo-Boo Ben�: Appears as achild's rag doll of specified gender, though invariably thedoll is "sick" or "injured" [and variety of ailment may bedepicted, the result is the same]. The child is encour-aged to "pretend real hard" to imagine how the dollmust feel. When child succeeds the accompanyingcheck, 1 stun (En/O) damage is inflicted automaticallyand then deactivates for a period of 24 hours.Otherwise, the doll inflicts 1 fatigue point of damageafter 1 hour, then 1 fatigue point for every five minutes.Parents of young children everywhere rejoiced.

�Threat� Orb: This semi-translu-cent, semi-opaque sphere, when acti-vated, indicates number and approxi-mate distance and direction of all pos-sible "threats" in the area, even whennot engaged in combat (i.e., sittingwith friends). Each single "threat" isindicated by a different color, thoughcolors/hues vary from use to use.The goal of the puzzle is for the userto be able to mentally picture the "dis-play" before the display activates. Theorb can check the mental imageagainst its own findings for veracity,as determined by the die roll. Puzzle is"mastered" (and, therefore, foreveruseless afterwards) on 12 successes,at the listed penalty, based on quality.

Quality Penalty: Marginal +4/Ordinary +3/Good +2/Amazing +1

�8� Ball: When not active, whitespot is blank. User thinks of 1 of thetarget stimuli, as shown. Ball thenreveals "it's" choice. Number of cor-rect guesses is based on quality, andquality effects are cumulative (e.g.,mastering a "Good" quality "8" ballrenders "Marginal" & "Ordinary" use-less).

Quality Successes needed: Marginal 3/Ordinary 6/Good 9/Amazing 12

Space Map Orb: By holding orband concentrating for a number ofminutes, based on quality, user gets aspatial "map" within their mindscape.The "map" is appropriate to scaleneeded, and provides user with own

location at point of origin. User canget bearing on a desired location with-in appropriate scale and determineroute for one location, once a day. TheGM, at GM's option may overrulePlayer's die roll.

Quality Minutes needed: Marginal 30/Ordinary 10/Good 5/Amazing 1

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MIND�S EYE

Photometer: This is an ordinaryphotometer, a glass bulb with a wireaxis & 4 square panes, one side black,the opposite, white. By holding or con-centrating on the photometer within 3meters, the user can engage the puz-zle. The goal is to alter the vane'sacceleration without physically adjust-ing the light. Number of successesneeded to solve the puzzle varies byquality, as follows.

Quality Successes needed: Marginal 12/ Ordinary 8/Good 6/Amazing 3

Sohar�s Pouch: Any item less than1 Kg placed within pouch timeslips,upon successful use, as per descrip-tion of timeslip skill outlined on"Mindwalking", pages 23-24. Item re-materializes at the appointed timewithin the confines of the pouch.

Unlike other psi puzzles, this item con-

tinues to function after solved, but

benefit is achieved after the given

number of successes, based on puzzle

quality.

Quality Successes needed:

Marginal 12/Ordinary 9/

Good 6/Amazing 3

Tesla�s Dynamo/Nightlight:With each successful use of eitherpuzzle, the dynamo/nightlight retainsthe charge generated by the psion.Either variation can be engaged bymerely focusing and concentrating onthe puzzle as long as the user is with-in 5 meters. In case of the dynamo,can recharge or power one powereditem of personal equipment from PHB,or either Star Drive or Dark MatterArms & Equipment Guide, as appropri-ate for the game setting, for an num-ber of minutes, based on quality. Thenightlight sheds light in a three-meterradius for an equal length of time.After 12 successes with either ver-sion, the benefit is achieved, but thedevice continues to function afterbeing solved.

Quality Minutes Marginal 5/Ordinary 10/Good 20/Amazing 60

Eh�Tel�s Chime: This puzzleappears as a metal cylinder, with aclapper attached to springs within onboth sealed ends. The user must nottouch the puzzle to engage, but mustremain within 2 meters. The puzzle isengaged and activated by mentallyenvisioning the clapper within and set-ting the clapper in motion. The Chimewill only ring with successful use ofthe skill, but does not continue to func-tion after the puzzle is solved. Benefitis achieved after the number of suc-cesses as dictated by the quality ofthe puzzle.

Quality Successes needed Marginal 12/Ordinary 9/Good 6/Amazing 3

Flash Rod: This metal rod is open atone end, exposing a mixture ofunknown composition. The propertiesof this mixture are psionically attunedand readily ignite when any sort of

telekinetic power is directed at it,from no further than 10 meters.Physical contact is not necessary.Upon successful skill check, the mix-ture ignites, functioning as a torch,shedding light in a 2-meter radius for30 minutes. Benefit is achieved andthe flash rod becomes useless basedon the number of successes based onquality, as below.

Quality SuccessesModifier Needed

Marginal +2 12Ordinary +1 9Good 0 6Amazing -1 3

Psychoportation PuzzlesPsychoportation (WIL) Adult Child

alter speed Photometer Photometertimeslip Sohar's Pouch Sohar's Pouch

Telekinesis PuzzlesTelekinesis (WIL) Adult Child

electrokinetics Tesla's Dynamo Tesla's Nightlightkinetic blow Eh'Tel's Chime N/A or Eh'Tel's Chimepyrokinetics Flash Rod N/A or Flash Rod

33LAST RESORT 2

MIND�S EYE

Mind Modem: This small, black,box-like device is worn strapped on theuser's forehead and can send/receiveuser's brainwaves to a linked comput-er. The exact manner of link to thecomputer in question is at GM's dis-cretion, be it hard-wire or remote, asappropriate to the Progress Level ofthe setting. The goal of the puzzle is tohave computer display either animage or brief text with out any otherinput. Regardless of quality, 8 suc-cesses are needed, however the modi-fier to the check is based on the quali-ty of the puzzle. Naturally, societiesand cultures that are not advanced tothe point of developing computer tech-nology will NOT have this device attheir disposal.

Quality Modifier: Marginal +3/Ordinary +2/Good +1/Amazing 0

Transference Cube: This nonde-script black cube helps to facilitate thelearning of not one, but two separateskills. The example given on p. 69 ofMindwalking is the goal in the case ofempathic projection, whereas suggestvaries somewhat. The user holds thecube within his/her hands, and com-bines an emotion (though not neces-sarily one either the user or the tar-get is currently feeling) and a mentalimage of user's choice. The target,when successful will receive both the

image and a slight sense of the emo-tion. Alternatively, the user combinesa command with a mental image (i.e.,"sit" with the image of a chair), andthe target is free to comply or ignorethe command. Either way, the user willautomatically know of the success orfailure at each attempt. The puzzle ismastered in either capacity in 8 suc-cesses, with a modifier applied, basedon quality. However, once a single puz-zle is mastered in one capacity, thatspecific puzzle cannot be used again inthe other capacity, though a secondpuzzle can be obtained, if desired.

Quality Modifier: Marginal +2/Ordinary +1/Good 0/Amazing -1

Mind�s Eye: This clear glass globe,10 cm in diameter, reacts to psionicimpressions, specifically, telepathydirected at it. The user holds theglobe within his/her hands and con-centrates on a mental image ofhis/her choosing. When used suc-cessfully, the mental image the userdesires will appear within the globe,though the clarity will vary by success.For a brief breakdown, Marginal-veryblurred, fuzzy lines; Ordinary- more infocus, though not particularly vivid;Good-sharp, crystal-clear image, highresolution; Amazing- as Good, and ifdesired, image can be a brief, 20 sec-ond "video", with multiple points of

view. The puzzle is mastered after 6successes with the following modifiersin place, based on quality.

Quality Modifier: Marginal +4/Ordinary +3/Good +2/Amazing +1

Rage Rover: The mechalus general-ly see no qualm about having theirolder children use this puzzle, owing totheir collective sense of doing what'sgood for the betterment of mechalussociety. This small electronic deviceappears as a rectangular solid withwheels or treads, as desired. Whenactive, the rage rover operates muchlike a remote-controlled toy, but withone significant difference: there's nocontroller. The task is to halt thedevice, as it increases in speed andrecklessness. The user must remainwithin 20 meters to attempt to con-trol the rover's movements or to haltmovement entirely. After 10 minutes,or if user is successful, the devicepowers down, and will not reactivatefor 24 hours. This puzzle continues tooperate after the benefit is achieved,but user gains no further benefit.Puzzle is solved in 12 successfulchecks, with following modifiers basedon quality.

Quality Modifier: Marginal +1/Ordinary 0/Good -1/Amazing -2

Telepathy PuzzlesTelepathy (PER) Adult Child

datalink Mind Modem Mind Modemempathic projection Transference Cube Transference Cubeillusion Mind's eye Mind's eyesubdual (mechalus) Rage Rover Rage Roversuggest Transference Cube N/A or Transference Cube

!

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MIND�S EYE

MIND�S EYE

Telepath SCM Template

Human Telepath

M O G ASTR 8 9 10 11DEX 8 9 10 11CON 9 10 10 11INT 9 10 11 12WIL 10 11 12 13PER 10 11 13 14Action Check 9/4/2 9/4/2 11/5/2 12/6/3# of Actions 2 2 2 3Psionic Energy 10 11 12 13Points

Marginal Skills: Athletics; Vehicle Operation; Stamina;

Knowledge; Awareness; Resolve; Interaction; Telepathy-contact,illusion, mind blast, suggest.

Ordinary Skills: Athletics; Vehicle Operation; Stamina;

Knowledge; Awareness-intuition, perception; Resolve-mental ;Interaction; ESP-mind reading; Telepathy-contact 2, illusion 2,mind blast 2, mind shield, psychic armor, suggest 2

Good Skills: Athletics; Melee Weapons; Vehicle Operation;

Stamina; Knowledge; Awareness-intuition 2, perception;

Resolve-mental 3; Interaction-charm; ESP-clairvoyance,clairaudience; mind reading 3, precognition 2, sensitivity 3Telekinesis-kinetic shield; Telepathy-contact 4, illusion 3; mindblast 4, mind shield 2; suggest 4, psychic armor 2, tire 3

Amazing Skills: Athletics; Melee Weapons; Vehicle Operation;

Stamina-endurance; Knowledge; Awareness-intuition 4,perception 2; Resolve-mental 4; Interaction-charm 3; ESP-

clairvoyance 2, clairaudience 2; mind reading 3, precognition4, sensitivity 3 Telekinesis-kinetic shield 2, psychokinetics;Telepathy-contact 6, illusion 4; mind blast 5, mind shield 3;suggest 7, psychic armor 3, tire 4

Equipment: casual dress, personal radio, combat knife.

Fraal Telepath

M O G ASTR 7 7 8 9DEX 7 7 8 9CON 7 7 8 8INT 10 12 13 14WIL 11 13 14 16PER 12 14 15 16Action Check 9/4/2 10/5/2 11/5/2 12/6/3# of Actions 2 2 2 3Psionic Energy 16 19 21 24Points

Marginal Skills: Vehicle Operation; Knowledge; Awareness;

Resolve-mental; Interaction; Telepathy-contact 2, illusion, mindblast, suggest.

Ordinary Skills: Vehicle Operation; Knowledge; Awareness-

intuition, perception; Resolve-mental 2; Interaction; ESP-mindreading; Telepathy-contact 2, illusion 2, mind blast 2, mind shield,psychic armor, suggest 2

Good Skills: Melee Weapons; Vehicle Operation; Knowledge;Awareness-intuition 2, perception; Resolve-mental 4;Interaction-charm; ESP-clairvoyance, clairaudience; mindreading 3, precognition 2, sensitivity 3 Telekinesis-kinetic shield;Telepathy-contact 5, illusion 3; mind blast 4, mind shield 2;suggest 4, psychic armor 2, tire 3

Amazing Skills: Melee Weapons; Vehicle Operation;

Knowledge; Awareness-intuition 4, perception 2; Resolve-mental5; Interaction-charm 3; ESP-clairvoyance 2, clairaudience 2;mind reading 3, precognition 4, sensitivity 3 Telekinesis-kineticshield 2, psychokinetics; Telepathy-contact 7, illusion 4; mindblast 5, mind shield 3; suggest 7, psychic armor 3, tire 4

Equipment: casual dress, personal radio, combat knife.

The telepath has a mix of Mindwalker and Free Agent qualities. His abilities serve many functions; hecan be a psionic communications specialist, providing mental links by which distant agents can keepin touch. With the ESP skill, he can become an effective spy, bounty hunter, tracker, or investigator.Taking Telekinesis increases his offensive and defensive skills, making him a formidable soldier, assas-sin, or security operative.

Telepaths tend to shun mundane skills, referring to rely on their psionic abilities to get the job done.

by Matthew R. Esch

35LAST RESORT 2

HOME RULE ADVANTAGE home rules for Alternity

THERE has been a lot of discussion inthe forums and chatroomsbetween RPG fans, since the dawn

of RPGs, considering the vital issue ofweapons. And an often overlooked (orover-elaborated -depends on the RPG)part of the whole weapons issue happensto be melee weapons. How is it best todeal with them? A question that has risenmany a time, when playing nearly anyRPG, and in our case, Alternity. (If you ornearly everyone else you know has noproblem with your RPG when it comes tothe skills for melee weapons, then this isnot Alternity we're talking about. In thatcase, feel free to drop that hideous RPGyou were playing and start your wondrousnew life with Alternity.)

Kidding aside, however, many are baf-fled by the sheer simplicity of the skills forMelee Weapons in Alternity. Just two (orthree, if you have not already made thevery wise decision of ignoring the pow-ered weapon skill) skills for all the kind ofweapons available? Indeed, many cravemore elaboration, but also dislike havingdozens of skills for all the weapons avail-able. However, despair no more, for theLast Resort crew (ok, me) has created arevised version of the Melee Weaponsskill, which not only offers variety withoutresulting to overly complicated methods,but is also extremely modular! In otherways, the Golden Rule of Role Playing hasnever been as easy to apply.

But to be able to start using theserules, the foundations ought to be lain inorder for the reader to understand bet-ter. First of all, from now on we will followcertain guidelines; there are three typesof categories available for weapons, andthese are the Main Category (The generalcategory of similar weapons, such asLarge Blades, Polearms etc), theSecondary Category (A more specific cat-egory of more closely related weapons,such as European Warswords, PiercingPolearms, etc) and the Tertiary Category

(Which includes an individual type ofweapon, such as the Broad Sword, theSpear, Trident, etc). All the weapons arelisted in their respective categories (e.g.The Broad Sword is under European WarSwords, which is under Large Blades).You can see all of the categories in theweapons table provided, alphabetically list-ed. Also, note that they are also under theskill they (normally) belong to, whetherblade or bludgeon.

Weapons TableThe Weapons Table on page 36becomes rather indispensable if you planto use the revised rules, since two newaspects come into play. Note that theseare not rank benefits per se, but they canbe if desired.

FamiliarityFirst and foremost is the aspect ofFamiliarity with a weapon. To establishthis rule modification we must tinker withthe Melee Weapons broad skill and itscorresponding specialty skills. The follow-ing paragraph gives an overview of thisrestructuring.

A character who takes the MeleeWeapons broad skill is able to use bothBlade and Bludgeon weapons at a +1penalty (Under these rules poweredweapons is no longer a separate skill andthose weapons associated with that skillare distributed between blade and bludg-eon). If a hero purchases a rank in one ofthe specialty skills (blade or bludgeon) hestill maintains the +1 penalty but nowadds the rank to his skill score as normalwith Alternity rules. To eliminate thispenalty a hero must pay a one-time costto gain Familiarity with a category ofweapons. Usually this is a SecondaryCategory but a GM may allow a purchaseof Familiarity with a Main Category and allof its Secondaries at a higher rate. Thisachievement point cost is listed on theWeapons Table, pg 36.

Other Familiarity Options-A GM may rule that if the wielder has nofamiliarity with any Secondary Categoryfrom a Main Category, then he may useno more than half of his ranks in therespective skill, rounding down.

-Familiarity with Tertiary Categories mayalso be allowed by the GM at a cost of 1(or 2 points for very difficult weapons).

-At the GM�s discretion, a starting charac-ter with a Melee Weapon specialty skillmay be given free Familiarity with aSecondary Category of his choice, whichfits with the concept of his character.

SpecializationWe also have the aspect ofSpecialization. This is exactly what youhave been thinking� those unwashedCombat Specs aren't the only ones to getthe bonus! By spending an amount of skillpoints, the would-be warrior may gain a -1 base bonus for Specialization in a sin-gle weapon or, if the GM allows, aSecondary Category of weapons. Thecharacter may choose to Specialize witha Tertiary weapon at the cost of 3-5 skillpoints, depending on how hard it is tolearn to use the weapon effectively. Ifallowed the hero may also choose to payas little as double to as much as triplethe cost of Familiarity to Specialize in aspecific Secondary Category.Specialization here involves spendingcountless hours with your favoriteweapon(s), learning the ins and outs, thepluses and minuses, how it respondswhen swung in a particular way, etc. Alsoit is required for a character to have atleast 3 (or 4, depending on the GM)ranks in the respective skill. For the freespecialization that all Combat Specsreceive, it depends on the GM whether togrant it even if the character doesn'thave 3 ranks in the respective skill. Thehero could possibly trade it off for aFamiliarity or two with other categories.

by Odysseas DallasMelee WWeapons SSkill

NOVEMBER 200336

HOME RULE ADVANTAGE

Axes & Picks (5) Axes ((3)0-g AxeBattle AxeGreat AxeHand Axe

Chain AAxes ((2)Chain Axe

Picks ((2)Battle PickKama

Fist Loads*Protruding BBlades ((1)Dagger-fistStake

Large Blades (9)Chain SSwords ((3)Chainsword Power Sword (LighterChainsword)

Contact SSwords ((4)Filament Blade**Power Sword (EarlyStarsword)Starsword/Vibrosword

European SSwords ((3),Single-hhanded

Cut & Thrust Sword (BladeLength: 70-90 cm)***

Broad Sword (Blade Length: 70-85 cm)***

European SSwords ((3),Two-hhanded

Long/War Sword (Blade Length:75-115 cm)***

Two-handed Sword (BladeLength: 115+ cm)

Fencing/Thrusting Swords ((3)EpeeFoilRapierSaberSaber (Fencing)Tuck

Oriental SSwords ((3)Dai-KatanaNo-Dachi

Medium Blades (7)Arming/Combat Swords ((3)Arming/Combat Sword(Blade Length: 45-70 cm)

Hunting SwordNinja-To

Chopping && SSlashingSwords ((3)Butterfly SwordCleaverCutlassFalcattaFalchion Saber

Contact BBlades ((3)Filament Blade**Ion BladeIon Katana

Curved SSwords ((4)KatanaScimitar

Polearms (6)Multi-PPurpose PPolearms ((3)Bec de CorbinGuisarmeLucern Hammer

Piercing PPolearms ((3)LanceMilitary ForkPartisanPikeRanseurSpearSpetumTrident

Slashing PPolearms ((3)FauchardGlaiveHalberdNaginataPole AxeVoulge

Special-PPurpose PPolearms(3)Ketch-all PoleMancatcher

Small Blades (5)Daggers && SStilettos ((2)DaggerHunting KnifeStiletto

Short SSwords ((3)Short Sword (Blade length: 20-45 cm)Wakizashi

Contact DDagger ((3)Filament Blade**Vibrodagger

Blunt Weapons (4)Clubs/Sticks ((1)Baton/ClubEscrima Stick

Oriental BBludgeons ((3)Sai (pronged, not bladed)Tonfa

Power BBatons ((2)Pulse BatonStun Baton

Fist Loads*Gauntlets && GGloves ((0)****Brass KnucklesCestus/Gauntlet

Powered GGauntlets &&Gloves ((1)Power CestusPower Gloves

Flexible Weapons (5)Ball && RRod WWeapons ((3)FlailMorning Star

Lashing WWeapons ((3)ChainGarroteWhip

Multi-ssection WWeapons ((3)NunchakuThree-section Staff

Hammers & MacesHammers && MMaces ((3)GravmaceGravmaulGreat MaulMaceWarhammer

StavesStaves ((2)QuarterstaffHalf-Staff

Blade Bludgeon

* At the GM's discretion, the Unarmed Attack skills may beused instead.

** Depending on the length of the filament blade the wielderopts for. You may become familiar with the monofilament bladeitself as a weapon for 2 skill points, and specialize in it for 5 skillpoints. See rules on either.

*** Cut & Thrust deals with swords that are equally good atthrusting as cutting. Broadsword, for the sake of simplicity,deals with all of the rest one-handed swords which are mostlygeared towards slashing, whether they have a complex hilt ornot. Longsword deals with swords that are used two-handed,but don't have blades longer than 115 cm, such as bastardswords (when used two-handed; for one-handed use cut &thrust), longswords, and other such weapons.

**** All characters are assumed to have familiarity with suchsimple weapons, regardless of the actual skill used.

The table presents a (barely) comprehensive list of weaponrytypes. Tertiary Categories may be added to the SecondaryCategories where appropriate. Secondary Categories may beadded as well if they do not fit any of the listed types.

Note: If the campaign is only using non-powered weapons orspecific weapons native to an area, feel free to adjust the MainCategory costs downward. As a rule of thumb take the highestSecondary Category cost and add 1 point each for the otherSecondary Categories. For instance in a European Dark Agescampaign, Familiarity with all local Large Blades would now cost5 points (cost of 3 for Euro Swords, single-handed plus 1 forEuro, two-handed and plus another 1 for Fencing/Thrustingswords). This assumes that a character who has spent the timeto become Familiar with a type of weapon (Secondary Category)will find it easier to become experienced in related weapons.

Weapons Table

37LAST RESORT 2

HOME RULE ADVANTAGE

Melee Weapons Rank Benefits! Resistance modifier (Ranks 4, 8 and 12): While usinga melee weapon that the character has rank 4 in, hisStrength resistance modifier improves by +1. This modifi-er improves to +2 when achieving rank 8, and may riseas high as +3, when the character achieves rank 12 inthat skill. However, this increase cannot be combined withany other Strength resistance modifier increase offeredby another skill. (i.e. If you have rank 4 at Blade and rank4 at Power Martial Arts, you can enjoy the benefit of onlyone skill, which also depends if you fight with your swordor unarmed.)

! Reaction Parry (Rank 4): When a character reachesrank 4 in a specialty skill and is wielding the appropriateweapon, he may parry whenever an attack is madeagainst him, regardless of the action check; this rank ben-efit, when used, takes up the next available action of thecharacter.

! Double Strike (Rank 6): At rank 6, the character maymake two attacks at once with the appropriate weapon.This double attack may be done against a single target,or two targets within 2m of the character. The playerrolls one control die and two situation dice; the first situa-tion die is the first attack, and incurs a +1 penalty in addi-tion to all others, while the second situation die is thesecond attack and incurs an additional +2 step penalty.Both use a single control die.

! Double Parry (Rank 6): Similar to the Double Strikeabove, this rank benefit is used in a very similar way. Theactual and only difference is that instead of attackingtwice, the character may parry two incoming close-com-bat attacks. The first situation die suffers from a base +1penalty, and the second one from a base +2 step penalty.Both use a single control die.

! Multistrike (Rank 9): At rank 9, the character is ableto make 3 attacks in a single phase. These attacks canbe directed at a single target, or divided among up to 2other targets who are within 2m of the character. Allthree attacks use the same control die; the first one con-sists of the situation die plus a +1 penalty; the secondone of the situation die and a +2 penalty, and the thirdone of a the situation die plus a +3 penalty.

! Multi Parry (Rank 9): Similar to the Double Parryabove, this rank benefit is used in the same way, however,the character may parry three incoming close-combatattacks. The first situation die suffers from a base +1penalty, and the second one from a base +2 step penalty,and the third one uses the situation die with a +3 penalty.All three use a single control die.

Example of Familiarity and SpecializationSebastien the Brave starts play with the Melee Weaponsbroad skill. He can use both Blade and Blunt weapons at a +1base penalty. Later Sebastien takes the Melee Weapons-blade specialty skill. He can now apply his skill rank to allweapons under the Blade category but maintains the +1 basepenalty. He decides to become Familiar with the SecondaryCategory of European Swords, One-Handed (one-time cost of3) to eliminate the penalty when using a cut and thrust swordor a broad sword. All other weapons under the Blade catego-ry maintain a +1 penalty but when Sebastien pulls out histrusty broadsword he is ready to go into battle without ahandicap. After Sebastien reaches rank 3 in Melee Weapons-blade he decides to Specialize in the use of all EuropeanSwords, One-Handed (one-time cost of 6 at x2 Familiarity)gaining a -1 bonus to any attacks he makes with thoseweapons. If he would have Specialized in just the TertiaryCategory of broad sword it would have just cost him 3 points.

New Rank BenefitsOf course, what would be a revised set of melee weapon ruleswithout new rank benefits? Since we would not dare ignoresuch a course of action, there is a sidebar included with allMelee Weapons rank benefits, old and new alike, for your con-venience. Also, note that the two aforementioned aspects,Familiarity and Specialization can be rank benefits themselves;see the respective paragraphs above if you are interested inusing them as rank benefits. Optionally, you may substitutethe Specialization aspect/rank benefit for the WeaponMastery rank benefit in Last Resort 1 (page 54), for a -3bonus and rank 12 with a single weapon are slightly overpow-ered, in my opinion.

Melee Weapons Skill: Strength or Dexterity?Finally, after many discussions on which ability to use forMelee Weapons, whether Strength or Dexterity, I present twoapproaches for the above methods. On the first and simplerapproach, you may deem certain Secondary Categories ofweapons which are either usable with Strength or Dexterity(or Dexterity alone, if you wish). Even though the skill is nor-mally under strength, you use your Dexterity instead of yourStrength to determine the ability score. As a side effect, theGM may rule that if a weapon is used with Dexterity instead ofStrength, no additional damage for high Strength applies (butsubtractions for low Strength do!). When using this option,the suggested Secondary Categories are: Fencing Weapons,Contact Swords, Contact Blades, Curved Swords, AllSecondary Categories of the Short Blades Main Category,Lashing Weapons.

On the other hand, you may opt to have all Melee Weaponsunder the Dexterity ability (and possibly the Unarmed Attackskill as well). However, if you opt for such a decision, you arestrongly advised to use the house rule for WeaponEncumbrance, as presented in the sidebar on page 38. !

NOVEMBER 200338

HOME RULE ADVANTAGE

Weapon EncumbranceAll weapons have some weight and inertia, and those withhigher Strength can swing them faster and easier than thosewith lower Strength. Note, however, that if you are using thenormal rules where Strength determines ability scores forusing Melee Weapons, this isn't necessary (but you may add itif you'd like to complicate things). However, if you are usingDexterity instead of Strength for the aforementioned purpose,I strongly advise you to use the following rule.

All weapons require a minimum Strength to use effective-ly, so weaker characters will have a hard time swinging thatcool greatsword. For each two points (or one point, if theGM feels particularly nasty) of STR that a character has lessthan the required, a +1 penalty applies in addition to theaccuracy modifier of the weapon (or you even might go asfar as to say that the character must use two hands toswing a heavier weapon effectively, and that if he has morethan 2 points of STR less than necessary, he may not eventry to swing it). On the other hand, the GM may rule that forevery one or two points of STR above the required, the accu-racy modifier of the weapon is lessened by 1 step; this may

never, ever, provide a bonus. (That's why they gave bigweapons to big people. Simple physics equations. No wait,they didn't have physics equations back then�).

Here's a list of some examples to help you assign minimumSTR values:Great Sword (Over 1,5m): 12-13 STR (Note: Such swordsare not only extremely rare, but extremely unwieldy to beginwith as well).Flail: 12 STRTwo-handed Sword/Claymore/Chainsword: 11-12 STRBastard Sword/Warhammer: 10-11 STRLarge Sword: 8-9 STRMedium Sword: 6-7 STRStarsword: 4-5 STRDagger: Yeah, right. Who can't hold a dagger?

Also, if a weapon is specifically mentioned to need twohands to use effectively, and the character uses only onehand, increase the minimum STR requirement of theweapon by +2. Of course, this cannot happen with weaponssuch as polearms, or those that despite the strength of thecharacter, they're too large to be swung with a single hand.

Bloodfight ClubA group of very rich, very bored, andvery perverse millionaires have puttogether a gladiatorial fight club fortheir amusement. Agents of the groupabduct homeless people, drifters andother unfortunates with little or no tiesto society or family. They arm theabductees with melee weapons andthen fight them in secret pit battles tothe death. The millionaires are all high-ly trained combatants, adept at a vari-ety of melee weapons such as swordsand flails. So far no one has left thepits alive and the millionaires continuewith their murderous ways.

While dining at a local restaurantthe players overhear a new member ofthe millionaire fight club talking aboutthe upcoming �bumsmack� to a friend.He hands the friend an invite to theclub�s activities that night and theyleave the restaurant. The playersnotice that the careless friend hasdropped the invite on the floor.


SIDEBAR: DARK MATTER G AME PROP

39LAST RESORT 2

FOR a while I have been thinking what has been missingfrom Alternity weapons� I pondered under the starrynight sky (or so I supposed, it's not easy to determine if

it has stars when all you see is light smog), and I came to theconclusion: Swords! Apart from the simple "types" of swordsthat exist, most of them Fantasy conversions and the like,there wasn't a list of swords that was unique. Swords withtheir own "personality", despite being nothing more than ablade of metal set upon a hilt, not magically or technologicallyenhanced or anything. Just swords, swords that could befound in our world, our mundane PL5 world.

The Sword Compendium series of articles for Last Resortwill detail a set of swords for each Volume, starting with thefirst, which is European Medieval Swords (historical only). Inthis particular article I hope to detail a number of swords thatcan be found in our own world; nothing fictional. For the originof these images (or if you're drooling over a particular sword),you may refer to the respective sidebar.

A note about the format: I will detail each weapon separate-ly, each with description text and its own real image. Thegame stats for these swords are compiled in a table on page40. None of these swords are, as I already mentioned, fiction-al. You may easily find them in our own dreary and bleakworld. For ease of use, swords are categorized respective totheir size: Small, Medium and Large, with blade lengths up to20-45 cm, 45-70 cm and 80+ respectively (approximately).All Swords have an availability of Common (more due to their

rarity rather than any license). Also, since this was written inconcert with the Melee Weapons Revised Rules article, whichcan be found in this issue, in the Skill listing I write theSecondary & Tertiary Category of the weapon. I also omit theClip Size/Cost, Type/Firepower and Range listings, which arerather useless. At the end of the description text I alsoinclude the technical characteristics of each sword, if theyare available.

This, the first volume of the Sword Compendium, deals withswords from the ancient age to early Renaissance, beforeswords such as the rapier, the broadsword and the saberbecame dominant. However, it only covers European Swords,and those based on real designs, not fantasy.

ACTION EMPORIUM arms, armor, and equipment

SWORD COMPENDIUM, VOOLL 1EUROPEAN ANCIENT, MEDIEVAL AND EARLY RENAISSANCE SWORDS

Origin of ImagesAll images presented in this article are courtesy and copyrightof Medieval Weapon Art (www.medievalweaponart.com) andKnight's Edge (www.knightsedge.com). Both are excellentsites which sell a large variety of swords, both decorative andfunctional. They can be reached at the aforementionedInternet addresses. I highly recommend both of them, and ifyou're really desperate for a free sword, you may enterMedieval Weapon Art's contest for a choice between freethree items each month. And, it goes without saying that bothcompanies' wares are of high quality and at reasonableprices.

14 th Century Cut & ThrustThis particular sword is a fine example of a Cut &Thrust sword. The blade is slim, intended for thrust-ing, but unlike many other cut & thrust swords withlittle or no edge, this one retains its cutting capabili-ties, though limited. Even though the vast majorityof swords emphasized slashing (since the naturaltendency of the arm is to swing and not to jab), theappearance of plate armor on the battlefield ren-dered slashing attacks nearly useless. Thrustingweapons, such as slim swords, were in use inorder to find weak spots in the armor. This particu-lar sword has a one-handed grip and a long, slimblade; it is a light and fast weapon.Overall Length: 102,5 cm. Blade Length: 85 cm.Blade Width: 3,75 cm

Acre SwordThis simple, elegant long sword is typical of theCrusades. The Knightly Cruciform sword, as thistype of swords is known, evolved from the Vikingsword; since at the time of its making plate armorwas unheard of while mail was common, and sincemost fighting was done from horseback, the abilityto slash was more important. As a result, this bladewas made with very little taper, so it may give moreforce to the blow. The name of the sword comesfrom the battle of Acre, during the Third Crusade,where Richard Lion Heart pressed his attack sostrongly that the garrison surrendered. This partic-ular design is a replica of a sword from a funeralbrass of knight of that period.Overall Length: 100,5 cm. Blade Length: 82,5 cm.Blade Width: 4,7cm

Large Blades

by Odysseas Dallas

NOVEMBER 200340

ACTION EMPORIUM

Weapon Skill Acc Damage Actions Hide Mass CostLARGE BLADES14 th C. Cut & Thrust EuroWarSword/Cut&Thrust Sword -1 d4+1w/d6+1w/d4m 2 -- 1.5 193Acre Sword EuroWarSword/Cut&Thrust Sword 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 2 193Arbedo Sword EuroWarSword/Broad or Long Sword 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 1.5 229Broadsword Euro. War Sword/Broadsword 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 2 193Castillion Sword Euro. War Sword/Cut & Thrust -1(0) d4+1w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 1.5 229

or Broad Sword or Long swordClassic Medieval Sword Euro. War Sword/Broadsword 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 1.5 170Crusader Sword Euro. War Sword/Broadsword 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 2 182Crusader�s Sword Euro. War Sword/Broadsword 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 1.5 233Dark Age Sword Euro. War Sword/Broadsword 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 1.5 223Early Claymore Euro. War Sword/Two-handed Sword +1(0) d6+1w/d6+2w/d4+1m 2 -- 2.5 223English Tuck Fencing Swords/Tuck 0(+1) d4+1w/d4+2w/d4-1m 2 -- 1.5 233European Sword Euro. War Sword/Broadsword 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 1.5 173Fighting two-hand Sword Euro. War Sword/Two-handed Sword +1(+2) d6+1w/d8+1w/d6m 2 -- 4 273German Hand-And-A-Half EuroWarSword/Broad or Long Sword 0 d4+1w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 2 263Landscknecht Sword Euro. War Sword/Two-handed Sword +2(+3) d8+1w/2d4+1w/d6+1m 2 -- 8 273German Wald Sword EuroWarSword/Broad Sword +1 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 2.5 170Gothic Bastard Sword Euro. War Sword/Cut & Thrust -1 d4+1w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 1,5 277

or Broad Sword or Long swordGreat Claymore Sword Euro. War Sword/Two-handed Sword +1(+2) d6+1w/d8+1w/d4+1m 2 -- 4.5 302Guingate Sword Euro. War Sword/Cut & Thrust 0 d4+1w/d6+1w/d4m 2 -- 1.5 274

or Broad SwordHigh Renaissance Sword Euro. War Sword/Cut &Thrust Sword -1 d4+1w/d6+1w/d4m 2 -- 1.5 274Irish Hand-And-A-Half Euro. War Sword/Cut & Thrust 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 1.5 277

or Broad Sword or Long swordIrish Sword Euro. War Sword/Broadsword 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 1.5 244Irish Two-Hander Euro. War Sword/Two-handed Sword +1(0) d6+1w/d6+2w/d4+1m 2 -- 2.5 277La Hire War Sword Euro. War Sword/Cut & Thrust 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 1.5 224

or Broad Sword or Long swordLate Norman Sword Euro. War Sword/Broadsword 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 2 215Medieval Sword Euro. War Sword/Broadsword 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 1.5 173Ravenna Sword Euro. War Sword/Two-handed Sword +1(0) d6+1w/d6+2w/d4+1m 2 -- 3 233Sticklestad Viking Sword Euro. War Sword/Broadsword 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 1.5 214Sword on the Great Euro. War Sword/Broadsword 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 1.5 214Seal of Robert the BruceTowton Sword Euro. War Sword/Cut & Thrust -1(0) d4+1w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 1.5 243

or Long swordTwo Handed Great Sword Euro. War Sword/Two-handed Sword +1(+2) d4+3w/d6+3w/d4+1m 2 -- 5.5 315Viking Chieftain Sword Euro. War Sword/Broadsword +1(+2) d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 3.5 184Viking Swrd�Double Edge Euro. War Sword/Broadsword +1 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 2.5 299War Sword of Albrecht II Euro. War Sword/ Cut & Thrust 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 2 -- 2 242

or Broadsword or Long swordWarbrand from the Euro. War Sword/ Cut & Thrust 0 d4+1w/d6+1w/d4m 2 -- 2 128Maciejowski Bible or Long sword

MEDIUM BLADES15th C.Italian Short Sword Combat Swords/Combat Sword 0 d4w/d6w/d6+2w 3 +1 1.5 170Celtic Combat Sword Combat Swords/Combat Sword 0 d4w/d6w/d6+2w 3 +1 1.5 229Falcatta Chopping & Slashing Swords/Falcatta 0 d4w/d4+2w/d6+3w 3 +1 1.5 163French Badelaire Chopping & Slashing Swords/Falchion 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/2d4+1w 2 -- 1.5 148German Falchion Chopping & Slashing Swords/Falchion 0 d4+2w/d6+2w/2d4+2w 2 -- 1.5 173Greek Hoplite Sword Combat Swords/Combat Sword 0 d4w/d6w/d6+2w 3 +1 1.5 170Grosse Messer Chopping & Slashing Swords/Falchion* 0 d6w/d6+1w/d8+1w 2 -- 2 184Knights Round Table Swrd Combat Swords/Combat Sword +1(+2) d4w/d6w/d6+2w 3 +1 3,5 184Landsknecht Katzbalger Combat Swords/Combat Sword 0 d4w/d6w/d6+2w 3 +1 1.5 185LongHunterStagWood Combat Swords/Hunting Sword 0 d4w/d6w/d6+2w 3 +1 1.5 244Medieval Chopper Chopping & Slashing Swords/Falchion* 0 d4+2w/d4+3w/d4m 2 -- 2 184MountTrapperStagHunt Combat Swords/Hunting Sword 0 d4w/d4+1w/d6+2w 3 +1 1,5 254Roman Gladius Sword Combat Swords/Combat Sword +1(+2) d4w/d6w/d6+2w 3 +1 3 172

SMALL BLADESCoustille Sword Short Swords/Short Sword 0 d4w/d4+1w/d6+1w 3 +1 1 170

Swords

41LAST RESORT 2

ACTION EMPORIUM

Arbedo SwordThis very effective cutting weapon also has adeadly point, making it both a cutting and athrusting weapon. The long grip enables it to beused either one handed or two handed (If usedtwo-handed, increase damage and actions perround by 1). Named after the battle of Arbedo,which took place in June 22, 1422 AD, betweena Milanese army of 6,000 horsemen and 4,000footmen, led by Carmagnola and Angelo de laPergola, and an army of 4,000 Swiss pikemenand halberdiers. Since this was his firstencounter with the Swiss, his cavalry wasstopped cold by the long polearms of the Swiss.All of his horsemen dismounted and pressed on

with the help of the footmen, against the numerically inferiorSwiss; one group of the Swiss tried to, unsuccessfully, surren-der. In the middle of the battle, a group of Swiss foragersappeared in the scene; the Milanese thought they wereenemy reinforcements and fell back to regroup, allowing theSwiss to retire in good order. Many Swiss men died at thatbattle, even though Carmagnola lost more men. This warsword was named after the particular battle, where eitherside could have carried it.Overall Length: 98,5 cm. Blade Length: 77,5 cm. BladeMaterial: High Carbon Steel

Broadsword with Double Ring GuardA highly effective sword with the necessary lengthand power, but with little increase in weight. Anearly form of the later broad sword, it is moreakin to a long sword than to a broad sword,though the hilt is progressing towards the hilt ofthe broad sword. This 16 th century weapon isproof to the changes that the knightly weaponunderwent during the Renaissance; the plaincross hilt was enhanced with rings and handguards as decoration but also as protection, sincearmor was no more commonly worn with it.Blades changed somewhat, becoming slightly thin-ner, but not nearly as much as the hilt itself. Theblade of this particular sword was long and slim,but it remained a cutting weapon. This sword is aduplicate of an original such sword, in Hank'sCollection, and probably of South German origins.

Overall Length: 115 cm. Blade Length: 90 cm. Blade Width:2,5 cm

Castillion SwordA weapon that combined the attributes of the long thrustingsword and the short cutting sword that were used during the1400s, this weapon can be used easily one-handed, but thelong pommel makes it a true hand & a half sword, so that itmay be used two-handed as well (increase damage andactions by 1, but at the discretion of the GM the accuracybonus is lost since most of the second hand grips an unevensurface, the pommel, and not the hilt). This sword is a replica

of several swords that were found in a woodenchest at the bottom of the Dordogne, a Frenchriver; a little downstream is the town of Castillion,where the Hundred Years War was essentiallyended, in July 1453. John Talbot, Earl ofShrewsberry, led 6.000 men into a rash attack onthe emplaced siege lines of the French. In theslaughter that followed, he and most of his menwere slain by heavy artillery fire, followed by astrong mop-up attack of the French; this is thebattle whose name this sword carries. A deadly,yet beautiful blade.Overall Length:103,75 cm. Blade Length: 85 cm.Blade Width:4,5 cm. Blade Material: Well-

Tempered High Carbon Steel

Classic Medieval SwordA simple sword design, which was in servicethroughout all of Europe for a long time. The bladehas a long and wide fuller which decreases weightwithout compromising strength, making possiblecuts both quick and powerful enough to cut throughthe mail or cloth armor that was worn during thatera. The long guard protects from enemy shieldsand blades alike, whereas the elegant pommel bal-ances the sword nicely.Overall Length: 98,75 cm. Blade Length: 82,5 cm.Blade Width: 5 cm

Crusader SwordEven though it has a shorter blade than the typicalknightly sword, its design is closer to the longsword than the combat sword; it is slimmer thanthe average combat sword, even though it is stillprimarily a slashing weapon. A heirloom qualitysword, it is nevertheless as functional as those inthe Middle Ages. Designed to look similar to theweapons of the crusaders, it has a typical cross-guard and the crusader cross cast within the pom-mel. A step towards the advancement of thesword, it's a good blade, yet nothing more.Overall Length: 90 cm. Blade Length: 70 cm. BladeWidth: 3 cm

Crusader's SwordAs the previous sword, this sword bears resem-blance to the blades used by the Crusaders duringtheir wars in the "Holy Lands". The sword itself wastypical of its era, and could easily cut through themail armor that was common. The blade is flat,with two long fullers which lighten but do not weak-en it. The flat blade can deliver a powerful andshearing cutting blow, but the sword has enoughof a point to be used as a thrusting weapon ifneed be.Overall Length: 99 cm. Blade Length: 82,5 cm.Blade Width: 4,7 cm

NOVEMBER 200342

ACTION EMPORIUM

Dark Age SwordThis simple design was first made in the DarkAges, and is the forerunner of the Viking, Saxonand Norman Swords. It was a true advancement.Until then, swords were limited to half a meter inlength at most, since those that were manufac-tured with longer blades tended to fold during thebattle, rendering them useless. This is a warrior'ssword; it is a slashing weapon, and even though itis pointed, it saw little use in thrusting maneuvers.Its broad blade could deal a shearing blow to allbut the heaviest armor. During the Dark Ages, thesword was man's best friend; wherever he went,so did it. This particular sword has a hand forgedand well-tempered high carbon steel blade, and aone-piece cast brass grip, secured between thealternating steel and brass layers of the pommeland guard.

Overall Length: 93,75 cm. Blade Length: 77,5 cm. BladeWidth: 5 cm. Blade Material: High Carbon Steel.

Early ClaymoreAn early design of the later popular clay-more, this impressive two-handed swordwas typical of the battles during the periodof William Wallace, who laid waste to sever-al of the northern English counties during hischallenge of Edward I. Those battles led tothe culmination of Scottish nationalism andfinally to their independence later under thebanner of Robert the Bruce. This is the pred-ecessor of the true two-handed claymore,with the characteristic downsloping guardthat developed in late 15 th century. Thislarge sword has a long blade and a straightguard, more than capable of cleaving theSassenach. Note: Despite the sword's size,it's rather light, so you may choose toreduce the accuracy penalty to 0 forstronger characters (11+ STR).

Overall Length: 147,5 cm. Blade Length: 115 cm. BladeWidth: 5 cm. Blade Material: High Carbon Steel.

English TuckEventually, armor improved, so new weapons hadto be utilized to counter it. Cutting weapons soonfell into misuse since they were inefficient againstplate armor; heavy crushing and cleaving weaponssuch as maces and axes started appearing, whowould either cleave through or crack the armor.Later, purely thrusting weapons were also intro-duced, which could split the rings of mail or findtheir way through the joints and crevices of platearmor; the most popular of them was the FrenchEstoc, which is translated in English as Tuck. TheTuck is considered a forerunner of the rapier bymany, whereas others claim it was the merging of

the civilian sword (Espada Ropera) with the longer, lighter andmore effective tuck, that produced the rapier. The tuck wasan effective weapon however, as its narrow, long, but rigidblade could be thrusted with one hand, or even two hands(add +1 point to damage and +1 penalty to accuracy, toreflect the difficulty of rebalancing after a hard thrust).However, it has very little cutting power.Overall Length: 127 cm. Blade Length: 105 cm. BladeWidth: 3 cm

European SwordA balanced weapon, this is the kind of sword thata professional fighting man of the EuropeanMiddle Ages would have chosen as his arma-ment. It is a no-nonsense sword meant for a sin-gle purpose: combat. Even though the wheelpommel of the sword has a smaller radius, itmakes up the weight for counterbalancing bybeing nearly 4 cm thick. The crossguard is nottoo long, but it is curved to protect the handfrom an opponent's sliding shield or blade. Theblade tapers to a good firm stabbing point, with-out compromising the width of the weapon andits ability for shearing cuts along its length. It isconstructed from high-carbon steel, tempered toa very tough spring.Overall Length: 100 cm. Blade Length: 85 cm.

Blade Width: 5 cm

Fighting Two-Hand SwordA large man with such a sword wasindeed impressive! This is a classicSwiss/German weapon, invented to aidthe brawniest troopers to break enemypikes. However, the sword had such anawe-inspiring appearance that it wassoon used by guards in processions, andeven adopted for personal combat. Manyof these swords have wavy blades, orflamberge as they are known, whichincrease the intimidating factor of theweapon (and it was thought back thenthat they even increase the cuttingpower of the sword). This particularblade has a flamberge blade and twospikes jutting from the beginning of theblade. Note: This sword is particularlyheavy. You may wish to impose an addi-tional +1 penalty to accuracy if the wield-er isn't strong enough (11+ STR).Overall Length: 155 cm. Blade Length:118 cm. Blade Width: 5 cm. BladeMaterial: High Carbon Steel.

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ACTION EMPORIUM

German Hand-And-A-HalfAs armor became stronger, the hand & ahalf sword become more popular. A develop-ment over the usual two-handed sword (orgreat sword), the hand & a half weapon wasa one handed weapon that had a longergrip, enabling a two-handed hold. Most ofthem were so large as to actually requiretwo hands, but this sword is an example of atrue hand & a half weapon (if used twohanded, increase damage and actions perturn by +1 each). Despite the size of theweapon, it is lightweight enough to be wield-ed one hand. It also comes with a flat blade,which accommodates parrying movesagainst an opponents blade; this particularsword also has side rings in the crossguardto prevent catastrophic hands to the hand.The hand & a half sword was often used by

cavalrymen, like the long sword.Overall Length:120 cm. Blade Length: 95 cm. BladeMaterial: Tempered High Carbon Steel

German Landsknecht SwordAn evolution over the great sword, thissword is unbelievably long and heavy. Thesize of an adult person (taller than anadult person, actually), this is a monsterof a sword, used only by the strongestand brawniest Swiss and German troops.It's main purpose was breaking pikes anddowning horsemen (and probably thehorse alongside). This sword is a replicaof an original German weapon, now in aprivate collection. It has a flambergeblade made from high carbon springsteel, well tempered and forged over hotcoals. Even the guard is a masterpiece,hand worked and of circular shape, withjoined rings at front and back along withswirled wrought iron side guards. Note:This sword is ridiculously heavy. You maywish to impose an additional +1 penaltyto accuracy if the wielder isn't strongenough (13+ STR), or +2 if he's lowerthan 11+ STR.

Overall Length: 187,5 cm. Blade Length: 135 cm. BladeWidth: 5 cm. Blade Material: High Carbon Steel.

German Wald SwordStyled from an actual German Medieval sword ina private collection. Swords such as this onewere carried for hunting and protection through-out the forests ("Wald" in German). It is a one-handed sword, and an optimal weapon to usefrom horseback. This particular sword, eventhough sharpened and functional, is mostlymeant for decoration, as can be seen from thehand-crafted twisted steel guard, segmentedand etched rosewood grip with brass spacers.Another testament to the above statement isalso the fact that this sword is unbelievably heavyfor a sword of its size. It is unknown whether theoriginal had the same weight, or if it's just thereplica that is so heavy.Overall Length: 98,75 cm. Blade Length: 82,5cm. Blade Width: 5 cm

Gothic Bastard SwordA replica of a true Gothic weapon as found in theTower of London, this elegant sword with its slimblade is deadly. A popular sword often depicted inDurer's work, it has a wide enough blade for cut-ting and it is pointed enough to thrust with. Thesword is light enough to be swung with a singlehand, but the hilt is long enough to enable twohanded use, increasing the force of blows withoutcompromising its handling (+1 to damage andactions). A weapon from the 15 th century, whenGothic style was at its apex, it reflects the vitality ofthe Gothic Approach.Overall Length: 110 cm. Blade Length: 90 cm.Blade Width: 3,5 cm. Blade Material: Well-Tempered High Carbon Steel

Great Claymore SwordA typical large claymore sword, as thoseused by the famous Scottish Highlanders. Animpressive but rather heavy blade, this swordproves to be rather difficult to swing, espe-cially for those without the necessary muscle,but it backs every one of its blows with bone-jarring power: Even parrying such a swordwould result in a broken wrist. Note: Thissword is rather heavy, so you may choose toworsen accuracy to +2 unless wielded bystronger characters (11+ or 12+ STR).Overall Length: 147,5 cm. Blade Length:112,5 cm. Blade Width: 5,6 cm. BladeMaterial: High Carbon Steel.

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ACTION EMPORIUM

Guingate SwordIn 1479, King Louis of the French invaded theNetherlands, where he met on the field of battlewith Emperor Maximilian, who was a knownarms and armor lover (actually designing somearmor that has his name) as well as being aman who loved battle.. The battle was short butbloody; even though the famous French Cavalrydefeated the Imperial Horse, the field was heldby the Flemish Infantry with the Emperor fightingon foot amidst its ranks. This sword was namedin honor of that battle, and is styled from an orig-inal sword of the era. The blade is hand-forgedfrom well tempered high carbon steel, andemploys the high center ridge of the original.Thus, the strengthened blade is capable ofeither cutting or thrusting with equal efficiency.Overall Length: 100 cm. Blade Length: 83 cm.

High Renaissance SwordDuring the Renaissance, it was realized that athrusting weapon was far more efficient againstthe defenses of the day. Even though the cuttingstroke was still an effective maneuver, aweapon's fine but strong point was needed topenetrate openings between armor pieces andseparate mail. Thus, certain swordmakersthought highly of the thrust, a belief clearly envi-sioned on this sword, where all power is focusedon the tip. Its slim, tapered blade is strengthenedby a central ridge, enhancing its thrusting power.It can still be used for cutting, but obviously noeffort is wasted in its design to make sure thethrust is the maneuver this weapon is suited for.Overall Length: 102,5 cm. Blade Length: 85 cm.Blade Material: High Carbon Steel

Irish Hand-And-A-HalfThe Irish were known to rely on speed andagility, and this blade is a beautiful and deadlyexample of the Irish fighting mind. A replica ofa weapon dating from about 1500 AD, thiswell-proportioned hand & a half sword is char-acteristically Irish, with the flaring "S" guardand the ring pommel. The description of thesword can only begin to convey the speed, bal-ance and feel of the weapon; it is light, quick,agile, deadly. It can be used either one- or two-handed (increase damage by +1 and actionsby +1).Overall Length:114 cm. Blade Length: 86,3cm. Handle Material: Wood covered withleather. Blade Material: Well-Tempered HighCarbon Steel

Irish SwordThe Irish have developed one of the most distinctivepommel & crossguard combination of all medievalswords-a steel ring pommel and a flaring steelcrossguard bent in opposite directions, forming an"S". This particular sword is a typical Irish warrior'sarmament, both light and strong, with a well-pro-portioned sword blade that comes with a fuller,lightening without decreasing its strength. A quickbut powerful sword which enhanced the fightingreputation of Irish men.Overall Length: 100 cm. Blade Length: 82,5 cm.Blade Width: 4 cm

Irish Two-HanderThe Gallowglass was the most feared Irish mer-cenary in medieval times; he would sell hisswordsmanship in Ireland, Scotland, or even tothe English if the pay was right. Always a fewyears behind in arms and armor development,the Irish still fought with sword, targe and mailwhen most of Europe had gone to plate.Nevertheless, they were equal in valor to any-one else. One of their favorite weapons was alarge two-handed sword, their equivalent ofthe more well-known Scottish claymore.However, as the Scottish had their distinctivecrossguard, so did the Irish have their flared,"S"-shaped crossguard and a ring pommel,open faced so that the tang of the blade couldbe seen. Note: Despite the weapon's size, it issurprisingly rather light; you may wish toignore the +1 accuracy penalty for strong(11+ STR) characters.

Overall Length: 136,25 cm. Blade Length: 105 cm. BladeWidth: 5 cm

La Hire War SwordNamed after Estienne La Hire, one of the tough-est and most warlike of the captains underJeanne d'Arc. A professional soldier of somerepute, La Hire was not only present in the liftingof the siege of Orleans, but also the primaryleader at the Battle of Patay. Even though bythat time plate armor had made swords ineffec-tive against knights, they were still effectiveagainst the lesser armored foot troops. Thismagnificent war sword, which can be wieldedone- or two-handed (increase damage andactions by +1), is the type of sword he mighthave carried in battle.

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ACTION EMPORIUM

Late Norman SwordThis superb fighting weapon is well balancedand strong enough to deliver shearing blows,with a long fuller running nearly all of theblade, lightening but without compromising itsstrength. Constructed to be effective againstmounted and foot troops alike, this Normansword is slightly larger than the ones carriedstrictly by infantry. The medieval Knight was acavalryman, charging first with lance and fol-lowing with sword to quell any and all armedresistance. This particular weapon has littletaper and is meant to be used as a cuttingweapon from horseback.Overall Length: 100 cm. Blade Length: 85 cm.Blade Width: 5 cm. Handle Material: Woodgrip covered with leather and wrapped with

wire. Guard and brazil nut pommel are steel. Blade Material:High Carbon Steel

Medieval SwordThis particular replica is not a copy of an originalsword; instead, it's an extremely general weapon,what would be termed as a "medieval sword" asits name implies. Forged to fit everyone's needfor a multi-period, multi-cultural sidearm, thissword has a classic medieval style and shape,which could be used from as early as the VikingAge to as late as the 1500s. Technically, it's alight and well-balanced sword, with a fuller run-ning the length of the blade, which has a service-able point but no taper. It is primarily a slashingweapon, with thrusting maneuvers being alwaysa second option.Overall Length: 92,5 cm. Blade Length: 77,8 cm.Blade Width: 3,3 cm.

Ravenna SwordDuring the Renaissance, the only sword that sur-vived "intact" was the two-handed; The rapier,saber and broadsword were the "evolutions" ofthe Medieval swords, who had fell into disusedue to the discovery and widespread use offirearms. The two-handed sword was used inheavy combat by fearsome warriors. Variousdesigns were in use; from the specialized bearingswords (never intended for combat), to the smallSwiss/German swords with the parrying hooks,and this one, which is in essence a very largewar sword. This weapon is wonderfully balanceddue to the blade shape, but it's a purely slashingweapon; there's no point in thrusting with such aheavy sword. This type of sword, even though itwas not as large as the specialized two-handersof various mercenary groups, proved ideal notonly for duels but also for defending castle walls

and narrow spaces. The name of the sword comes from theBattle of Raven, which even though was settled by cannons,also saw some pretty bloody hand-to-hand combat on thewalls. Note: Despite the weapon's size, it is rather light; youmay wish to ignore the +1 accuracy penalty for quite strong(12+ STR) characters.Overall Length: 146,5 cm. Blade Length: 112,5 cm. BladeWidth: 6 cm

Sticklestad Viking SwordA handsome Viking sword, this one wasnamed after the battle of Sticklestad, thelast battle of St. Olaf. This was warfare ofthe old school, with nothing but twoarmies meeting sword-to-sword. A brutal,bloody fight, where the mighty Olaf fell. Hewas later canonized by the Catholics asSt. Olaf, due to his fame for his exploits.This beautifully made sword (the rightspecimen) is a replica of a true weaponwhich saw quite some action in that bat-tle. It is light, well-balanced, and capable ofboth cutting and thrusting; indeed, a wor-thy weapon.Overall Length: 92,5 cm. Blade Length:77,5 cm. Blade Width: 5 cm

Sword on the Great Seal of Robert the Bruce

Robert the Bruce appears to be oneof the most "romantic" figures of his-tory, famed for perseverance, courageand determination, only matched byhis fighting skills. He was striving forthe Crown of Scotland, even thoughhe was betrayed, deserted, beset byenemies on all sides. Finally, he man-aged a glorious victory, which hap-pened to be on of the worst defeatssuffered by an English army, atBannockburn, which won him thecrown and a place in legend as one ofScotland's greatest kings and heroes.This particular sword design is takenfrom the Great Seal of Robert theBruce, which displays a knight carry-ing a shield emblazoned with theRampant Lion of Scotland; in his hand

he holds a sword with a distinctive curved crossguard and aquite effective blade. This particular sword isn't only true tothe sword on the seal, but also probably to the sword that theactual Robert the Bruce carried. It's a good weapon, with ablade that has a smooth taper ending in a serviceable point,able to deliver devastating cuts as well as hard thrusts. Thecrossguard also tapers to a point.Overall Length: 91,25 cm. Blade Length: 75,6 cm. BladeWidth: 5 cm. Blade Material: High Carbon Steel

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Towton SwordThis lightning fast weapon is named after the bat-tle at Towton in 1461, where the yet uncrownedEdward IV, the "white rose" of the War of theRoses, marched a large Yorkist force to attackthe Lancastrians (the "red rose"), whose leaderwas the legitimate king Henry VI. The Yorkistarmy was led by the Earl of Warwick, RichardNeville, who was named "The King Maker" inEnglish history. Neville attacked the royalists'strong position on a slope at Towton. His luckwas incredible; even though his army was fightinguphill, a raging and blinding snow storm at theirbacks enabled the Yorkist spearmen to reachthe Lancastrians unnoticed, whereas the windwas in favor of the Yorkist archers, whosearrows, aided by the wind, outranged theLancastrian archers. The 20,000 royalists even-tually charged down to face their enemies; thebloody hand-to-hand raged on for 6 hours, whilethousands died. The sword itself is a superb fight-ing weapon, with a long, slim blade capable ofboth cutting and thrusting. On foot, it could be

wielded two handed, dealing shearing slashes and hard thruststhat would decimate the light infantry of the day, and from horse-back, its balance and weight allow one-handed blows of consider-able power to anyone in reach. Note: If used two-handed,increase damage and actions by +1. However, due to the factthat the second hand grips half the pommel, an uneven surface,you may ignore the accuracy bonus (GM's discretion).Overall Length: 110 cm. Blade Length: 90 cm. Blade Width: 4,5cm. Blade Material: Well-Tempered High Carbon Steel

Two Handed Great SwordThis design is typical of German andSwiss two-handed swords, with the longhilt and crossguard with side rings, aswell as parrying hooks and a sheathedblade, for shortening the reach of theweapon for use in close combat. Theweapon seems particularly heavy, andrequires a strong wielder to be usedeffectively. This particular type of swordwas in use until Early Renaissance,though with the demise of armor the"version " intended for combat grewsmaller. Note: This sword is rather heavy,so you may choose to worsen accuracyto +2 unless wielded by stronger charac-ters (12+ STR). This sword had a secondweight listing, at about 3 kg; if you wish,you may instead use that one and ignorethe accuracy penalty for stronger (12+STR) characters.Overall Length: 170 cm. Blade Length:100 cm. Blade Width: 5,6 cm. BladeMaterial: High Carbon Steel.

Viking Chieftain SwordThe Vikings were known for being relentless and fero-cious warriors in the Dark Ages. Their whole cultureand outlook revolved around war and conquest. As aresult, their leader (the chieftain), could not be but thebest warrior of all. Such a title was honorary,bestowed only to the braver and fiercer of Vikings.Such warriors brandished swords similar to this onein battle� well, almost. Since every sane warriorprefers a well-balanced weapon, this one seems to belacking in that quality. It's ridiculously heavy for its size,limiting its performance. Not to mention that there isquite some doubt at the claim that their swords wereengraved with a V, standing for Viking, since they did-n't use the Latin alphabet. Like all Viking swords, theblade has little point despite its slight tapering, and isa slashing weapon. Note: This sword is ridiculouslyheavy, you may wish to impose an additional +1 accu-

racy penalty to characters that aren't extremely strong (13+STR), or even a +2 for strong ones (11+ STR).Overall Length: 90 cm. Blade Length: 75 cm. Blade Width: 5 cm.

Viking Sword - Double EdgeViking warriors were known in the Dark Ages asruthless invaders and fierce warriors, carving theirfame with blood. This particular sword is the typethey would have favored; long, double edged, andheavy. Unfortunately it is so heavy that its speed islimited. Surprisingly, even though this sword is,according to its name, a Viking sword, the guardand 5-lobe pommel are embellished with a Celticknot. Conclusions are up to you. This particularweapon, as all Viking swords, has no taper, a barelyserviceable point, and it was used almost exclusivelyfor slashing.Overall Length: 92 cm. Blade Length: 75,6 cm.Blade Width: 4,1 cm.

War Sword of Albrecht IIEven though Albrecht II was emperor of theHoly Roman Empire for a very short time, hedid get to possess a fine sword, the replica ofwhich is presented here. This is a superbexample of a war sword, able to be used one-or two-handed. The well tempered high car-bon steel blade has a flattened oval cross-guard and a fuller running one third of itslength; both it and the pommel are etched,the latter of which has the Royal Eagle on oneface and the Rampant Lion on the other.Note: If used two-handed, increase damageand actions by +1.Overall Length: 111,8 cm. Blade Length: 89,3cm. Blade Width: 5,9 cm. Blade Material: HighCarbon Steel

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15 th Century Italian Short SwordDespite the name, the size of this weaponactually is the size of a combat or armingsword, since it is also both a stabbing and aslashing weapon. It is light and fast, able todeliver a cut or a thrust with equal ease. Itwas commonly found in the hands of men-at-arms, pikemen, archers, and other lightinfantry troops, who resorted to it when theirmain weapon was disabled. In the confines ofa mass melee, its compact size enabled it tobe quick and handy. Unfortunately, the rela-tively short blade of the weapon is at a disad-vantage against larger swords in duels, eventhough it is capable of parrying other swordswithout difficulty.Overall Length: 75 cm. Blade Length: 60 cm.Blade width: 6 cm. Blade Thickness: 0,5 cm.Blade Material: High Carbon Steel

Celtic Combat SwordThis blade, while not a replica of a true Celticsword, certainly meets their criteria. Even thoughthe sword has a strong, deadly point, it is mainlya cutting weapon, despite its slightly shorter-than-most blade. It is mostly meant for decora-tion, however, it can be wielded in combat since itis made of high carbon spring steel.Nevertheless, it is a work of art, with a solidbrass guard and pommel, both in the shape ofcrescents, and a grip made of dark ebony woodand separated by round brass spacers.Overall Length: 60 cm. Blade Length: 47,5 cm.Blade Width: 3 cm. Blade Material: High CarbonSpring Steel

FalcattaDuring Roman times, one of the most feared racesof warriors was the Celt-Iberians. The reason of theRoman fear was the Iberian weapons: the Falcatta,one of the most devastating swords ever made. Itis considered to be of Greek, or, possibly, Etruscanorigin, (though the armies of Alexander the Greatwere known to carry it) however it has spread inSouthern Russia as well as Spain. In the hands ofthe Spanish it became most feared by the Romans,as a blow from its inward curving blade could splitboth split and helmet. The blade is made from highcarbon steel, whereas the handle is solid brass.This sword is a pure chopping weapon, which candeal tremendous cutting blows; even though it has

an acceptable stabbing point, it was rarely if ever used incombat, overshadowed by its cutting power.Overall Length: 62,5 cm. Blade Length: 50 cm. Blade Width:5 cm. Blade Material: High Carbon Steel

French BadelaireEven though armor grew stronger, the already pop-ular falchion maintained its popularity. Much lovedby foot soldiers, it could also be used for secondarypurposes: clearing brush, chopping down smalltrees, and other chores that require a sweet spotcloser to the tip blade (Unfortunately, straightswords are not nearly as good in such type of workdue to their shape). The Badelaire is of Frenchdesign, a falchion with a slightly longer and curvedblade. The Badelaire also has a a deadly stabbingpoint and can be used for thrusts, but its mainfunction is cutting (or, more accurately, chopping).The guard is in the, very popular at later ages, Sstyle (but it is not similar to the Irish versions ofsuch a guard).Overall Length: 85 cm. Blade Length: 70 cm. BladeWidth: 5,6 cm. Blade Material: High Carbon Steel

Medium Blades

Warbrand from the Maciejowski BibleA major artifact from the 1250s is the Maciejowski Bible, abook with paintings and drawings from Parisian artists depict-ing a stunning variety of arms, armor and clothing in use dur-ing the 13 th century. The Italian text is presumed to havebeen added half a century later. Some weapons from theMaciejowski Bible represent a surprising evolution of thesword, such as the Medieval Chopper (presented later) andthis particular weapon, which came with no original name soit was named Warbrand. "Brand" is an old word for sword(hence the verb brandish). This particular weapon is part-

polearm, part-sword, with a sleek, light, single edged bladeintended for chopping while having enough of a point to stabwith. It can be used with two hands both on foot and onhorseback, but it is light enough to be swung with one.Note: If used two-handed, increase damage and actions by+1. Alternatively, due to the sword's shape, you may useOriental Weapons/Daikatana instead of European WarSwords/Hand & a Half Sword.Overall Length: 120 cm. Blade Length: 85 cm. Blade Width:4,3 cm.

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German FalchionEven though Medieval Art often depicts thefalchion, very few original swords of this typeare still in existence. Such a rarity of the fal-chion however may be proof of its true popu-larity; most falchions were used up in battle!Or, on the other hand, falchions were moreassociated with commoners, so fewer werepassed down by noblemen as antiques thesedays. Even though double-edged swords aremore commonly known in this era as theprevalent weapons, in truth the single edgedfalchion was favored by a large amount ofknights and men-at-arms. Its wide cuttingblade is extremely effective against mail (dur-ing that era, plate armors, though existent,were very expensive and affordable only bythe affluent). Despite the fact that the fal-chion was developed as a cutting weapon, the

stabbing point was not ignored; most falchions could beused for powerful thrusts. This particular example of a fal-chion has a very strong point, able of penetrating mail witha hard thrust or stab.Overall Length: 85 cm. Blade Length: 70 cm. Blade Width:4,3 cm. Blade Material: High Carbon Steel

Greek Hoplite SwordThis sword is similar to the designs ofAncient Greek swords, this particular versionof the leaf shaped blade is more reminiscentof Celtic rather than Greek swords.Nevertheless, a leaf-shaped blade was com-mon in the Ancient Greek armies of the 5 thcentury (earlier swords were smaller anddesigned for stabbing rather than slashing,in the confines of hand-to-hand combat withhoplites). This kind of sword was used even inthe era of Alexander, though pure slashingweapons such as early falchions ormachetes were more common. This particu-lar weapon is dual-purpose: it has a wideblade for slashing, but it also has a fine stab-bing point. Like the original Greek swords,the grip is made of wood.Overall Length: 72,5 cm. Blade Length: 59

cm. Blade Width: 5 cm. Blade Material: High Carbon Steel

Grosse MesserIn use from the early 15 th century to the late 16 th , thegrosse messer ("big knife" in German) was a commonarmament in Central and Northern Europe, especially ascivilian wear for protection against bandits and robbers.Even though often overlooked by scholars and enthusiasts,it appears in a great many of woodcuts of the period, par-ticularly Durer's. It is said that it is shaped somewhat like akatana, and in truth it was often used in the same way;

sweeping slashes with a one- or two-handedgrip, and a functional point which saw little ifany use in combat. The exact origins of theweapon are unknown, but a popular theorysuggests it was the combination of theinfantry falchion with the two-handedweapons favored by the Swiss and Germans.Note: If used two-handed, increase damageand actions by +1. Since this is larger than afalchion and able to be used two handed, andas mentioned in the description it was usedlike a katana, the GM may rule that it can beused with either Chopping & SlashingSwords/Falchion and/or CurvedSwords/Katana.Overall Length: 100 cm. Blade Length: 75 cm.Blade Material: Tempered High Carbon Steel

Knights of the Round Table SwordThis nice-looking sword, even though it wastermed as functional, is in truth of little use.This short sword was made with Arthurianknightly weapons in mind, even though it fallsa bit short in length and efficiency. The bladeis tapered and capable of either slashing orstabbing, though the weapon's ridiculousweight makes both rather hard. The non-bladeportion of the sword is nearly one third of itswhole part, making for a nice grip on thesword, even though the decorated (with asword centered on it) guard and pommel arehalf that. It would make for a nice shortsword, if it weren't for its ridiculous weightand balance. Note: You may wish to give anadditional +1 penalty if the character isn'tstrong enough (11+ or 12+ STR)Overall Length: 93,75 cm. Blade Length:66,25 cm. Blade Width: 5,3 cm. BladeMaterial: High Carbon Steel

Landsknecht KatzbalgerThe German landsknecht was a mercenary, usuallya pikeman, selling his skill throughout Europe. Aclassical armament of such a hired warrior wasthis weapon, which in German means "Cat Gutter".A short sword, this weapon was rather effective inthe bloody hand-to-hand combat that followed afterthe initial push, its confines rendering longerweapons useless. The sword's blade has theappropriate width and weight to slash, but itslonger blade than the average short sword makesit a good thrusting weapon as well. This particulardesign of the weapon dates back to the 1500s.Overall Length: 82,5 cm. Blade Length: 70 cm.Blade width: 5,5 cm. Blade Thickness: 0,2 cm.

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Coustille SwordBlurring the line between short sword and combat sword, theCoustille sword was developed when the need for a weaponlarger than a dagger, yet more compact than a short sword,arose. The Coustille sword was rather popular. It was shortenough to pass as a dagger inside a walled town or city,where only nobles were allowed to carry swords openly, andyet long and broad enough to parry attacks from a sword. Itcould be thrust under the belt in varying positions, and it waseasy to ride with. Supposedly, the Coustille was favored by thetypical man-at- arms, if only for cutting the throats of prison-ers who could not be ransomed.Overall Length: 57,5 cm. Blade Length: 42,5 cm. Blade width:2,8 cm.

Small Blades

Long Hunter Stag Woodsman's Sword This type of sword was commonly encoun-tered in the hands of woodsmen andhunters The size of a short sword, it wassingle-edged, designed for cutting ratherthan thrusting even though it had a service-able point. Undoubtedly it could be used asa skinning tool as well, even though itslarge size made it less than ideal for thispurpose. It was made with both defenseand hunting in mind, and works equally effi-cient in either task. Most such swordswere made with a simple decoration toidentify them as such: their hilt was in truthan antler or horn, as seen in this one.Overall Length: 83 cm. Blade Length:63,75 cm. Blade Material: 420 satin finishstain resistant steel. Sheath: Handmadethick cow hide.

Medieval Chopper from the Maciejowski Bible

Even though this may look like a fantasy weapon, itdid exist (even though it was not often encoun-tered in either literature or art), and evidence sup-porting its existence exist not only in theMajieowski Bible but also several other manu-scripts of that particular period. Even though thename "Medieval Chopper" might not inspire awriter or poet to create works of art, it certainly isappropriate, for this weapon is designed to splithelmets and crack armor. In truth, it is a large,two-handed cleaver, with little thrusting point. Eventhough the weapon isn't that heavy, it requires twohands to be used properly.Overall Length: 80 cm. Blade Length: 47,5 cm.Handle Length: 32,5 cm. Blade Width: 5 cm

Mountain Trapper Stag Hunting SwordSimilar to the previous hunting sword, thisone is smaller and was probably used bymountain trappers. Also, like the previoussword, this one's hilt is also made fromantler horn. Its blade is single edged andslightly curved near the tip. This weapon canbe used either for cutting or slashing, andwas often used to kill small game (skinningit required a shorter blade).Overall Length: 77,7 cm. Blade Length:53,75 cm. Blade Material: 420 satin finishstain resistant steel. Sheath: Handmadethick cow hide.

Roman Gladius SwordA distinctive weapon, the Roman short swordaccompanied the Legionnaire along with the pilum.The gladius is, despite its size, a slashing weaponwith little taper, but it does have a thrusting point;perfect for the confines of close combat betweenarmies. This particular sword pictured, unfortu-nately, isn't exactly meant for combat; the swordisn't very well balanced and is rather heavy. It isornamented however, and it would make a greatshowpiece. Note: This sword is ridiculously heavyfor a short sword. You may even wish to incur anadditional +1 penalty in case the character isn'tstrong enough (11+ STR).Overall Length: 55 cm. Blade Length: 75 cm.Blade width: 5,5 cm. Blade Thickness: 0,2 cm.

!

LEGION

NOVEMBER 200350

Species: Human Gender: MaleProfession: Free Agent Career: AssassinAttributes: Can't Get Enough, Apathetic, Honest, Independent

ABILITY Score Untrained Res ModStrength 11 5 +1Dexterity 14 7 +2(+3)Constitution 8 4Intelligence 12 6 +1Will 10 5 +0Personality 6 3ACTION CHECK (die d0) Actions Per Round 3Mar 17+ Ord 16 Good 8 Amaz 4 Last Resorts/Cost 1/0

COMBAT MOVEMENT RATESSprint: 24 Run: 16 Walk: 6 Swim: 6 Easy Swim: 3

DURABILITYStun 8 !!!!!!!!Wound 8 !!!!!!!!Mortal 4 !!!!Fatigue 4 !!!!ATTACK Score Base Type Range DamageUnarmed 15/7/3 d0 LI/O Personal d6+1s/d6+3s/d4+1wKatana 17/8/4 -d4 LI/O Personal d4+3w/d6+3w/d4+2mKnife,thrown 15/7/3 d0 LI/O 11/22/44 d4w+1/d4+2w/d4+3wKnife,hand 17/8/4 d0 LI/O Personal d4w+1/d4+2w/d4+3w

DEFENSE+3 resistance modifier vs. melee+3 resistance modifier vs. ranged+1 INT resistance modifier vs. encounter skills

PERKS: Concentration, Observant, Psionic Awareness

FLAWS: Code Of Honor, Old Injury 4, Infamy 4

SKILLSSTR

Athletics 11/5/2 -climb 15/7/3, jump 15/7/3, throw 15/7/3Melee Weapons 11/5/2 -blade 17/8/4Unarmed Attack 11/5/2 -power martial arts 15/7/3

DEXAcrobatics 14/7/3 -daredevil, 18/9/4, dodge 17/9/4,

fall 18/9/4Modern Ranged 14/7/3 -pistol 15/7/3Stealth 14/7/3 -hide 18/9/4, shadow 18/9/4,

sneak 18/9/4Vehicle Operation 14/7/3-land 16/8/4

CONStamina 8/4/2 -endurance 12/6/3, resist pain 14/7/3

INTKnowledge 12/6/3 -language (Chinese) 15/7/3,

-language (English) 13/6/3, language (Japanese) 16/8/4Security 12/6/3 -security devices 17/8/4

WILAwareness 10/5/2 -intuition 11/5/2, perception 11/5/2Investigate 10/5/2 -search 15/7/3, track 15/7/3Resolve 10/5/2 -mental 13/6/3, physical 14/5/2Street Smart 10/5/2 -criminal elements 12/6/3,

-street knowledge 12/6/3PER

Interaction 6/3/1 -intimidate 11/5/2

NOTESFree Agent Resistance Modifier Bonus (STR), DEX Increase Achievement Bonus,Extra Action Achievement Bonus, Action Check Increase Achievement Bonus,

Reflexes DEX Resistance Modifier Bonus, Danger Sense Perk: -2 step bonus toAwareness-Intuition checks, Power Martial Arts Rank Melee Resist. Bonus +1

BackgroundYamato Kimazaki was born in Japan, and at a young age lost his family in a driveby shooting committed by assassins of the Chinese mafia. The faces of his par-ents killers were burned into Yamato's memory, haunting his dreams and fuelinghis desire for revenge. Lying in a hospital bed, he swore retribution and commit-ted himself to the task of hunting down the killers. After a few years at the age often he made a clumsy but determined attempt on one of the killers, who easilythwarted the attack. Instead of killing Yamato the assassin abducted the boy andpresented him to his boss for judgement. The mafia leader saw the coldness inYamato�s heart and sent him to be brain washed and trained as an assassin.

The Chinese mafia taught him how to kill without remorse. His training wasarduous, and he was often tortured to punish him for his earlier attack on theirown, as well as condition him against pain. On one such event, they took a screw-driver and jammed it in his wrist between the two bones. The damage was sogreat that it caused irreparable damage to the nerves, so on occasion he loseshis ability to use his left hand. This happens more often when his left arm gets hitin some way.

Yamato spent years training for the Chinese mafia before he was trusted tomake his first hit. After the kill, he realized he loved dealing death and did so withenthusiasm. He soon lost count of the many lives he took without a glimmer ofguilt. After proving himself, the mafia sent Yamato on more important and dan-gerous hits. He learned how to stalk his prey, how to set up traps, and how toexecute without a trace left behind.

However, his vow for revenge was always in the back of his mind. The brain-washing couldn�t erase the memory of his parents� murder. Finally after years ofworking for the mafia gang, he became their top assassin. On that day, he beganto systematically hunt down each member of the gang, and fulfilled his vow.While standing over the body of the last one, he decided that his training wouldnot be wasted.

Yamato began working for the enemies of the Chinese mafia, and performedmore hits against them until it was no longer safe for him to operate in Asia. Hemoved to the United States and hired himself out to various criminal organiza-tions across the country, performing hits for both sides. His style soon becameknown to both sides who put hits out on him for working it both ways.

After spending a few months laying low, Yamato began working again, thistime for large companies who wanted certain people to be eliminated. He caughtthe attention of federal agents, who began hunting him. However, he was a shad-ow, a ghost that no one could even get close to.

Yamato hides once more, but one day will come out of his exile and kill again.It burns inside his soul, he aches for it, he uses it to forget his loss. He needs it.

Incorporating Yamato Into Your Game:Yamato Kimazaki is a hired assassin, working for whoever pays him enough. Afriend of the players has rooted around in the wrong place and become a prob-lem for some unscrupulous individual or organization. The friend sends the play-ers incriminating evidence before being killed by Yamato, who was also hired toretrieve the evidence. To fulfill his mission he must hunt down the players. Heloves a good game of cat and mouse, and may actually meet the players underfriendly conditions to enhance the thrill, attacking stealthily at a later time.

Physical DescriptionYamato is lanky and graceful Japanese man. Always ready for action, Yamatowears black suits tailored for easy movement. He also wears dark sunglasses,day or night. Inside his car he stores his katana and custom made throwingknives, which are carried on his person when working.

PersonalityRuthless and cold hearted, Yamato is now driven by his love for the hunt, the kill,and the money. He is, however, very uncomfortable around people, as he hasonly been trained to seek out and exploit their weaknesses.

Beneath the cold exterior is a tortured soul. He looks for anything to relievehis pain for the loss for his family. In his twisted mind he kills for them, but witheach kill, he feels a little farther away from his family.

heroes, villains, and supporting cast members

Yamato Kimazaki by Ryan Kershner

51LAST RESORT 2

When did you start playing RPG�s (not necessarily Alternity)?In about 1986. We started out playing The Marvel SuperheroesRPG. We were all into comic books in those days.

When did you start playing Alternity?When the game first hit the stores, 1998.

What are your past contributions to the Alternity community?My main contributions are in digital artwork for Alternity,mostly Stardrive. I have contributed several renders for theupcoming Stellar Ring Netbook. I've actually lost count howmany. Plus, I do lots of renders for my own Stardrive cam-paign. They are all posted on my yahoo group"EscapeVelocity2503". Many of them are also posted onTequilastarrise.net and Alternity.net. In addition I've written upseveral unique pieces of technology, facilities, and starshipsas .pdf's or .doc files. Those are available as downloads hereand there on the aforementioned sites. I keep busy.

What Alternity projects are you currently working on?All of the above, but my latest project is a drawing of our star-ship, The Liquid Sky, in a dogfight with several External cruis-ers. Lots of explosions and twisted metal flying.

What project would you most like to see accomplished forAlternity?I'd like to see that Stellar Ring netbook. I think we're all eagerto see that long-awaited opus.

If there was a campaign that you�d like to run or simply playdescribe it to us (and indicate which of running/ playing).I'd like to run a campaign entirely within the GRID. Where theheroes don't even know what each other really look like. -Allaction/interaction in the virtual worlds. I think that has thepotential to be mind bending.

What is the most recent RPG-related book/item that youhave acquired?The system Guide to Aegis. But that was years ago. I don'treally buy much of anything anymore. I've got practically all thebooks, in one format or another.

Any good (Alternity or other) websites to recommend ?http://www.tequilastarrise.net/index.phphttp://www.alternity.net/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/escapevelocity2503/

Favorite sci-fi/fantasy artist(s) and why?I like Giger most of all. The way he combines organic andmechanical is incredible. Brom is great too. Especially his por-traits. He did the cover of the first Alien Compendium, actually.

Favorite sci-fi/fantasy book(s) and why?My favorite sci-fi book would have to be Neuromancer byWilliam Gibson. H.P. Lovecraft did a ton of great sci-fi anddimensional short stories, too. I can't get enough of that guy'swritings.

Favorite sci-fi/fantasy movie(s) and why?The Matrix.-nuff said.

What sci fi/fantasy character in a book, television show,video game, or movie would you most like to be and why?Neo. He's easy to identify with. He starts the trilogy as thiskind of nerdy, computer obsessed dude who wonders why hedoesn't fit in. Then he becomes nigh all-powerful, ends upscoring with a fine lady in latex, and saves the world. Whowouldn't love that life?

What profession/career and level are you in Real Life andwhat is your highest skill rank?Tech Op, Scientist. I'd probably have pretty equal ranks inphysics, chemistry, and biology- a jack of all trades and a mas-ter of none,lol. I've been technically supporting laboratoryinstrumentation for going on 4 years. I don't know what rankthat would make me.

ALTERNIT Y FAN SPO TLIGHT

Mike Meechan aka Mig NovaDigital Artist

alternity roleplaying fan m · rules for nanotechnology in alternity cook™s guide to open space:...

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